When it comes to popular holiday tunes, it’s tough to beat “White Christmas.” Irving Berlin wrote it for the 1942 musical film “Holiday Inn” and, at the time, told his secretary that “not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.” Not only was it a massive hit — Bing Crosby’s version sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide — it forever changed Christmas music. Holiday-themed songs had found success before it, but “White Christmas” was a true blockbuster in the genre that cemented the notion that Christmas was about family and nostalgia and listening to songs like “White Christmas” every holiday season. Six years after “Holiday Inn,” Berlin approached Paramount with the offer to write songs to accompany a new movie built around “White Christmas.” It took another six years to make it to the silver screen, but when it did, “White Christmas” became the highest grossing film of 1954. While a stage adaptation seems like a slam dunk, it took nearly half a century for the live musical to debut, now named “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” It premiered in St. Louis in 2000 and has since been staged on Broadway as well as in England, Australia and numerous U.S. tours. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres enjoyed a successful run with “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” in 2018 and now has a production of “White Christmas” running through January. It’s the perfect match for CDT, which excels at crafting song and dance extravaganzas. (The audience agrees, as most of the November and December shows are already sold out.) The somewhat ridiculous plot follows Bob Wallace (Michael Gruber) and Phil Davis (Tony Vierling) who met as World War II soldiers and went on to become popular performers. After seeing the up-and-coming sister act of Betty (Ann Michels) and Judy Haynes (Andrea Mislan) perform, sparks fly, for both good and bad. The foursome end up traveling to rural Vermont, where the sisters are booked to perform a Christmas show at a small inn the men soon learn is owned by a familiar face, their old commander General Waverly (JoeNathan Thomas). He’s already struggling to keep the doors open when the lack of snow causes his guests to flee to frostier locales. Bob and Phil decide to put on a big show with Betty and Judy and to invite the rest of their battalion to attend as a surprise to the general. The dance numbers, not the story, are the true draw of “White Christmas” and choreographer Tamara Kangas Erickson and costume designer Rich Hamson do a spectacular job of bringing them to life. Hamson’s designs offer endless eye candy, from poodle skirts festooned with Christmas trees to an ensemble dressed as piano keys. Kangas Erickson, meanwhile, stages a series of dazzling and joyous dance numbers that help keep the thin plot moving forward. The two couples all have moments to shine, with Michels in particular bringing warmth and believability to her role as a woman battling between her heart and mind. Thomas portrays General Waverly with the appropriate amount of heft thanks to his booming voice that fills the room each time he speaks. And it’s always a pleasure to see director Michael Brindisi’s wife Michelle Barber in a CDT production. Here, she earns some big laughs — including a hilarious dig at musicians — as Martha Watson, a woman trying to help the general keep his doors open. Really, though, even the smaller roles are expertly cast. Jon Andrew Hegge makes the most of his one-joke portrayal of slow-moving handyman Ezekiel and 9-year-old Jenalia Valerio (one of two actresses playing the part) threatens to steal the show as the general’s precocious granddaughter Susan. “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” is such a delight, it’s worth seeing even if you have to wait until after the holidays to score tickets. ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’ When: Through Jan. 25 Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen Tickets: $107-$82 via 952-934-1525 or chanhassendt.com Capsule: “White Christmas” is both merry and bright. Related Articles Theater | Theater review: Children’s Theatre Company’s ‘Drawing Lessons’ a touching tale of art’s ability to heal Theater | Theater review: St. Paul’s Park Square Theatre returns with expertly executed ‘Holmes/Poirot’ Theater | Review: The songs, not the story, are the draw for the Temptations musical ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Theater | Theater Latte Da brings the inventive ‘Scotland, PA’ to local stage Theater | Theater review: ‘Behind the Sun’ sheds light on local history of housing discrimination