Aaron Deneckere and ensemble members in Irving Berlin's White Christmas
The Quad Cities’ theatre season is beginning to wind down for the year. So it follows that the holiday season must be ramping up, and the final production of Quad City Music Guild’s 76th season, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, is staged with plenty of charm by director Kevin Pieper, offering a pleasant-enough teaser of the tidings to come.
For those who’ve not had the opportunity to see the stage show or classic film, the plot follows two veterans of World War II, Captain Bob Wallace (Aaron Deneckere) and Private Phil Davis (Daniel Williams). Following the war, both men went into show business as partners, performing song-and-dance routines in clubs and on late-night programs. Hoping to set his partner up with a girlfriend, Davis tricks Wallace into spending Christmas on a Vermont farm turned bed-and-breakfast. To their surprise, the venue is owned by their former military commander General Waverly (Craig Woodard). And to their dismay, the bed-and-breakfast isn’t doing well. From there, they orchestrate a plan to drum up business and holiday cheer. Standard storytelling tropes are pervasive, with “Will they or won't they?” tensions, tragically misunderstood messages that could be resolved with a single follow-up question, and a precocious child (played by the charming Annabel Mandel) to put all the adults in their place.
This story serves as the blueprint for pretty much all modern Hallmark films, so if you’ve ever watched a Christmas-in-July marathon (guilty as charged), there’s plenty to enjoy here. And if you’re the type to generally deride Christmas in July (also guilty as charged), White Christmas is still an enjoyable time. Despite the title, there’s a surprising lack of Christmas, which is nice considering that we still have well over a month until that special day is here. Pieper’s direction keeps things moving, and Berlin's score is a joy to listen to. Deb Swift’s music direction is sharp, and the entire cast sounds great. Kiera Lynn Martin's choreography is fun and varied throughout, and her ensemble of movers deserve special kudos – there are some big tap numbers, and on Friday, they were all pulled off without a hitch. For fans of tap: Don’t miss this production!
Other highlights include the costume design by Connie McGinn, which features period attire and fun, dance-number-specific items. Additionally, Pieper's scenic design is fantastic, boasting plenty of small set pieces wheeled on and off stage to authentically convey various locales. I was a particular fan of the walls built for the barn, which struck a balance between theatricality and authenticity.
Among Pieper's cast, Williams is a joy and clearly having a blast portraying a fast-talking playboy. Deneckere is charming and lends the Captain appropriate gravitas, delivering superior vocals to boot. As the duo's primary love interests, singing sisters Betty and Judy, Peyton Reese and Marissa Pedersen are also delightful, and provide pleasant counterpoints to their male counterparts. Exuding confidence, Julie Wilson Funk plays B&B manager Martha, the de facto wife of General Waverly. She sells her character's no-nonsense demeanor and has a great set of pipes, and other ensemble standouts include Luke Vermeire as a cigar-chomping club owner, Natalie Scheers and Maggie Caliendo as ditzy show girls Rita and Rhoda, and Michael Charles Lotspeich as the world’s most eloquent farmhand.
As is typical of opening nights, Friday's performance was not without its glitches. There were some mic problems, with some offstage mics unnecessarily left on, and a few really hot mics that made actors' voices reverberate off the walls. And I’m unsure if this was a hindrance confined to opening night, but there were pacing issues present throughout the show. It felt like there was no real urgency or any stakes at play, and many punchlines were subsequently lost through lax delivery. There were also a few line hiccups.
Happily, though, everything evened out by the close of the show, resulting in a pleasant night of theatre for White Christmas fans and the uninitiated alike. For those who have yet to see this holiday perennial, Music Guild’s production offers a fine opportunity to see what the fuss is about. There’s great singing, great dancing, and more holiday cheer than you can shake an artificial pine tree at.
Quad City Music Guild’s Irving Berlin's White Christmas runs at the Prospect Park Auditorium (1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL) through November 17, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 and visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
