Broadway World previews Singin' in the Rain
This weekend, the NJSO performs the full score of Singin' in the Rain live at special film screenings in Newark and New Brunswick. Broadway World chats with NJSO President & CEO James Roe and guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos about presenting the iconic film:
There are few movies that evoke iconic imagery. This is just the case with the 1952 musical comedy "Singin' in the Rain." After all, who is not familiar with the charming and legendary Gene Kelly dancing through the streets and jumping in puddles while, well, singing in the rain?
Just as there are few movies that become classics, there are even fewer that produce a song, much less a complete soundtrack, that has become so engrained in pop culture. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that "Singin' in the Rain" was chosen as the next movie to be showcased as part of New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's (NJSO) POPS Series.
As part of this series, NJSO lends live accompaniment to the screening of an iconic movie. Past POPS Series movies include "The Wizard of Oz" and "Casablanca," among others.
"The Singin' in the Rain program brings back the best part of nostalgia," NJSO President and CEO James Roe said.
"The POPS Series is just fun," he continued. "It's a great time. It showcases our amazing musicians."
From the aptly titled "Singin' in the Rain" to the fun and exciting "Make 'Em Laugh" to the romantic and beautifully interpreted "You Were Meant For Me," attendees will revel in these songs and the rest of the musical numbers as the exceptional orchestral ensemble performs them while the remastered film is projected.
According to Roe, presenting the film in this format required technology that took out the film's orchestral pieces while leaving behind its dialogue and vocals.
Conductor Constantine Kitsoupolos, who will lead the orchestra during the program, said that the concerts will allow music lovers to enjoy pop classics while seeing an orchestra in a different light and not just as a means for solely classical music.
Read the full preview at broadwayworld.com.