Fertile Ground Diaries: Rain! The Musical

Imagine a Portland without rain. Richard Moore’s Rain! The Musical sees fallen rock star Turner returning to a dried-out Rose City. Liquid sunshine has been replaced by productivity in the re-christened “city that works.” As Turner finds himself in a world of assistants named Theresa and an overworked, undersexed ex-girlfriend, the audience enters his rockified musical dream. With a band of old Viagra-addicted and pothead friends, as well as a street musician, Turner vows his magical music will inspire precipitation.

A prodigal musician himself, Moore dubs Rain! a “tribute to Portland.” It has the feel of a revival concert, with both audience and performers reliving their glory days with good old riffs, plus uncomfortably inappropriate jokes (ie. the song “Let’s Get Wet” and a reference to “penis noir”). This is not the Portland of hipster notoriety, it’s a city of classic rock, town hall concerts and “when I was young.”

The storyline is simple and idealistic, but characters with larger-than-life personalities compensate. Though often gimmicky, they’re entertaining enough. The three Theresas display a front of workplace anonymity but bring quirks and a refreshing shot of youth to the production. You can either laugh or cringe when the balding pervert and drug addict start rocking out. Take your pick.

Rain! The Musical isn’t enough to make Seattle jealous, but it does get an older audience bobbing along.