The Shaw Festival Theatre Review: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

By Ross

After strolling the Christmas-adorned streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake, with piped-in carols ushering us along those busy sidewalks, settling into the Festival Theatre for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas felt like the perfect conclusion to a wintry holiday afternoon. Directed by Kate Hennig, with music direction by Paul Sportelli and choreography by Allison Plamondon, the Shaw Festival’s production aims squarely for joy, and delivers it in generous, old-fashioned tidings. Whether you grew up on the luscious 1954 film or have never encountered anything beyond the title song, this White Christmas offers a warmly familiar, family-sized treat.

The show opens with a loving “Happy Holidays,” sung from the trenches on Christmas Eve during the war, already hinting at the blend of sentiment and showmanship to come. The arrival of General Henry Waverly, played with heart-tugging sincerity by David Keeley (Stratford’s King Lear), gives the first real lump-in-the-throat moment, as he prays for a better world in the midst of chaos and conflict. Happily, moments later, the war dissolves into memory, and Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, our central dynamic duo, burst onto the Ed Sullivan Show stage, tapping and grinning their way into full showbiz brightness. Jeff Irving (Shaw’s Sweeney Todd) as Bob has a voice as smooth and comforting as the polished Berlin melodies he sings, while Kevin McLachlan (Shaw’s Brigadoon) as Phil is completely charismatic, handsomely talented, and effortlessly charming. He is a far more convincing ladies’ man than even his film counterpart. Together, they magically, and festively, set the production’s crisp, classic, and irresistibly cheerful tone.

But let us not forget the lovely Haynes Sisters, who complete the central quartet with style and talented grace. Mary Antonini (Shaw’s Anything Goes) as Judy, and Camila Eanga-Selenge (Broadway’s Paradise Square) as Betty, sing and dance with effortless radiance, fulfilling the beloved “sisters” dynamic with wit and warmth. Their chemistry with one another, and with the two men, gives the show its emotional anchor. When they perform Berlin’s hits, including “Sisters,” it becomes abundantly clear why audiences have adored this story for generations: the musical’s heart lies in the earnestness of performers simply doing what they do best, and here at Shaw, it’s impossible not to see it in every tap and tune.

Around them, the ensemble sparkles like tinsel under the warm stage lights. Celine Jung (Innovative Arts’ Into the Woods Jr.) offers a sweet, confident Susan Waverly, while Jenni Burke (Shaw’s Gypsy) as “Megaphone” Martha injects the show with a spectacular, brassy sense of humour that never fails to lift a scene. And Matt Alfano (Shaw’s One Man, Two Guvnors), as an acrobatic train conductor during the transition to Vermont, turns what could be a simple segue sequence into a delightful burst of dance and physical comedy. It’s in those singular moments of joy that embellish and enliven this wonderful White Christmas, and under Hennig’s direction, every performer is clearly encouraged to find the blend of sincerity and fun that makes Berlin’s world feel so nostalgically inviting.

If the performances are the production’s greatest strength, the visual world around them occasionally struggles to keep pace. Judith Bowden’s set is functional but rarely striking, at times appearing flat, simplistic, or cramped, more like a touring version of a Broadway show than a fully staged one. Bowden’s costumes, too, though beautifully shaped, they lean, somewhat oddly, on purples, blues, and plaids rather than the festive reds, greens, and snowy whites audiences may associate with the film. This is especially noticeable in the finale, where the cast’s subdued and casual palette contrasts with the iconic imagery viewers may be expecting during the titular “White Christmas.” The song is sung gloriously, as expected, but visually, the moment lands with a quiet, almost generic plaid softness when the story calls for something far more iconic.

The choreography by Plamondon (NYCC Encores’ Bells Are Ringing), however, is delightfully tap-tastic and completely exceptional. She gives each musical number its moment, even when reassigned to unexpected parts of the narrative. “Blue Skies” becomes a particularly fascinating showpiece, full of intricate movement and ensemble flair, though once again the costumes feel slightly disconnected from the rest of the show’s aesthetic. “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me” is beautifully performed, stylish, and torchy, even if it does make one long, just a little, for Rosemary Clooney’s smoky perfection (this yearning is inevitable, not a flaw).

Still, these design quibbles never dull the production’s spirit. With Berlin’s cherished score (music and lyrics by Irving Berlin; book by David Ives and Paul Blake; based on the Paramount Pictures film written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank, with an original stage production by Walter Bobbie), Hennig’s clear affection for the material, and a cast overflowing with charm, the Shaw Festival’s White Christmas emerges as a joyful, luminous seasonal offering. It may not be as visually iconic as the film that inspired it, but its heart beats strong, its humour sparkles, and the performances shine brightly enough to warm even the chilliest winter day.

If you’re looking for a holiday outing filled with nostalgia, music, and genuine good cheer, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the Shaw Festival is exactly the gift you’re hoping to unwrap. Paired with their production of the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol, over at Shaw‘s soon-to-be-remodeled Royal George Theatre, there’s no way you could be a “Scrooge” this holiday season.