Yes, the musical does open on Christmas Eve 1944 on a battlefield in Europe and the first songs you hear are “Happy Holidays” and the title song.” Too most of the show takes place at Christmastime at a Vermont inn. Also the production ends, a decade later, with the cast gathered about a large Christmas tree reprising the song “White Christmas,” while inviting the audience to sing along as snowflake fall at the rear of the stage.
However, sandwiched between this shameless sentimentality is an enjoyable musical filled with some of the best songs written by Irving Berlin. They include “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” and “How Deep is the Ocean.” There are several other songs which never became classics but are quite good. All the songs are made better by terrific dancing.
There is also a romance revolving about a handsome but emotionally childish couple who are desperately trying to avoid falling in love. Add another couple who fall in love at the drop of a snowflake and you have a pleasant night of entertainment.
In case you aren’t familiar with the 1954 film that starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen and Rose Mary Clooney, it’s about a group of entertainers who rescue a beloved general who owns a Vermont inn and is about to go broke because of a winter without snow. They raise the money by asking the general’s former troops to come to the inn to participate in a show put on in a barn on the property. The invitation to the troops is extended on the Ed Sullivan Show.
The story is fragile and of course, the idea of Christmas in the Northeast without snow is farfetched, but it is a tale filled with good will. When material is played with sincerity, charm and good cheer the audience accepts the improbability of any story. This is what happens at Proctors.
It helps that the cast is enormously talented and the show offers some great music and sensational dancing. The singing is excellent but the dancing is better.
“The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing” is elegant. “Blue Skies” is lovely and closes the first act on a high note. The she second act starts even higher with “I Love a Piano.” The tap dance number is arguably the best scene in the show.
The entire cast is terrific. Jeremy Benton as Phil and Rachel Rhodes- Devey as Tessie elevate their roles to leads. They make the fun-loving pair enjoyable to watch and each is a great dancer. Together they are something special - as is Randy Skinner's choreography and direction.
Sean Montgomery has the best voice in the cast as the stuffy Bob and Kerry Conte is no slouch in the singing department as she brings a needed sophistication to the role of Betty Haynes. Conrad John Schuck brings a worldly dignity to the grumpy but lovable General Henry Waverly. The flawless supporting cast also adds a lot of fun.
If you enjoy musicals filled with vibrant dance, coupled with great music and don’t mind wallowing in nostalgia for a world that never existed, “White Christmas” is a show for you.
“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” is at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady through Sunday. 346-6204 or proctors.org
Bob Goepfert is the arts editor for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
