Everything about the musical Irving Berlin’s White Christmas on stage at Classic Theatre of Maryland is fantastic. Sally Boyett deserves an award for the casting, choreography, costume designs, and direction. It’s the dancing that makes White Christmas. The troupe of Patrick Byrnes, Ciaran Welch, Joe Love, Mackenzie Koehne, Meghan Keeney, Stephanie Meadowcroft, Madeline Olexy, Sara Evelina Davis, Daniel Bargen, Michael Rick, and Mollie Becker answer the call perfectly on Boyett’s original dance steps. The cast also includes Izzy Miller, playing the General’s granddaughter. Scene from ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.’ Photo by Sally Boyett. The musical is based on the 1954 film with music by Irving Berlin and a book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Reenie Codelka is the music director. A funny thing about the production is that it’s not a Christmas story at all. The scenes just happen to take place on December 25, a decade after a captain and private attempted to cheer troops on Christmas Eve 1944 in Germany while WWII was being fought. The troops had seen enough snow to last them for a lifetime. The theme of the play is old soldiers helping one another. In an early scene, Bob Wallace (Byrnes) and Phil Davis (Welch), top-notch entertainers who served together in the war, visit a club to see a sister act at the behest of an old Army buddy, Dog Face Haynes. From the first note of “Sisters,” the guys look at two different sisters, Stephanie Meadowcroft as Betty and Madeline Olexy as Judy, and are smitten. The boys will use their entertainment contacts, particularly on The Ed Sullivan Show, to pitch their performance at the General’s inn in Act 2. Dexter Hamlett has several roles in this production, including vet of the 501st Brigade and now producer of Sullivan. He is wonderful. Scenes from ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.’ Photos by Sally Boyett. The stage at Classic Theatre of Maryland is fairly limited, but each inch is maximized. Rolling sets are moved in and out to create space. What results are visual effects to charm the eye. For instance, as Byrnes sings the classic “Blue Skies,” he is surrounded by an ensemble in white suits for the men and hose, white shorts, and white sports coats for the ladies. All wore similar white hats. The big difference was glitter. The men had a few sparkles, but the women had the glitz strategically placed on their hose and sports jackets, 1954-style, to steal attention. The acting, outfits, dancing, and singing blending so well together is just a small example that sums up the show. The audience has already been entertained by “Let Yourself Dance,” featuring Wallace and Davis and an ensemble, and “The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing,” with Welch and Olexy, featuring a combination of tap and ballroom. Retired General Waverly (John Pruessner), Wallace and Davis’s commanding officer in the war, signs the Haynes sisters to play his Vermont inn during the holidays. When temperatures are near 80 degrees, snowbirds cancel reservations. The General’s concierge has hidden bills showing his inn is in receivership. Davis follows Judy to Vermont. Wallace follows Davis. The veterans meet. The younger men decide to go behind the General’s back to help him. After all, there is always an angle. My favorite scene closes Act 1. The General has nearly caught Martha, the concierge (Nancy Krebs). As he is just about to nab her, the ensemble comes out of a side entrance. Dance Captain Koehne, armed with a beautiful smile, sends the General in full retreat. The dress rehearsal goes on, but Waverly finds Martha as the curtain closes for intermission. Act 2 features another song-and-dance loaded with spectacular tap dancing. Oxley and Welch sing “I Love a Piano” elegantly, and the long dancing number is fabulous. Welch was sweating profusely at the end of the number to show the energy he expended. The costuming had women in black pantsuits sans jackets while the men wore white pants, shirts, and ties, creating a nice contrast. The finale is superb. It includes a reprise of several numbers, including “White Christmas” at the end. More extraordinary dancing. You must see it to believe it. Running Time: Two and a half hours, including one 15-minute intermission. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas plays through December 29, 2024, at Classic Theatre of Maryland – 1804 West Street, Suite 200, Annapolis, MD. For tickets ($58–$85), call the box office at 410-415-3513, email [email protected] or purchase online. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin Book by David Ives and Paul Blake