Holiday musical brings Broadway to Lakeville
Julie Herzog and Gracie Wagner, both of Burnsville, are among the cast of 30 young actors in “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” (Photo by Rick Orndorf)
The Play’s the Thing Productions is looking to bring a little bit of Broadway to Lakeville this month.
The Lakeville-based children’s theater company’s holiday musical, “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” is based on the Broadway musical circa 2004, which itself was inspired by the iconic 1954 feature film “White Christmas” starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney.
“Our show is the Broadway version, and it’s a big show – the costumes, the sets, the big song-and-dance numbers where everyone’s matching,” said director Dayna Railton. “This was very ambitious for us.”
The musical, which runs Dec. 14-30 at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, features a 30-member, all-youth cast performing classic songs such as “Blue Skies,” “How Deep is the Ocean,” and “I Love a Piano.”
The show seeks to evoke the 1950s-feel of the original, Railton said, and the production includes a short homage to “The Ed Sullivan Show” along with a group tapdance number arranged by The Play’s the Thing choreographer Doug Dally.
“White Christmas” is The Play’s the Thing’s second holiday-themed production at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Last year, the theater group presented “Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,” which Railton says proved so successful the theater company plans to stage it as its holiday show again in 2013.
Tickets for “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” are $13 and can be purchased online at www.LakevilleAreaArtsCenter.com or by calling (952) 985-4640.
More about The Play’s the Thing is at www.childrenstheatretptt.com.
