Strong vocals from the cast

When it rains, it pours - and Don Lockwood sings - in the classic musical comedy

Singin' in the Rain

, recently performed at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Adapted from the 1952 musical movie of the same name, Singin' in the Rain is set in Hollywood in the 1920s during the transition from the age of silent pictures to "talkies." Acclaimed silent actor Don Lockwood (Corey Seigler) and his leading lady, Lina Lamont (Erica Hess), are caught in the middle of this transition.

Unfortunately, Lina's voice isn't exactly pleasant on the ears, which makes her success in talking pictures quite unlikely. Overwhelmed with the pressure to make his first talkie with Lina a success, Don looks to his piano-playing sidekick, Cosmo Brown (James Hopkins), and aspiring actress Kathy Selden (Leslie Quiles) for help with a plan to save the film.

CAPA's performance was carried by the strong vocals of its many cast members. Both solo and ensemble numbers sounded polished, and the adept student orchestra contributed to the lovely sound of each tune.

Though her character's voice was anything but lovely, Erica Hess did an excellent job as Lina Lamont; her hilarious song, "What's Wrong With Me," was an audience favorite.

James Hopkins was great as Cosmo, the quintessential comical sidekick. Hopkins worked well with Corey Seigler; the duo was the focus of many scenes.

Another notable performance was Quiles as the feisty yet talented actress Kathy Seldon. Quiles was believable as Kathy. In addition, her feud with Hess's character brought much humor to the show.

Overall, the feats of the tech crew were commendable. The crew used impressive lighting effects to simulate rain in the classic title-song scene, and pre-recorded black-and-white video for the movies. However, though bumps in the sound system were few, they were distracting when they occurred.

Despite several awkward scene changes, the CAPA performance went by smoothly. All in all, the production was nicely done.