The Broadway musical White Christmas is based on the 1954 Paramount Pictures motion picture of the same name, and is the tale of two showbiz friends putting on a show at a festive Vermont inn, while ending up with their perfect mates when all is said and done.
Besides the timeless title song, this Irving Berlin classic also includes such other beloved songs as Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep, and Sisters, while the newer Broadway stage adaptation of White Christmas also includes additional songs not in the movie, such as Blue Skies, I Love a Piano, and How Deep Is the Ocean, to go along the numerous other old-fashioned production numbers allowing for the entire cast to do a whole lot of tap dancing.
Title aside, White Christmas is more about love and friendship than the magic of the holidays, but while maybe not as much about the traditions of Christmas as one would think, the musical's subtle holiday message is considering as a pleasant change of pace by many. Either way, White Christmas looks and feels a lot like the holidays in many ways.
White Christmas first debuted on Broadway starting with previews on November 14, 2008, and running through January 4, 2009, with the limited engagement playing at the Marquis Theatre for a total of 12 previews and 53 performances. The musical is currently back at the Marquis in New York for another limited engagement through January 3, 2010. In addition to director Walter Bobbie and choreographer Randy Skinner returning with the show, the cast is scheduled to include James Clow as Bob Wallace, Mara Davi as Judy Haynes, Melissa Errico as Betty Haynes, Tony Yazbeck as Phil, David Ogden Stiers as General Henry Waverly, and Ruth Williamson as Martha Watson. This production of White Christmas is also traveling on a U.S. national tour, which started in Omaha, Nebraska on November 1, 2009, and scheduled to end in Kansas City, Missouri on January 5, 2010.
