Marriott Theatre makes a “Happy Holiday” come early with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”
Exactly 70 years ago, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” took the silver screen by storm starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, though to this very day, it still leads the list of annual favorites.
It’s no wonder why the Broadway musical of the same name, which debuted at the turn of this century, has carried on the tradition as far as the stage is concerned with the circular Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire mounting the latest revival through Sunday, December 29.
Although Halloween just happened and Thanksgiving has yet to come around the corner, a “Happy Holiday” did indeed come early following an exuberant opening night full of timeless tunes, dazzling tap dance routines and lots of good old fashioned Yuletide cheer.
In fact, it was such a welcome window into the wintery and wonderfully portrayed world of Bob Wallace (Ben Mayne), Phil Davis (Tyler Johnson-Campion), Betty Haynes (Jacquelyne Jones) and Judy Haynes (Kelly Felthous), that it’s enough to drown out any surrounding care or concern and settle snuggly into the spirit of Christmas.
Alongside Rom Barkhordar as General Waverly, Robin R. McGee as Martha Watson, Alex Goodrich as Ralph Sheldrake, Michael Kingston as Ezekiel Foster, David Rossetti as Mike Nulty, Meena Sood as Susan Waverly and a sizable ensemble, the cast and crew are worthy of the Big Apple, complete with the convenience of not having to leave Chicagoland or pay those kind of prices.
It turns out everyone from the little ones through the young at heart could quickly transport themselves to the 1940s when former military men turned show business buddies, Wallace & Davis, meet the aspiring Haynes “Sisters.”
The four are more or less forced into becoming fast friends, which results in Phil and Bob accompanying the ladies to perform at a Vermont inn, where lo and behold, they unexpectedly reunite with their retired General, who now owns the struggling and snowless property.
After taking some time to “Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep),” a plan is hatched to not only save him from a mounting pile of bills, but get all the army guys back together, yet it almost doesn’t happen because a phone conversation about a “million-dollar proposition” is misunderstood.
The way it all gets pieced back together, despite a few extra snags in the ever-evolving plan, is nothing short of miraculous, and regardless of the actual weather, is likely to make everyone’s dreams of a “White Christmas” come true.
