How an Ohio theater company staged a miracle production of 'Singin' in the Rain’
DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) — A central Ohio theater company used all its resources to keep its production of “Singin' in the Rain” from turning into a total washout.
Arena Fair Theatre Company, located in Delaware, found itself without a lead actor just hours before the curtain went up on opening night. According to a post on the company's Facebook page, actor Ryan Hawkins, who was cast as Don Lockwood, had to be hospitalized “with a nerve issue that … severely limited his mobility.”
What happened next to get the production on stage was a feat of technology, talent and sheer willpower. David Hejmanowski, a member of the Arena Fair Board of Directors, explained to NBC4 that Kent State University freshman dance major Silas French stepped up to perform the physical portion of the role on stage.
The same day, Music Director Brian White traveled to the hospital with recording equipment in tow to capture Hawkins's singing voice, bedside, to be synced with the music. The production also included prerecorded silent movie flashback scenes of Hawkins that the audience got to enjoy.
The final piece of the puzzle came together when Brendan Hodge, husband of director Cat Hodge, became the voice of Don Lockwood, delivering the lines offstage on a microphone.
In an interesting observation, Hejmanowski remarked that the plot of “Singin' in the Rain” is about the emergence of “talking pictures” in the 1920s, where a young actress is hired to dub the lines of a silent movie star to bridge the studio's transition to the “talkies.”
Additionally, Hejmanowski praised Cat and the cast for pulling off the incredible achievement for all four performances. He shared his astonishment at how seamlessly the musical came together, noting that it “had no business working as perfectly as it did.”
The audience agreed, with dozens of social media comments lauding the cast and crew's accomplishment and sending well-wishes to Hawkins.
“Amazing opening night!” an audience member wrote. “Great job, everyone—especially you, Cat Hodge ???? Now go get some sleep!”
“Reading this moved me to tears,” said another person. “There truly is nothing like live theatre. It’s all incredible every single night.”
“Sending best wishes to Ryan and the whole team,” added another fan. “'Singin’ in the Rain' might just be the perfect show for pushing through challenges!”
During his hospital stay, Hawkins has been keeping the community informed of his health by blogging about his progress.
“I have Transverse Myelitis, or inflammation in the spinal cord, that is causing widespread numbness in both of my legs and limited mobility,” Hawkins explained in a CaringBridge blog. “The root cause is still unknown, but doctors suspect an autoimmune condition.”
In his post last Friday, Hawkins said he was “feeling much more awake and alert” and had “a level of confidence” that improvements would continue.
A GoFundMe for Hawkins's medical bills was also posted.
Arena Fair's upcoming productions include “You Can't Take It With You” in September and “The Shawshank Redemption” in October.