No one would ever call David Ives and Paul Blake’s 2009 musical version of the 1954 movie musical White Christmas groundbreaking. Even by 1954 standards the story—a pair of hoofers (played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the original) put on a show to help out an old army buddy—is pretty formulaic. The womanizer settles down, the misanthrope who never dates finds his girl, the quickly thrown-together show is a hit. And the score is packed with old, familiar Irving Berlin tunes, culminating in yet another rendition of the well-worn title song.
White Christmas
Through 12/29: Wed 1 and 7:30 PM, Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 4 and 8 PM, Sun 1 and 5 PM; also Thu 12/12–12/26 1 PM; no show Thu 11/28 or Wed 12/25; Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire, 847-634-0200, marriotttheatre.com, $55-$81
But the folks at Marriott probably knew this going in. They may have even chosen it because it is truly comfort food for the holiday soul. And they do it proud. As both choreographer and director, Linda Fortunato keeps things lively. The tunes are rendered well by her topflight cast of triple threats, led by a pair of high-energy originals, Ben Mayne and Tyler Johnson-Campion, who inhabit their roles so fully you would never have known they were not written for them. And Fortunato’s eye-pleasing choreography captures the spirit of these midcentury chestnuts without lapsing into cliches.
This revival succeeds on all levels, delivering a show that puts the sparkle back in Irving Berlin’s tunes and works as an acceptable alternative to that much revived Charles Dickens Christmas tale.
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