Gateway Playhouse in Somers Point will bring Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”—based on the famed Hollywood movie musical of the same name—to life on Dec. 13-15 and 20-22.
Those running the show are no strangers to the Gateway: Director Chip Garrison and Musical Director Brian Conover wrote an original variation of “A Christmas Carol” that was staged there last year, and Choreographer Karen Cleighton choreographed the Gateway’s recent production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Those familiar with the movie version of “White Christmas,” which far preceded the Broadway show (the movie came out in 1954; the musical came to Broadway in 2009), will notice similarities, such as the primary storyline of two Army buddies, now in showbiz, who meet the Haynes sisters and wind up in Vermont, where they discover that their former World War II general has sunk his pension into the inn where they are staying. However, there are also some differences, namely, the lengthy “Choreography” scene made famous by Danny Kaye in the film is omitted from the stage version, and there are even more Irving Berlin songs from the Great American Songbook that have been added, such as “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” “How Deep Is the Ocean” and “Blue Skies.”
“’White Christmas’ is a classic–it’s all about nostalgia and having people feel good about the holidays. They didn’t mess with a good recipe for the staged version. It’s just a fun show,” said Garrison, who is a drama teacher at Absegami High School. “Even though it’s set in the post-World War II era, it still resonates with audiences because many had grandparents or other relatives in the war."
The cast includes Spencer Lyons as Bob Wallace, Johnny Keen as Phil Davis, Allison McGinley as Betty Haynes, Chloe Verderber as Judy Haynes—she is a math teacher at Galloway Township Middle School, where Conover teaches drama, and Former Broadway actress Karen Sutherland plays Martha Watson, the housekeeper at the inn, who has a larger role in the musical.
“We love working at the Gateway—there is such a wonderful, inviting group of people to work with,” said Conover. “We’ve had such positive feedback about this show already. It’s a classic that everyone loves.”
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