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Sunday, May 26, 2002

By Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV Editor

Morgan Fairchild has been rehearsing to sound bad, which is probably harder than it might sound. She arrives in Pittsburgh tomorrow to begin rehearsals for Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's "Singin' in the Rain," which opens June 4.

	Morgan Fairchild works hard at sounding "awful" for "Singin' in the Rain."

Fairchild plays silent film star Lina Lamont, whose transition to leading lady status in talkies is hampered by her voice. For Fairchild, who has a deep voice, the ability to produce a pinched, squeaky voice is a challenge.

"I'm over here taking my voice classes every day," she said in a recent phone interview from Los Angeles. "She has such a terrible voice, and it sounds so awful."

Fairchild said "Singin' in the Rain" is a stage production she's long wanted to be a part of, but she felt it had to be the right role.

"I can't dance well enough to do the Debbie Reynolds part," Fairchild said. But she was always a fan of the Gene Kelly film.

"I was fortunate enough to meet him quite a few times here in town before he passed away," Fairchild said of the Pittsburgh native. "He was just a lovely man, everything you'd hope he'd be, which unfortunately some stars are not. He was part of that older generation of stars who were really terrific people."

	"Singin' in the Rain" Where: Pittsburgh CLO at Benedum Center. When: June 4-16; 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; also 1 p.m. June 6 and 7:30 p.m. June 9. Tickets: $12 to $44; 412-456-6666 (subscriptions 412-281-2822) or http://www.pittsburghclo.org/. Related articles Long may 'Singin" reign Kaplan singing praises of CLO season

Fairchild is probably best known for her dramatic roles in the '80s, including stints on daytime television's "Search for Tomorrow" and prime-time's "Dallas," "Flamingo Road, ""Paper Dolls" and "Falcon Crest." But lately she's been working more on TV comedies.

"I've always been of the opinion you have to reinvent yourself for a new audience every five years," Fairchild said. "I like taking a chance on playing things people don't expect to see you in. I made a conscious move back to comedies after soaps in the '80s. Before that I did comedies, like 'Happy Days,' and I started getting typecast as a comedienne, and then I did other parts and was typecast as a bitch."

Most recently she's had a recurring role on "Friends" as Chandler's mom, but her next act may be a swing back toward drama.

"I'd love to do 'Law & Order' or 'The Sopranos,' " she said. "For some reason they don't ask me, but I'd jump at them in a flash."

For the next few weeks, she'll continue to go for the laughs, singing in the rain as badly as she possibly can.