CD Review: Singin’ in the Rain (2012 London Cast Album)

“ 
"Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo"

Having had a near-perfect experience in on the front row at Chichester for Singin’ in the Rain, I didn’t think it could be topped by visiting the London transfer – sometimes I think it is best not to go back. But listening to the cast recording released by the London cast in 2012, I’m kinda wishing that I had. It is a cracking musical whichever way you cut it but this is a brilliant record of a dazzling production that, dare I say it, I listen to just as much as the original film soundtrack. 

This CD features 19 tracks, marking a slightly different tracklisting to previous theatrical productions, with most of the reprises included too. Larry Wilcox and Larry Blank’s orchestrations sound just luscious under Robert Scott’s musical direction, making the instrumentals just as vividly vibrant to listen to as the iconic songs we’ve all come to know and love and in Adam Cooper, Scarlett Strallen and Daniel Crossley’s expert hands, they are gloriously great. 

Cooper’s the ideal matinée idol but tuneful with it as we see on the swooning version of the title track, Scarlett Strallen has all the supreme confidence to make go-getter Kathy an irresistible pleasure – her ‘You Are My Lucky Star’ is just wonderful - and Daniel Crossley’s cheeky Cosmo is simply dreamy, ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ and ‘Moses Supposes’ both fizzing with charisma. And all three together on ‘Good Morning’ is the stuff dreams are made of.

The only issue comes with ‘What’s Wrong With Me?’, too much of the delicious comedy of Katherine Kingsley’s performance as silent movie star Lina Lamont lost on record making it sound a little awkward. But it’s a small blemish on an otherwise superlative soundtrack of a superb production.



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