Arizona Broadway Theatre

Last night we had the pleasure of going to the Arizona Broadway Theatre to see Singin’ in the Rain, and what a treat it was. For one thing, much of the score was familiar to us from that time way back then when we saw Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelley, and Donald O’Connor do their things on the only screen we knew about back then, the screen in a movie theater: “Fit as a Fiddle,” “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” “All I Do Is Dream,” “Make ‘em Laugh,” “Lucky Star,” “You Were Meant for Me,” “Moses Supposes,” “Good Morning,” and, of course, “Singin’ in the Rain.” I hoped they’d try to do the rain dance we remember when Kelley joyfully splashed around and spun on that streetlight. And they did. They used a Los Angeles street scene in the background with a raised street that acted as a catch for the water, then a sprinkler above for the rain, and Don Lockwood danced and sang exactly like Gene Kelley. Great set designs, great costumes, great singing from the whole cast, and really great dance numbers. I’m always surprised at how well the Arizona casts can dance. The numbers featuring Don and Cosmo and Kathy were especially good. I think Kelley, O’Connor, and Reynolds would have been proud and might even have said they couldn’t have done it better. We’re really fortunate to have this great dinner theatre so nearby.