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Theatre Review: White Christmas

Romance and song dominate this dated, twee stage musical by David Ives and Paul Blake about song-and-dance teams that join forces to save a failing Inn.

White-Christmas-2014-106Presented by Northern Light Theatre Company
Reviewed 18 October 2014

Many Australians probably have never experienced a white Christmas, whilst most of the newer generation would never have seen the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye movie, White Christmas.

The plot, like all good 40/50s movie stories, is simple and beautifully schmaltzy: ten years after World War Two, a couple of ex-Army buddies are now a famous Broadway song and dance act and use this talent to help their retired commanding officer out of the doldrums, while finding love (of course) on the way.

 

The very twee stage version by David Ives and Paul Blake certainly won’t encourage them to rush out to buy the DVD. The Irving Berlin score is not enough to save it – the script needs to be funnier and a lot more tongue-in-cheek.

Sue Pole has managed to present as colourful, fast moving and fun a production as allowed by the very tight constraints of the script, but the show lacks an overall high level of energy and at times the cast seem to just be going through the motions.

This can’t be said however of the marvellous harmonies produced thanks to Gordon Combes’ musical direction; particularly by the cast in the song Snow and by Sophie Hamilton, Rebecca Mason and Chris Bussey in Falling Out Of Love Can Be Fun. Combes’ band is ‘hot to trot’ at all times.

Ann Humphries’ costumes add wonderful colour, especially to Kerreane Sarti and Sue Pole’s great dance routines.

Hamilton and Mason manage to give the production some zing whenever one or both of them are on stage – Mason particularly with her bubbliness and Hamilton with her extremely beautiful singing voice. Another pair who boost the show are Amanda Sharp and Tammy Pedler as giggly, sexy chorines.

Russell Ford impresses as General Waverly; Bussey shows off her comic prowess, but at times the lameness of the humour seems to stump even her; and young Tia Girgolas is a sheer delight as Susan Waverly.

As Phil Davis, Angus Smith is great fun but, in an attempt to be as laconic and laid-back as Crosby, Michael Coumi unfortunately only manages boredom and stiffness, showing hardly any emotion in his songs.

This production of White Christmas is not bad – the great Christmassy ending is worth the price of a ticket alone – but it is more of a snow drift than a snow storm.

Reviewed by Brian Godfrey
Twitter: @briangods

Venue: The Shedley Theatre, Playford Civic Centre, 10 Playford Boulevard, Elizabeth
Season: 10 -25 October 2014
Duration: 2 hours 40 mins including interval

 

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