White Christmas

Well, I thought the show was enjoyable enough, with the dance numbers definitely the highlight. The book is almost groan-worthily bad, but hey, it’s White Christmas, not Hamlet. It’s corny, sappy and sentimental, but a nice way to spend a holiday evening. Trish sat basically annoyed through the whole show. The movie is one of her all time favorites and the show didn’t hold up to her high expectation. I, on the other hand, wasn’t burdened with memories of the movie, having watched it years ago and only remembering the great Irving Berlin songs.

They don’t dance like this on Broadway anymore and it was a treat to see a stage full of tap dancers as well as the old school, Fred-and-Ginger style, partner dancing. It really made me think of the inferior state of Broadway choreography today. Not that today’s dancers aren’t of the highest caliber, but modern choreography so lacks the sense of style, poise and precision so inherent in this period. That being said, there was a certain sense of remoteness, a lack of emotion, in the dancers themselves. Their dazzling precision was marked by painted on smiles and an almost mechanical twinkle in the eye. A certain exuberance was lacking throughout, though the angles and timing seemed almost robotically perfect. Perhaps they were just tired from performing the matinee, but it did add a distancing sheen to the whole affair.

Otherwise, Jeffry Denman and Meredith Patterson are period perfect. From their singing voices to their acting style (cheesy, yes, but right for the period), they seemed straight out of a vintage movie from the era. Stephen Bogardus and Kerry O’Malley as the more “serious” couple were solid but seemed to be a bit modern compared to the rest of the cats. O’Malley also seemed to be vocally tired, but still quite strong.

Overall, it’s a solid, though not outstanding production. Worth a TKTS or TDF ticket.