Singin' in the Rain

Story by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Music by Nacio Herb Brown

Music for The Royal Rascal adapted by Patrick Colvin from
Moving Picture Music (1913) by John Stepan Zamecnik. 

Creative Team

Director/Choreographer

Matthew Wagner

Assistant Choreographer

Amber Burns

Fight Choreographer

Tom Isbell

Dance Captains

Thressa Schultz, Faith Fausone, Samuel Blazevic-Seibert

Fight Captain

Jake Lieder

Music Director

Patrick Colvin

Dramaturg

Oliver Swimeley

Assistant Dramaturg

Rose Buttell

Technical Director

Scott Boyle

Assistant Technical Director

Cody Burgoon

Scenic Designer

Curtis Phillips

Assistant Scenic Designers

Lisa Scott, Sheridan Cornett

Properties Coordinator

Olivia Zastrow

Assistant Properties Coordinator 

Emmalyn Danielson

Costume Designer

Jeannie Hurley

Assistant Costume Designer

Emmalyn Danielson

Makeup/Hair Designer
Rianna Ryan

Lighting Designer

Ethan Hollinger

Assistant Lighting Designers
Wesley Christianson, Jacob Steen

Sound Designer

Maddy Uecker

Stage Manager

Caleb Knudsen

Assistant Stage Managers

Katy Lacy, Mary Cruser, Luke Pfluger

Cast  

Figensia Alcenat
Miss Dinsmore

Mackenzie Ammon
Ensemble

Ryan Armstrong
Production Tenor

Emily Bolles
Kathy Selden

Billy Booth
Ensemble

Deklan Boren
Diction Teacher

Kaitlyn Callahan
Ensemble

Jager Christenson
Ensemble

Hope Davis
Ensemble

Maddie Froehle 

Kathy u/s

Cindy Hansen
Zelda Zanders

Trevor Hendrix
Don Lockwood

Finn Jackson
R.F. Simpson

Jake Lieder
Cosmo Brown

Tanner Longshore
Ensemble

Jake Mathey
Rod/ Don u/s

Mackenzie Moe
Swing

Olivia Nelson
Dora Bailey

Cadence Neste
Ensemble

Hunter Ramsden
Sid Phillips

Erik Rasmussen
Ensemble

Thressa Schultz
Lina Lamont

Jack Senske
Roscoe Dexter

Misha Suarez
Olga Mara

John Toven
Ensemble

Madison Wagner
Ensemble

Pit Orchestra 

Piano and Conductor
Patrick Colvin

Woodwinds
Erin Cox
Kim Anderson

Trumpets
Joe Kasparek
David Rode
Stacy Carolan

Trombone
John Cox

Bass
Gregg Ciurleo

Percussion
Marc Hill

Cast & Creative Team

Director's Note

When Singin’ in the Rain was proposed for our ’22-’23 season, I nearly jumped out of my chair to support it. I had no previous experience with the show, but I instantly believed two things. One, a tap show would bring a little desperately needed joy into the world, and two, we had the students who could do it. There was no doubt in my mind, Singin’ in the Rain would showcase the talents of our department in a big way. My eagerness resulted in me agreeing to both choreograph and make my directorial debut.

Singin’ in the Rain is based on the classic MGM movie musical from 1952. Directed and choreographed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, it starred Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. The film highlights the major changes in the culture and technology of American entertainment. Featuring some of most iconic song and dance numbers in movie musical history, Singin in the Rain transferred to the stage in 1983 and debuted on Broadway just two years later.

Set in 1927, it felt important for us as a company to understand the socio-cultural norms of the era. Notes from our dramaturgy team have helped us to recognize the differences between the characters and film actors of 1952, versus how we perform this show today. I applaud our students for engaging in empowering conversations to continue reckoning with a problematic history while working to build an inclusive future for American musical theatre. 

Working on this production has brought a great deal of joy to my world. This has been a “can-do” group of collaborators who have put in the extra hours and thought-provoking discussions, dedicating themselves to creating movie magic for the stage. I am amazed by the work of our cast, designers, and technical crew who have lifted this production up in every way.  Our students have risen to a massive challenge and I am in awe of their accomplishments. As an educator, I’m thankful to see their growth in action and bear witness to the rise of an exciting theatrical future.

