Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ the musical kicks off a short festive tour with three weeks at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre and on a cold damp Friday night I went along to see this show. I have seen some of the cast before but, Ken Kercheval and Craig McLachlan this was the first time I have had the opportunity to see them live, although they are both well known to me from TV.  The whole package of the production is absolutely superb and I could imagine I was back in America at the height of the Hollywood Musical. This fairly packed auditorium had such a pre Christmas buzz after the show we all seemed to depart in a brilliant mood.

Perhaps I can be seen to be a bit of a sado as I actually enjoy seeing films like Holiday Inn and White Christmas which are usually aired most festive seasons.  The film ‘Holiday Inn’ stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Crosby and Astaire teamed up again in the movie ‘Blue Skies’, and the film ‘White Christmas’ was supposed to reunite this duo but Astaire pulled out and Danny Kaye was the second person to be offered the part, all three films feature the songs of Irving Berlin.  It is superb to see a live version of ‘White Christmas’ on stage at the Edinburgh Playhouse this November and December and a great way to get people in the festive mood.

This current tour presents Aussie Craig McLachlan in the Danny Kaye role of Bob Wallace one half of a successful showbiz partnership that started in the American Armed Forces, his rather cynical outlook and his lack of success with the ladies frustrates his womanising partner Phil Davis played on screen by Bing Crosby and live on stage by the charming American Tim Flavin.  Since the war they have progressed in show-business and become successes but the bonds forged in the army are as strong and important as ever. When they get a letter from and old buddy they go along to see his two sisters Betty and Judy Haynes perform in a less than salubrious nightclub little do they suspect the affect it will have on all four lives. Craig and Tim at first appear to be an unlikely pairing but when you see them together they are fabulous looking, have amazing voices, they ooze sex appeal and boy can they dance, had they been around in the 50s they could have starred in these films and, others becoming as famous if not more so than Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Danny Kaye. 

The Haynes sisters are Rachel Stanley as Betty and Kate Nelson as Judy, the films co-stars were Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.  Bubbly blond Judy is just the type to attract gigolo Phil, but this girl knows what she wants and has her head screwed on. Together Kate as Judy and Tim as Phil display both their vocal and terpsichorean talents in their numbers “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” and “I Love A Piano” both fully reminiscent of the great Busby Berkley numbers.  Redhead Betty is more reserved than her sister, suspicious of most of the male sex, hating Bob at first sight so the first few meetings of this pair are rather fraught.  It is obvious that Rachel as Betty and Craig as Bob have some sort of electricity between them no matter whether they fight against it or not.  Bob and Betty have most of the romantic ballads performed during the show including “Love And The Weather”, “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” and “How Deep Is The Ocean”. Both couples work well together in all aspects.

Following the Girls to Vermont Bob and Phil are shocked to find out the Old Ski Lodge out in the wilds is run by their own ex-General Waverly played by Ken Kercheval well known by all fans of the USA TV series ‘Dallas’ as Cliff Barnes.  From his first appearance on stage in full uniform General Waverly commands attention. He has been trying to run the lodge the way he ran his outfit, but apart from his long suffering companion and dogsbody Martha he is failing badly.  Martha Watson, played by Lorna Luft, protects him by hiding the bills and final demands. Hampered by the un-seasonal heat wave the Lodge is empty and the entertainment, the Haynes Sisters, about to be turned away.  The guys and girls conspire with Martha to bring life and customers back to the old man. Lorna Luft has appeared on stage from a very early age and has obviously inherited some of her mother Judy Garlands talent.  Her character Martha is a bit of a busybody, snooping in to everyone’s affairs, but being basically good hearted, she will fight tooth and nail to assist and protect her boss. She is also hiding the fact that she herself had a career in show business but the smell of the greasepaint and the buzz of rehearsals tempt her back into performing.  Spending the Festive season with her grandfather, Susan, played on this occasion by Alexandra Adie, a very cute yet precocious child, manages to worm her way into the hearts of cast and audience alike and when she performs her number “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy” she almost brought the show to a stop.

As with all good stories a misunderstanding almost jeopardises the happiness of Betty and Bob, but he swallows his pride follows her back to New York, wishes her all the best then returns to Vermont as the show must go on.  The Christmas eve show is performed in front of an audience of all the General’s surviving soldiers and their families (us the audience) done in such a way I actually wanted to stand and salute the stage and as the title describes we end up with a “White Christmas”.

The leading characters are all superb in their own rights, but without the rest of this fabulous cast, ensemble, directors, choreographers, technicians, crew and the set and costume designers, the show would not be as great as it is. I have not yet mentioned the company Orchestra with Musical Supervisor and Director Robert Scott this reasonably large group of musicians keep the quality of this production very high.