Bobby Becher, Kyle DeFauw, and ensemble members in Irving Berlin's White Christmas
It’s a long-running joke at our house that I get Irving Berlin’s Christmas-y shows confused, as both feature his music and plots about saving a small-town lodging facility from financial dire straits. So to be clear: The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse is not currently staging Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, but rather Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher. And if you’re in the mood for a little holiday fun, you will not be disappointed.
In case you also get your Irving Berlin musicals mixed up, here’s a quick recap. Former Army buddies Bob Wallace (Kyle DeFauw) and Phil Davis (Bobby Becher) become a famous song-and-dance team after World War II. They meet the singing Haynes sisters, Betty (Claire McPartland) and Judy (Sarah Beth Ganey), and follow them to Vermont, where they discover their old general’s inn is struggling. To help, they put on a big holiday show.
If you’re familiar with the classic film version, this onstage adaptation expands the story and gives the secondary characters a chance to shine. Becher’s production, meanwhile, boasts everything people seem to want from seasonal entertainment: charismatic gentlemen with swoon-worthy vocals, lovely ladies singing their hearts out, and big, splashy song-and-dance numbers. Shout out to ensemble members Hanna Marie Felver, John Henderson, A.C. Lam, Gregory Nama, Elly Rebeka, Savannah Rhodes, and Samuel Sommer, because not only are they dancing with aplomb, but they have many, many costume changes, to boot.
Let’s talk about these costumes. While it might be illegal not to have the expected blue dresses for that oh-so-memorable song “Sisters,” not to mention the matching Santa dresses for the finale, costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen puts his own spin on the wardrobe's look. He has created beautiful pieces that capture nostalgic charm and add plenty of show-business pizazz – my favorites being the whites and blues for the Act I finale of “Blue Skies” – but there wasn’t a single scene here in which the costumes were weak.
DeFauw and McPartland have a delightful onstage chemistry, with Ron May's music direction topnotch throughout. But is it implausible that Betty’s icy facade could melt under Bob’s warmth so quickly? Sure. Irving Berlin's White Christmas, however, is a frothy, happy tale, and DeFauw's and McPartland's fast declaration of love is part of the fun. It’s a pleasure to watch these two sing into each other’s faces, and Phil's and Judy’s relationship is a hoot – a cat-and-mouse game in which Phil doesn’t realize he’s the mouse until it’s too late. Becher and Ganey fully commit to the antics of these two smitten kittens.
In Vermont, we meet Sarah Hayes as Martha, the quick-witted housekeeper and former performer who manages the inn. She is fiercely loyal to General Waverly (a genial Paul Gregory Nelson) and full of personality, sass, and warmth. Martha’s role is secondary in nature, but Hayes gets a chance to bring down the house with her number “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy.” She also provides excellent comedic relief as she and the General’s granddaughter Susan (played in alternating performances by Elena Skadal and Dace Sommer) try to dodge his confrontation over the overdue bills she’s been hiding from him. Also earning plenty of laughs is Topher Elliott as Mike, the exasperated stage manager. The more flustered he becomes, the more that patrons appeared to enjoy him.
I was also quite taken with scenic designer Becky Meissen’s set, as Circa '21's whole proscenium is wrapped like a Christmas gift straight from the 1950s. What made it especially lovely was how lighting designer Johnathan Allender-Zivic illuminated the setting throughout the evening. Having seen Circa 21's 2022 production of White Christmas, I was pleasantly surprised by how different this version felt. Same Bob and Phil and Martha, but that was about it.
At Thursday’s preview performance, there were still a few kinks to be worked out. A set piece didn’t quite make it on time, a few lines were rushed, and perhaps a few dance moves weren’t as polished as they could be. But it was only a preview, and because the show runs through the end of December, I have no doubt Becher’s cast and crew will eventually pull things off spectacularly.
While I cannot overstate how much I prefer my Christmases free of snow and ice, Circa '21's Irving Berlin’s White Christmas still hits all the right notes. It's festive, funny, and full of heart, a delightful reminder that no matter what kind of Christmas you’re dreaming of, the warmth and talent on this stage truly help make the season bright.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas runs at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL) through December 28, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