Matthew Wagner

Dramaturg's Note

by Oliver Swimeley

The 1920s were a decade of change. Known as the Roaring Twenties, it was a time of relative peace after the end of WWI, as well as prosperity, mass consumerism, technological innovation, and the flowering of culture, from Flapper fashion and Jazz music. One of the lasting impacts of the 1920s was the film industry. 

Silent Films were not simply a new form of entertainment; the industry signaled a shift in technology and access, which redefined popular culture. Now every person in America could see the same thing at the same time and be able to enjoy it over and over again. Entertainment in this format was a commercial goldmine. A popular movie in the 1920s could generate as much as $50,000,000 weekly in ticket sales. Silent Films also introduced cutting-edge technology including camera movement and lighting techniques. Many modern film-making methods were pioneered in this era. Additionally, Silent Films transformed actors into “stars”.  Most importantly the Silent Films of the 1920s were a springboard into “Talkies”. 

Talkies – movies with sound and synchronized dialogue – were first introduced to the American public with The Jazz Singer. While the film is problematic for using the racist practice of Blackface, it is significant to history as the film whose popularity would signal the death of the silent film era. Actors who once graced the screen and gained popularity by their looks alone, now needed the voices to match. 

In Singin in the Rain audiences witness this cultural transition in real time as R.F. Simpson turns The Dueling Cavalier from a Silent Film to a Talkie, because “everyone is doing it” and because The Jazz Singer was such a great box office success. This plot point in the musical showcases the pressure producers were under to bring in the most money and its impact on all involved in the burgeoning film industry.

Overall, Silent Films shifted the American entertainment industry as a whole: movie stars rose and fell, cinematography techniques were pioneered and tested, and audiences were unified by a shared culture of cinematic storytelling. Eventually, however, the once-beloved motion picture gave way to the talking picture, revolutionizing the film industry and establishing the Hollywood standards we know today.

Production Crew

Scene Shop Supervisor

Nick Wright

Paint Charge

Nelson Wennberg

Scenic Artist

Sheridan Cornett

Shift Crew

Jordan Fields

Scenic Design Faculty Advisor

Curtis Phillips

Wardrobe Head

Moriah Babinski

Dressers

Violet Whelan, Archie Reed, Sandi Flahn, Kade Grau

Makeup/Hair

Mackenzie Macevoy

Costume/Makeup Design Faculty Advisor

Caitlin Quinn

Costume Shop Supervisor

Laura Piotrowski

Master Electrician

Abby Swanson

Light Board Programmer/Operator

Jacob Steen

Follow Spot Operators

Aristotle Taylor, Louis Thiessen

Audio Engineer

Regan Peterson

Sound Board Operator

Jordyn Rodriguez

A2/Deck Electrician

Courtney Schreiber

Lighting/Sound Faculty Advisor

Ethan Hollinger

Scenery / Props Construction Crew:

Ryan Armstrong, Kathryn Boster, Madison Froehle, Zoe Griese, Ryan Hamilton, Devyn Harris, Luke Hiland, Isabelle Hopewell, B Kelly, Elizabeth Kleis, Matthew Lamers*, Gray Paguyo, Regan Peterson*, Lisa Scott*, Jacob Steen, Ai-Rung Wang, Nelson Wennberg*

Stagecraft Practicum Instructor

Katie Cornish

Costume Construction Crew 

Moriah Babinski*, Erin Christoferson, Mary Cruser, Aaron Dumalag, Emmi Dunkin, Ro Feitl*, Sandi Flahn, Kade Gau*, Elizabeth Kleis, Katy Lacy, Kenzie Moe, Madelyn Nave, Luke Pfluger, Izzy Roy, Jenna Simonson, Abby Swanson, Jessica Thanghe, Olivia Zastrow*

Costume Practicum Instructor

Alice Shafer

Light & Sound Crew 

Jesse Bakken, Cody Burgoon, Shea Callaghan, Jager Christenson, Wesley Christianson, Sheridan Cornett, June Haider, Morgan James, Sophia Nelson, Regan Peterson, Jordyn Rodriguez, Courtney Schreiber, Aristotle Taylor, Louis Thiessen, Irie Unity, Nelson Wennberg

* UMD Theatre is proud to acknowledge our paid student staff.

John and Mary Gonska
Cultural Residency

Special Thanks

Thank you to Dennis Schultz at the Masonic Temple for going above and beyond, and Gene Kelly for the inspiration.