Our regular Christmas visit to the Sheffield Theatres has already come upon us, as Mrs Chrisparkle and I took Lord and Lady Prosecco up the M1 for the usual two-show feast of fun. The panto would have to wait until the evening but at 2pm we were part of a sold out audience to see Paul Foster’s production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.
Yes, this old war horse comes around every Christmas, and everyone knows it off by heart. Everyone, that is, except me, who had never seen it before and knew nothing about it apart from its rather well known title song. Because it’s such a hardy perennial, I have always thought there’d be another opportunity to catch it next year; and therefore still haven’t. So don’t ask me how similar it is to the film because I haven’t a clue.
Although the plot is wafer-thin, the show itself radiates feelgood warmth, and I’m not surprised people keep coming back to it year after year. Bob and Phil are talented military entertainers during the war and enjoy a successful showbiz career afterwards. After auditioning the Haynes sisters to join their act, Phil falls head over heels with Judy Haynes but Bob and Betty Haynes don’t have that initial chemistry. The boys follow the girls to an engagement in a hotel in Vermont, which they are amazed to discover is owned by General Waverly who was their commanding officer during the war. The hotel is losing money fast, but can the talents of Phil, Bob, Judy and Betty turn its fortunes around? And will Bob and Betty find the same love that Phil and Judy seem to have?
Like Kiss Me Kate, much of the show is based on preparing and rehearsing another show; they didn’t quite use the phrase hey why don’t we do the show right here in the barn, but it was a close thing. A side effect of this structure is that you can insert songs into the show that don’t have anything to do with its natural flow. That’s one of my pet hates, because it tends towards creating a stop-start show, rather than flowing organically.
However, unlike Kiss Me Kate, which must be one of the world’s best ever musicals, although White Christmas has a few fantastic songs, there are also some numbers that are slightly underpowered. In addition, Let Me Sing and I’m Happy and How Deep is the Ocean were both originally written for Al Jolson in the 1930s; Let Yourself Go is from the musical Follow the Fleet, Happy Holiday from Holiday Inn, and I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is from On the Avenue. Of the great songs in the show, only Sisters is originally from White Christmas, so there’s been a fair deal of pilfering and plundering from the Irving Berlin songbook of other shows to create this production.
When I saw that the choreography was by Alistair David, I knew we would be in for a dancing treat as his is the safest pair of jazz hands regularly contributing to the Crucible shows. Exhilarating, expressive and always using the maximum space that the stage allows, there are some terrific set piece dance sequences, probably none finer than the opening to the second act with I Love a Piano. Alex Parker’s richly proportioned orchestra whacks out the tunes with gusto and enthusiasm, and Janet Bird’s designs have a splendid period feel.
George Blagden and Stuart Neal are superb as the two army hoofers; Mr Neal in particular steals the show with his ebullient tap routine. Natasha Mould and Grace Mouat give fine performances as the two “devoted sisters” Judy and Betty, and there is solid support from the always fantastic Danny Collins as Sheldrake and Ewen Cummins as Waverly. At our performance, 
young Susan was played by ten-years-old Renee Elliott-Latif and she was fantastic. But it’s Sandra Marvin whose performance as Martha leaves you wanting more, with her wonderful comic timing and powerfully emotional voice.
I have to admit to being a little underwhelmed by the show itself, but it’s a top quality production and performed to the highest standard throughout. And it’s going to pack out the Crucible right up until its final performances on 13th January!
Production photos by Johan Persson
Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!