White Christmas

As part of their Broadway in Brighton Series, White Christmas, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, will take the OFC Creations Theatre Center stage, December 7th thru 23rd, 2023. The play’s storyline is based on the timeless 1954 film starring Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen, and features the Irving Berlin songs, “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm,” and the abiding, “White Christmas.”

For those who aren’t familiar, the story is summed up on OFC’s website as, “A timeless tale of joy and goodwill. White Christmas is filled with nostalgic songs, glorious dancing, and lots of snow! Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. White Christmas is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.”

Eric Schutt grew up in Greece. He attended Arcadia Middle and High Schools. Eric’s theatre life began his first year of middle school, with a part in Cinderella. After his freshman year of High School, Eric was encouraged to participate in a summer show with the Westside Theatre Group. The play was, The Pajama Game. “After that summer, I knew what I wanted to do,” Eric said. In 2017, his first year out of college, Eric had a part in the OFC production, Wild Party. Since then, he has been in at least one production a year, at OFC. He has also taken on teaching roles and worked with summer stock at OFC.

In White Christmas, Eric plays the lead role of Bob Wallace, the Bing Crosby part in the film. “The first time I saw the film White Christmas I was in high school. It has been on my radar since. I have a very good feeling about this production. It has some of the most impressive musical numbers that I have ever seen. It really helps that I already know the songs. I have avoided watching the movie so that I can present my own interpretation of Bob Wallace,” he said. And how does Eric Schutt see Wallace’s character? “Bob Wallace is someone who is buttoned up. He knows what he wants in life. I play him with a little bit of humor, and as a man whose idea of romance is flipped on its head when he meets Betty Haynes.”

Michael King grew up in Greece, and attended Greece Athena Middle and High Schools. Michael’s connection with musical theatre and dance comes through his older sister. She was a dancer when they were growing up. He said, “In middle school I started auditioning for shows and I got in. I made friends there. I started dancing at the same school where my sister studied dance. I’ve been dancing ever since. I graduated from Nazareth with a degree in Musical Theatre.” Michael’s affiliation with OFC began in August. He has had parts in two other OFC productions, Dancemums and Rocky Horror Show.

In White Christmas, Michael performs as part of the dance ensemble. He is also the dance captain. As a dancer, Michael participates in all of the dance numbers in the play, including partner, tap and musical theatre. As dance captain, he is responsible for coordination of the dancers on stage, and works closely with the choreographer. He directs communication between the dancers and the choreographer.

Michael has seen the film version of White Christmas many times. He said, “The music in this production of White Christmas is bigger than in the film. It has the essence of the movie performances, but the musical numbers here have a huge Broadway style element. If you need inspiration as a dancer, you can always look to the performances and performers in this film. They have a great vibe. You can learn so many dance styles, especially how to dance with a partner, and keep the flow going without being stiff. I am very impressed with this production of White Christmas. It is very challenging as a dancer because it includes a wide variety of dance styles and numbers, and it’s our job to make it look easy.”

White Christmas is under the direction of Eric Vaughn Johnson, OFC’s Executive Director. Eric said, “What’s different this year is that we have the Broadway in Brighton Series, where we bring in talent from across the country to perform in a series of six of our productions. We are taking the next step in theatre production. White Christmas was a natural choice for this OFC series. It is a holiday classic, with all the nostalgia. You can let go of your troubles. It shows the importance of being around the people you love. The movie is from 70 years ago, but the message is still valid today,” Eric said.

White Christmas Set Design is by John Haldoupis, the owner of A Horse with Wings, who designed the entirety of OFC’s The Old Farm Cafe. “John is a master mind of art, all kinds of art. White Christmas is an over the top production, and that is what we get with John. He has created beautiful sets, and has brought in some very special pieces for this production,” Eric said.

The costumes also take their inspiration from the movie. They are bright, in the colors of the season.

Eric’s approach to direction of White Christmas is to bring a breath of fresh air. “I didn’t want to copy the film. You will feel everything that you love about the story, but with a bit more modern touch. It is a rebirth. There are huge dance numbers throughout, some seven minutes long, with lots of tap dance. There are less than 20 people in cast, and they play all of the parts. The actors and dancers are working very hard. It is a real company piece.”

With music direction by Teressa Bala and choreography by Caeli Carroll, White Christmas performances will be Thursdays through Sundays three weeks during the month of December, December 7th through the 23rd.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.ofccreations.com