ANOTHER MAGGIE.....
Was it in 1952 when I saw Gene Kelly’s film « Singing in the Rain » ? The year it came out? With artists that today’s generation probably don’t know. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor.
On Friday night, I saw the first (well perhaps not ) stage musical. The first in Paris. That is for sure. I’m far from being a nostalgic person, but at the end of the show, my eyes were slightly damp!!! Why so?
The film was a revolution for me. That is what l wanted to do. Become a musical comedy actress. The acting part certainly had to do with my Mother who had been a famous stage, screen, radio and author in Australia before she left for France. I could do something better….dance and sing. Until I left for France to finish my studies and join the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, every spare minute of my time was spent in singing and dancing to musical comedies in our lounge room. It was a big space and left me a lot of room to develop my dance routines, learn the words from all the musicals and become another person….my grandmother must have known what l was up to as she gave me many records (no CD’s at that time) of shows that were new to Australia - let alone Tasmania. I knew all the songs but « my part » was to invent the dance routines, become a character in one of the shows and dance, and dance and dance and sing….there were so many "parts" that l played. Not always the leading role as my voice was not up to soprano heights. Quite often second roles but where l would somehow see myself « involved » with the heroine. By the time I had seen all the musicals - and that I can assure you took a number of years - it was then l would learn what the real show was all about.
Seeing a brillant production of «Singing in the Rain » this week brought all these memories back. I had played Debbie Reynold’s part. My voice at the end of the 50’s was up to it. Every word came back to me. I was astonished too how much the musical resembled the film. It was perhaps up-dated with the three leading roles looking rather like the original actors. Perhaps not Dan Burton in Gene Kelly’s role but Daniel Crossley as Cosmo Brown was very much like Donald O’Connor!
My singing lessons put an end to all that. As my voice was not a trained one, after a series of up and down ahhh ahhh ahhs, it broke -never to sing in tune again. Playing Irma in « Irma La Douce » was the swan song. I croaked…..
« Singing in the Rain » started it all. I was going to be a musical comedy star…and the other evening, as nostalgic as l was….that life was not for me!
On Friday night, I saw the first (well perhaps not ) stage musical. The first in Paris. That is for sure. I’m far from being a nostalgic person, but at the end of the show, my eyes were slightly damp!!! Why so?
The film was a revolution for me. That is what l wanted to do. Become a musical comedy actress. The acting part certainly had to do with my Mother who had been a famous stage, screen, radio and author in Australia before she left for France. I could do something better….dance and sing. Until I left for France to finish my studies and join the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, every spare minute of my time was spent in singing and dancing to musical comedies in our lounge room. It was a big space and left me a lot of room to develop my dance routines, learn the words from all the musicals and become another person….my grandmother must have known what l was up to as she gave me many records (no CD’s at that time) of shows that were new to Australia - let alone Tasmania. I knew all the songs but « my part » was to invent the dance routines, become a character in one of the shows and dance, and dance and dance and sing….there were so many "parts" that l played. Not always the leading role as my voice was not up to soprano heights. Quite often second roles but where l would somehow see myself « involved » with the heroine. By the time I had seen all the musicals - and that I can assure you took a number of years - it was then l would learn what the real show was all about.
Seeing a brillant production of «Singing in the Rain » this week brought all these memories back. I had played Debbie Reynold’s part. My voice at the end of the 50’s was up to it. Every word came back to me. I was astonished too how much the musical resembled the film. It was perhaps up-dated with the three leading roles looking rather like the original actors. Perhaps not Dan Burton in Gene Kelly’s role but Daniel Crossley as Cosmo Brown was very much like Donald O’Connor!
My singing lessons put an end to all that. As my voice was not a trained one, after a series of up and down ahhh ahhh ahhs, it broke -never to sing in tune again. Playing Irma in « Irma La Douce » was the swan song. I croaked…..
« Singing in the Rain » started it all. I was going to be a musical comedy star…and the other evening, as nostalgic as l was….that life was not for me!
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