By Charlene Baldridge
San Diego Musical Theatre (SDMT) has its own holiday tradition going with its fourth annual presentation of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.”
Premiered in San Francisco in 2004 and in the U.K. prior to its 2008-09 Broadway debut, this exceptionally tuneful stage musical is based on the 1954 Paramount Pictures film written by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. With book by David Ives and Paul Blake, the SDMT production is by now familiar, steady and reliable.
This season, SDMT’s original romantic lead, song and dance man Bob Wallace, is once again played by David Engel, who scored a huge success earlier this season as Albin/Zaza in SDMT’s “La Cage aux Folles.” He plays opposite San Diego singer/actor Allison Spratt Pearce as Betty Haynes, half of a sister act with her sister Judy (Tro Shaw).
Bob and his partner Phil Davis (Jeffrey Scott Parsons) met and entertained together toward the end of World War II when they were under the command of Gen. Henry Waverly (Ed Hollingsworth), who is now, 10 years later, retired and owner of a ski resort in Pine Tree, Vermont.
After the opening scene on the battlefront in 1944, we find Bob and Phil backstage after their taping of an “Ed Sullivan Show.” They’re on their way to Florida to rehearse a Broadway show over the holidays. In pursuit of a complementary “girl” act, and perhaps even a girl, the ladies man Phil hijacks Bob, first to see Judy and perform, and then to Vermont, where the women are booked to entertain guests at the ski lodge owned by Gen. Waverly. The resort isn’t thriving, perhaps because of Waverly’s militant way of running it. Besides, Vermont is having a heat wave and there is no snow.
When Phil and Bob arrive they decide to take advantage of Waverly’s barn and empty resort and bring their Broadway company to Vermont to rehearse the show.
Other denizens of the ski lodge include Waverly’s hotel manager, Martha (Karla J. Franko, who stops the show with “I’m Happy”), his pre-teen niece (Claire Scheper, who has a terrific voice), and the oddball maintenance man, Ezekiel (William Cobb). The company of 28 includes Paul Morgavo, Debra Wanger, Katie Whalley Banville, Siri Hafso and others who enrich locally produced musicals all season.
Bob is romance shy. He and Betty appear to hit it off at first, especially when Bob, observed by Betty, shows his humanity by comforting the sleepless Susan with “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep.” Complications and misunderstandings sabotage their romance and Betty (“Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me”) takes off for a New York club engagement with Bob in hot pursuit.
Meanwhile, the determined Judy lands the erstwhile Phil. Shaw, too, is an excellent singer, and Parsons is a grand dancer. Their “I Love a Piano,” tapped out upon a miniature piano, is a winner. So is the corps of dancers, who perform two big tap production numbers.
Other huge assets include Irving Berlin’s songs, including the aforementioned tunes plus “Sisters,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and “White Christmas.” How can those be topped? As always SDMT’s 22-piece orchestra led by Don LeMaster is fine.
The audience on Nov. 27 was filled with families, just what’s needed to perpetuate a hit. But perhaps a facelift is in order for next year? And a bit more snow.
—Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. You can follow her blog at charlenebaldridge.com or reach her at [email protected].
