Guest blog by Sharon McElveen Altman

Some songs are deeply embedded in your soul. Something happens in your day, and a song comes to mind – perhaps one you haven’t heard or thought of in years. In fact, I have a friend with whom we make that a game (to our husbands’ dismay), to see in our visit how many songs come to mind!

Examples: Let me see someone walking down the street in the rain with an umbrella, and – of course – I hear Gene Kelly’s sheepish “I’m singing in the rain.”  Or, when I’m about to burst with happiness, I hear him sing, “Gotta dance!” (although I can’t dance!)

Some movie scenes have a similar effect on me:  Let me walk in a room where the loveseat is in the open and like a child, I want to step on it and turn it over to see if I can keep my balance.

Being the Musical Director for Town Theatre’s production of Singin’ In The Rain has allowed me to share my love of this movie. I split my time between my homes in Lake City and Columbia, so seeing the cast now singing these classic songs with such energy and passion (even while dancing!), makes all the travel investment worthwhile.

So there I sit in the audience, just like you: wanting to sing along, and thinking how easy the cast makes it look to execute Joy Alexander’s impressive choreography; how as director, Allison McNeely makes me feel the need to help develop a solution for the ‘new talking picture’; wondering how Danny Harrington copes with a wet stage and questioning, does Lina’s (Shelby Sessler) voice really sound like that?!?

There are so many fun aspects to this production, and I always feel better and more lighthearted after leaving the show. I know you will, too. And I know what song will be in your head the next time you’re outside in the rain!

Sharon is enjoying her second year at Town. Musicals to date include Stand By Your Man, Always Patsy Cline, White Christmas and Sugar. She thanks Jerald (husband), Joye (daughter) and Carolyn (BFF) for their support of her crazy schedule between their Lake City and Irmo homes. Sharon invites you to worship with her at Spring Valley Baptist Church.