Act 1 Concludes Season with “Singin’ in the Rain”

Act 1 DeSales University Theatre is pleased to announce the final production of its 55th season will be the premiere of “Singin’ in the Rain.” The stage adaptation of the classic musical opens on Thursday, April 24, and runs until Sunday, May 4, on the Main Stage, the Marcon Theatre, of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts.

Harken back to a time in 1920s Hollywood when the “Jazz Singer” and talking pictures became all the rage, and silent film actors and actresses suddenly found themselves learning to enunciate for the camera.

Based on the 1952 MGM film, “Singin’ in the Rain” is the story of a movie studio and its leading actors, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, navigating the new talking picture technology.

The stage adaptation is filled with the same broad comedy, wonderful dancing, oft-quoted lines, and famous songs of the era, including “You Were Meant for Me,” “Good Morning,” and the title song.

Recreating the film for the stage necessitated a collaboration among all three majors in the School of Performing Arts. In addition to the production being a dance-heavy show, the filmed portions fostered cooperation with students from the TV/film major. Filming occurred on location as well as the University’s virtual production studio, a cutting-edge space, unique to the Lehigh Valley with the latest virtual production technology, which has been used on many Hollywood television shows and movies.

“'Singin’ in the Rain' is one of the largest scope musicals we have ever done at Act 1,” said Anne Lewis, professor of theatre and director of the production. “The TV/film aspect, multiple scene locations, and the demanding choreography all converge to make this production unique and a lot of fun.”

Andrew Mannion, assistant professor of theatre, is the scenic designer, recreating the sound stages of early Hollywood, and Kevin Oleksy, the technical director, engineered the rain on stage for the title number. Guest artist Janus Stefanowicz is the costume designer and Eric T. Haugen, assistant professor and head of design, serves as lighting designer. Jonathan Cannon, sound supervisor, is sound designer. Nancy Moser Collins Miles is the music director, and DeSales alumnus Stephen Casey is the choreographer.

For the video portions of the production, Michael Wagner, associate professor of TV/film, is the director of photography, and Stephen Furry, TV/film virtual production supervisor and theatre master electrician, was the key grip on all the films and ran the VPS.

“Singin’ in the Rain” opens on Thursday, April 24, and runs through Sunday, May 4, 2025. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m., and Saturday, May 3, at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $34 for adults and $32 for students and seniors Monday through Thursday and $38 for adults and $36 for students and seniors Friday through Sunday. There are two talkback performances with the cast: one on Tuesday, April 29, following the 9:45 a.m. performance and one after the 2:00 p.m. Sunday, April 27, performance.

Following the Friday, May 2, performance, Act 1 is hosting an after-show party to celebrate the Golden Age of Hollywood with a raffle, popcorn, concession candy, and Shirley Temples. Students who attend DeSales or any other Lehigh Valley college or university can purchase tickets for $8. Group discounts are available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center Box Office at 610-282-3192 or by visiting the website at tickets.desales.edu.

To improve accessibility for all patrons, the Saturday, May 3, 2:00 p.m. performance will feature Open Captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and Audio Descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. During Open Captioned performances, all dialogue and sound effects are presented in real-time on an LED screen that is adjacent to the stage. During Audio Described performances, all action and physical appearances are described live through a headset. Tickets are half price for patrons using these special services on this date. Please call Box Office Manager Eric Pierson at 610-282-3654, ext. 1, for more information.

The Labuda Center is accessible and equipped with a listening enhancement system. Special seating is available for our patrons using wheelchairs or requiring other assistance. Please inform the box office of your needs when ordering tickets.