OFFBEAT: Marriott Lincolnshire's 'White Christmas' is holiday wish entertainment

Last December when we had the Broadway in Chicago premiere of "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" for Chicago, the stage nod to the 1954 film version starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

The Irving Berlin musical came direct from Broadway and my review tagged it as light, entertaining fun.

But a new production at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill., playing until Jan. 1 blows away anything evidenced in the Broadway tour and offers a dreamy, charming musical holiday hooray that is the kind of gift that keeps on giving.

It's brimming with all of the great Berlin hits like "Blue Skies," "How Deep is the Ocean?" "Sisters," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and of course, the unforgettable title song "White Christmas."

In starring roles, it's the solid vocal, comedy and acting talents of Rod Thomas as Bob Wallace, the Crosby role, and Andy Lupp as Phil Davis, who was played by Kaye for the film. Their couple counterparts are played by Stepanie Binetti (who seemed a little too brittle to me) as Betty Haynes, portrayed in the movie by Clooney, and performance powerhouse Tammy Mader as her sister Judy Haynes, the part played by Vera-Ellen in the movie.

I sensed more chemistry between Lupp and Mader, who I know have known and worked with each for some time, than what seemed apparent for Binetti and Thomas.

Legendary Chicago actress Alene Robertson is over-the-top sensational as the entertaining character Martha Watson, who manages the inn, including operating the switchboard (which must have been every busybody's dream job decades ago). This character apparently takes the place of the housekeeper character Emma Allen, played by the late and always funny Mary Wickes in the movie.

Rounding out the cast are sturdy David Lively as The General, always beaming Bernie Yvon as Ed Sullivan's TV producer Ralph Sheldrake and young actresses Kate Wild and Madison Olszewski in the Susan Waverly role. 

Because Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire is designed as a "theater in the round," the sets and props by Tom Ryan and Sally Weiss are minimal, which unfortunately, doesn't allow for much in the way of holiday "all-out" decorations. But fortunately, the beautiful costume creations of Nancy Missimi and eye-popping choreography and direction by Marc Robin and music direction courtesy of Michael Mahler offer the additional "wow" factor.

For a two-hour journey of fun and frolicking musical numbers this holiday season (highlighting a tremendously memory-packed Berlin songbook), this is an ideal stocking stuffer ticket.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.