Review: HOLIDAY INN at Dutch Apple Dinner Theater
The cast featues Connor Raposa, Jared Martin and more.
Dutch Apple Dinner Theater rounds out 2025 with an old-timey seasonal hit, Holiday Inn. Unrelated to the hotel chain, but closely connected to the 83 year old Bing Crosby film, Holiday Inn is a show that not only celebrates Christmas, but Easter, New Year's, and Valentines Day, too.
Connor Raposa stars as Jim, a guy willing to hang up his tap shoes to pursue the simple life of a Connecticut farmer. Debts start growing, yet crops don't, so Jim resorts back to his roots in show business, turning his farm house into the Branson, Missouri of the 1940's. He calls up some favors from his entertainer friends, who pitch in to perform shows strictly on various holidays.
Jared Martin plays Ted, a frenemy who complicates things. Fiona Mowbray is Linda Mason, a gal who thought her show business days were far behind her. Ellie Kallay provides some comic relief as the resort’s handy(wo)man, Louise. Cast performances were enjoyable, but not especially nuanced.
Music by Irvin Berlin includes some of the most iconic tunes of yesterday including White Christmas, Easter Bonnet, and Cheek to Cheek. The songs were performed with comfort and tradition like your Great-Grandma’s homemade fruitcake. Most were played safe with a lack of much creative risk.
Director and choreographer, Ford Haeuser gets the cast up and moving with some bubbly tap and ballroom dance numbers. Keep an eye out for some impressive jump-roping moves.
While I don’t think that I was in the show’s target audience, it did seem to have its fans. This is probably a great choice for folks who love nostalgia, Hallmark movies, and Lawrence Welk. Enjoy it for what it is and you could have a good time.
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