Review: IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS Festive but Frothy Fare

Irving Berlin's White Christmas is woven into the fabric of the holiday season. The classic carol (first performed by Bing Crosby in 1941) has been covered dozens of times over and is on record as the best-selling song of all time. The film, starring Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, achieved iconic status and is rebroadcast each Christmas season alongside perennial favorites such as Charlie Brown, the Grinch, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The stage production of White Christmas now playing the Providence Performing Arts Center is adapted from that beloved film. While this musical has much to recommend it - familiar songs with excellent orchestrations, fine-quality costumes and sets, snappy choreography, and a top-notch cast full of talented performers - this staging favors spectacle over substance, and for that, much of the heart of White Christmas' story falls flat.

The touchstones of the narrative remain the same. Army buddies Bob Wallace and Phil Davis team up after World War II to form one of the hottest song-and-dance acts in America. In the waning days of December 1954, the great "Wallace and Davis" agree to see Betty and Judy Haynes, the musically ambitious sisters of another army pal, perform their routine. The sisters' talent impresses and romance blossoms almost at once. Soon, through a series of miscommunications and a pinch of well-meant finagling, Bob and Phil wind up accompanying Betty and Judy to Vermont where the girls are booked to perform through Christmas.

Instead of snow-covered vistas, however, the quartet arrives in Pine Tree, Vermont to discover unseasonably warm weather - no "white Christmas" in sight. The girls' booking at the Columbia Inn nearly falls through as snow-seeking holidaymakers cancel reservations in droves, and Bob and Phil are shocked to discover that the innkeeper struggling to save the Columbia is none other than General Waverly, their former commanding officer. With some show-business magic up their sleeves, Wallace and Davis set out to save the Inn and to make the holiday an unforgettable one for the respected general.

Understandably, White Christmas' stage production differs from the film on many points. The WWII backstory is greatly truncated, the misunderstanding between Bob and Betty is far more streamlined, and the crowd-pleasing Wallace-and-Davis reenactment of the Haynes' "Sisters" number is moved later in the storyline. While these changes help the show transition smoothly from cinema to stage, expanded roles for some secondary players cause the exposition to drag in places and the adaptation stumbles over key connections between characters.

White Christmas' two central romances are rushed and broadly telegraphed rather than developing through substantive interaction. Here Phil and Judy click right away, but they never do get past a sense of infatuated flirtation. Though Betty and Bob fare somewhat better, they still have to overcome an overly exaggerated, antagonistic "meet cute" and its attendant first-act awkwardness. Meanwhile, the Columbia Inn's quirky inhabitants - the resident busybody, the precocious child, the neighborhood yokel - quickly descend into outright caricature. Admittedly, the White Christmas film contains a measure of corny silliness, but each instance serves a narrative purpose and is effortlessly executed. On stage, by contrast, the characters seem out to nail a punchline at all costs rather than building relationships or forwarding the storytelling. To that end, a few off-color, modern-day zingers, delivered with a wink and a nudge to the adult audience members, find their way into the script as well.

In spite of these issues, the talent in White Christmas' cast shines brightly. Sean Montgomery brings great strength and warmth to each of Bob's songs, including a fine rendition of the title number. As Phil, Jeremy Benton proves a polished, energetic dancer and versatile showman. Kerry Conte's utterly golden vocal performance captivates with each and every note she sings as Betty. Kelly Sheehan is a spunky ray of sunshine, giving Judy lots of sass and personality.

The show's big tap-dance numbers are unquestionably impressive, and these scenes are where White Christmas really sparkles. "Happy Holiday/Let Yourself Go" brims with colorful good cheer, "Blue Skies" captures the jazzy sound and style of the early 1950s, "White Christmas" features a dance routine that wows with a "gliding-on-ice" effect, and "I Love a Piano" - with Benton and Sheehan center stage - outright stops the show as a sizzling start to the second act. The comedic "Snow" is a lot of fun, smartly arranged and playful, and one of the most memorable scenes in the first act. Several quieter numbers are quite lovely, too; Conte and Montgomery, specifically, get to spotlight their singing talents in "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "How Deep is the Ocean?" and "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me."

Irving Berlin's White Christmas plays the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, December 13, 2015. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ppacri.org, by phone (401) 421-ARTS (2787), or by visiting the box office at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI. Ticket prices start at $46. Group orders (15 or more) may be placed by calling (401) 574-3162.

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Pictured: Irving Berlin's White Christmas 2014 National Tour Company
Photo by Kevin White