PEORIA, IL -- The musical Irving Berlin's White Christmas finished a run at the Peoria Civic Center Theater on Nov. 16 as part of the Broadway Theater series. It was terrific.
I expected something so sentimental and schlocky that I nearly sold my tickets. I was so wrong.
This show features an Actor's Equity cast loaded with talent, georgeous sets and costumes, fabulous dancing, great music and orchestration, and a snappy style that makes vintage songs seem contemporary.
These Irving Berlin songs are alive and well in the 21st century, and will continue to live after the real schlock -- contemporary rock and rap -- are consigned to cultural oblivion.
There is absolutely nothing offensive in this show, making it ideal for children and those who have turned away from the Broadway stage because of language or other issues.
It's not 'edgy,' but it's so well done that edgy isn't required to make it interesting.
The cast is soooo good -- and that's to be expected as many are veterans of Broadway, TV and movies. That's what it means to be a member of Actor's Equity Association, the union for actors and stage managers.
They sing, they dance, they act in the simple plot: boy meets girl, they break up, they reunite. Snow even falls on the audience at the end.
This show is headed for Pittsburg, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boston and New Haven, a holiday treat for theater audiences there.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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