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| Charlene Baldridge Photo by Ken Howard |
San Diego Musical Theatre's 4th 'White Christmas'
San Diego Musical Theatre (SDMT) has its own holiday tradition going now, with presentation of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas for the fourth year in a row. Based on the Paramount Pictures film written by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank, the production is by now familiar, steady and reliable.
Familiar, steady and reliable is a dangerous place to be. Ask any theatre company that makes or has made a tradition of one show. Veteran audience members may find the “wow” factor gone. At the Spreckels Theatre they may even find mind-space in which to ponder if the amount of snow this year is equal to that of last year, and question if the huge projected snowflakes are a bit over-utilized. Other former nit-picks, little things like not-quite-matched red dresses, begin to bother the onlooker more than before. And a leading character, despite his terpsichorean prowess, seems to be phoning in his performance to an even greater degree than usual. Familiar, steady and reliable qualities suddenly teeter on the brink of mediocrity despite the number of assets employed. Perhaps everyone ate a bit too much turkey. Perhaps I did, too.
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| Allison Spratt Pearce, David Engel, Jeffrey Scott Parsons and Tro Shaw Photo by Ken Jacques |
The aforementioned assets would include Irving Berlin’s songs, including “Sisters,” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” “I Love a Piano,” and “White Christmas.” How can those be topped? The tap dancing of the corps is undiminished. The 22-piece orchestra led by Don Le Master is fine, as always.
Definitely in the asset column, David Engel (who recently won hearts as Albin/Zaza in SDMT’s La Cage aux Folles)is back in the role of romance-averse Bob Wallace, an entertainer whose act with Phil Davis (Jeffrey Scott Parsons) began at the close of World War II under the command of Gen. Henry Waverly (Ed Hollingsworth).
Ten years later, we find the guys backstage after an Ed Sullivan Show taping, 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, Phil hijacks Bob, first to see Judy and Betty Haynes (Tro Shaw and Allison Spratt Pearce) perform, and then to Pine Tree, Vt., where the women are booked to entertain guests at the ski lodge owned by Gen. Waverly, whose establishment isn’t doing too well because of his military ways of running it.
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| David Engel and Claire Scheper count their blessings Photo by Ken Jacques |
Other Ski lodge characters include Waverly’s manager, Martha (Karla J. Franko), his pre-teen niece (Claire Scheper), and the maintenance man, Ezekiel (William Cobb). The company of 28 includes Paul Morgavo, Debra Wanger, Katie Whalley Banville, Siri Hafso and others who populate locally produced musicals all season.
White Christmas (book by David Ives and Paul Blake)continues Wednesdays-Sundays through December 6 at the Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway (between First and Broadway Circle, Downtown). Times and tickets www.sdmt.org or phone 858-560-5740.
Next season comprises Ragtime (February 5-21), 42ndStreet (May 27-June 12) and The Producers (September 23-October 9). Subscriptions are on sale now.