TICKET UPDATE:
Best seats available December 20 through January 2
Philadelphia, PA: The Walnut Street Theatre continues its landmark 202nd season with an all-new production of Irving Berlin's feel-good holiday favorite, Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS. With Direction and Choreography by Marc Robin and featuring the song and dance talents of Jeffrey Coon and David Elder, Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS begins previews on November 9th, opens on November 17th and runs through January 9th on the Mainstage.
Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS takes you on a whirlwind sleigh ride when a couple of song-and-dance men with romance in mind follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by the boys' former army commander. Sparks fly and snow falls! The dazzling score features some of the best songs ever written, including "Blue Skies," "I Love a Piano," "How Deep is the Ocean?" and of course the unforgettable title song.
Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS is based on the blockbuster Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The highest grossing movie of the year, the original version starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye has become a beloved tradition for people all over the world. The Broadway production played to packed houses during two limited engagements on Broadway in 2008 and 2009. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by the incomparable Irving Berlin. Mr. Berlin himself considered the title song "the greatest song I have ever written."
At the helm of this production as both Director and Choreographer will be Marc Robin. Marc is thrilled to be returning to the Walnut, after directing our 2009 production of Mel Brooks' The Producers, our 2007 holiday production of Peter Pan and the 2006 season opener, Windy City. Marc is currently the Artistic Director of the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA. As a freelance director/choreographer he has staged over 250 productions at theatres across the country. Marc is the recipient of 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards (46 nominations); 12 After Dark Awards; 3 Ari "Zoni" Awards, Light Opera Works Lifetime Achievement Award and 3 Barrymore Award nominations for his work at the Walnut Street Theatre. He is a resident of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Joining Marc is Music and Vocal Director Douglass G. Lutz, who has guided numerous Walnut productions in the past few years, among them The Producers, State Fair, 42nd Street, Peter Pan and many more
The snow-flaked landscapes of Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS will be brought to life by a spectacular team consisting of designers very familiar with the Walnut. Scenic Designer Robert Andrew Kovach (Curtains, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Hairspray, Peter Pan) is joined by Lighting Designer Paul Black (The Producers, Hairspray and Peter Pan), Costume Designer Colleen Grady (recent Barrymore Award Winner for Fiddler on the Roof) and new-to-the-Walnut Sound Designer Ray Nardelli.
The cast of Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS boasts an impressive collective background, consisting of numerous artists with strong ties to Broadway and the Walnut Street Theatre. War buddies and Entertainers Bob Wallace and Phil Davis are brought to life by Jeffrey Coon and David Elder (David reprising his role from the 2009 National Tour). The Haynes sisters, the object of Wallace and Davis' attention (and affection) are played by Julie Reiber (Betty Hanes) and Vanessa Sonon (Judy Hanes). Joining them are Ben Dibble (Ralph Sheldrake), Paul Nolan (Gen. Waverly), Fran Prisco (Ezekiel Foster), Rebecca Robbins (Tessie), Alene Robertson (Martha Watson), Megan Schmidt (Rita) and Marcus Stevens (Mike Nulty). The Ensemble consists of returning artists Maggie Anderson, Jamison Foreman, Stanley Martin, Buddy Reeder and Kerri Rose. Ensemble newcomers include Meghan Garstang, Chris Klink, Colleen Kreisel and David C. Strobbe. Rounding out the cast as little Susan Waverly are Brigid Harrington of Barnegat, NJ (performing weekends) and Eloise Sharkey of Newtown Square, PA (performing weekdays).
Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS runs at the Walnut November 9th through January 9th. This production is sponsored by Citizens Bank. Media Sponsors are B101 and NBC 10. For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets are also available online 24/7 by visiting www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.
