Since May, over half of the student body at Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) has been singing, dancing, acting and preparing their hearts out for this year’s musical, Singin’ in the Rain. Directed by Mrs. Delaney and produced by Mrs. Saukus, Singin’ in the Rain was performed on November 14 and 15 at the newly renovated Shubert Theater in New Haven.

The musical has been a tradition at SHA since the school’s founding in 1948. It continues to grow and connect all of the people who have been involved or are attached to Sacred Heart Academy in some way. Many alumnae make a point of coming to the show every year. Before the show started, the alumnae were asked to stand, and there were many in the audience. Also recognized were the Sisters who came to the performances.

The Shubert was recently renovated, and it was a change welcome by the cast and crew. During the performance, the cast spends most of their time in the dressing rooms, so they have to be comfortable. The new dressing rooms were larger and the performers had ample space. Also, the dressing rooms were cooler than last year due to the replacement of old, heat-emitting lights. The backstage and downstairs areas embraced color with the addition of more murals. The stage also shined with color as the actors sang and danced.

Kayla Hanson (’15) and Rose Iannaccone (’16) played the female leads, Kathy Selden and Lina Lamont, respectively. Hanson displayed immense perseverance throughout Tech Week and the shows. She was injured during Thursday night’s dress rehearsal and could not attend school on Friday due to a doctor’s appointment. Nevertheless, Hanson was as impressive in the performances as she was during rehearsals; she sang and danced with an air of poise. Iannaccone was extraordinary in her role of Lina Lamont. One of Miss Lamont’s character traits is a shrill voice. Iannaccone was able to alter her own voice in order to create that piercing sound of Lina Lamont.

The male leads were Austin Iovanna (’15) and Gabe Katz (’17) who played Don Lockwood and Cosmo Brown. Mrs. Delaney said of Iovanna, “I prayed that God would send us a Gene Kelly, and He did.” Iovanna truly did live up to the hopes of Mrs. Delaney. He acted with the charisma of Gene Kelly while happily “singing in the rain” that came onto the stage. Gabe Katz played the comedic part of Cosmo Brown, Don Lockwood’s best friend. Katz exhibited his great talent and affinity for comedy in the energetic “Make ‘Em Laugh” sequence. Katz sang and danced across the whole Shubert stage in this memorable number.

The main theme of Singin’ in the Rain is the transition from silent movies to “talkies”, movies in which the voices of the actors can be heard. This was wonderfully portrayed on the stage in many technical implements. The silent movie actors, Iovanna and Iannaccone, did filming after school on Sacred Heart property. They filmed scenes from their movies and these were projected on a screen on the stage of the Shubert. Another way in which technology was carried out on the stage was in the rain. Unfortunately, the rain did not work for Friday’s performance, but it rained for Saturday. The rain was activated for Don Lockwood’s iconic “Singin’ in the Rain” solo. The addition of the rain on stage made this scene come alive.

SHA did it again with another amazing musical production on the Shubert stage. The leads, Kayla Hanson, Rose Iannaccone, Austin Iovanna and Gabe Katz were spectacular and rightfully chosen to play their parts. Other standouts include Andrea Sanchez (’15) and Lauren Celentano (’16), Sanchez singing “Broadway Melody” and Celentano showing off sensational dancing skills. We can’t wait to hear what Mrs. Delaney and Mrs. Saukas have in store for next year!