“Dignity. Always dignity.”
In the musical “Singing in the Rain,” Gene Kelly’s character utters that line to describe his acting philosophy as the scenes on screen reveal a very different — and very undignified — reality about the struggle for success in the industry.
It’s hilarious social commentary, something often overlooked as viewers get lost in the fun of musicals.
Kelly is one of the greatest innovators of music and film. He enchanted audiences with his athletic dancing style and boyish charm, while introducing stunning camera work and creatively merging filmmaking styles, such as when he danced with an animated Jerry Mouse in “Anchors Away.”
At one point, he played baseball on the same team as Buster Keaton, another film innovator who was born just down the road in Piqua.
Such is the connection that ties together “Keaton and Kelly: Gotta Dance” for this year’s Buster Keaton Festival on Sept. 22-24 at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
The event features movies starring either Kelly or Keaton, and wraps up at 7 p.m. on Saturday night with a special presentation, “Gene Kelly the Legacy: An evening with Patricia Ward Kelly.”
Patricia Ward Kelly met her future husband when she was hired to write his biography toward the end of his life. She was 30 and he was 77 when they married in 1990; he died in 1996.
She will visit Iola to talk about their life and personal connection.
“Patricia is one of the most engaging people I’ve ever met,” Dan Kays, director of the Bowlus and one of the organizers of the Keaton festival, said.
“It’s going to be a really great, fun weekend.”
Among the movies will be Kelly’s signature classic and arguably the greatest musical of all time, “Singing in the Rain,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, with a special dance presentation by Miss Chelsea’s Dance Academy at 6:45.
On Friday, films are “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at 3 p.m. and a special presentation of “Starstruck, Gene Kelly’s Love Letter to Ballet” at 7.
Saturday’s films feature Keaton: “The Cameraman” at 10 a.m. and “Steamboat Bill Jr” at 1:30 p.m. Author Dana Stevens will be available to sign her book about Buster Keaton after that movie.
There is a $7 fee for each movie, and $17 to see Patrica Ward Kelly’s presentation, or you can buy a pass for the entire festival for $47. Students age 16 and under get in free to everything except Kelly’s presentation on Saturday evening, which will cost them $10.
THE KEATON Festival was celebrated in Iola from 1993 to 2017, when a grant that funded the event ran out.
A committee planned to bring it back in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to rethink their plans. Instead, there was no festival in 20202 and a hybrid online/in-person festival returned last year to celebrate “Buster Keaton in Changing Times.”
This is the festival organizers wanted to offer in 2020.
“This is the direction we wanted to go when we brought back the Keaton festival, but COVID killed it,” Kays said.
Kays had a connection with Patricia Ward Kelly, and wanted to wait until she could visit for an in-person experience.
Not only that, but when Kays took over as Bowlus director in 2018, he realized the area had a vibrant dance community with active studios in Iola, Chanute and Yates Center. A festival to honor musicals seemed an ideal fit.
The committee also wanted to encourage more community involvement in the festival, and focus more on the films and less on lectures.
“We want to highlight the films, and afterward you can stay for the talk or not,” Kays said.
“The goal is to re-engage the community. Come out and watch the films. Have a great time. Most of these films are classics.”
Patricia Ward Kelly will also meet with sixth and seventh grade students from Iola Middle School on Thursday.
“She requested that particular age group,” Kays said “They tend to be a sponge, and that’s the age where kids are just starting to find out what their passions are. It’s very important to introduce musicals to the kids.”
THE FUN actually begins this week, with a scavenger hunt starting on Sunday.
Organizers have hidden items related to Keaton or Kelly in 29 different places around the community.
To start, come to the Buster Keaton Museum at 302 S. Hill St. in Piqua from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday to collect a card with instructions for the scavenger hunt, as well as a small prize.
Continue to collect items to be eligible for cash prizes in a drawing during Thursday’s presentation of “Singing in the Rain.”
Organizers are also encouraging local businesses to decorate their windows, with a contest offering $275 for first place, $150 for second and $75 for third. Winners will be announced on Saturday.
A registration form can be found online here.
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