Christmastime means joy, togetherness and the magic of the season as The Wayne Theatre presents Irving Berlin‘s “White Christmas.”
“I wanted to bring us all together at a time when, as a nation, I think there’s a time of division,” said production director and The Wayne Theatre Artistic Director Lesley Larsen of choosing “White Christmas.”
Larsen said that most audience members will already know the songs that are celebrated because of the 1954 film “White Christmas.”
“I think it’s one of those Christmas shows that’s part of countless family’s traditions,” Larsen said.
The theater production is not focused on Santa Claus and the presents we might get on Christmas Day but on “being present in each other’s lives and being together as a family whether that’s biological or made. You can’t go wrong with a musical that does that.”
Larsen said it would have been foolish of her to direct a production different from the beloved film, so The Wayne’s production contains nods to the movie. For example, key moments in the “Snow” scene on a train to Vermont and fantasy dance sequences.
“White Christmas” was art about World War II and post-WWII that used music, dance and theater to uplift audiences.
“I want the audiences to first — The Wayne is interested in bringing in the holiday spirit to the Valley. That’s what we’re in. We’d love to welcome that into the Valley. The next is that, with the song “White Christmas,” when you stop and break down what the song is about, which is wishing your loved ones nothing but joy, light and magic, I want us all as a community to feel that together,” Larsen said.
Logan Tudor has previously been seen by audiences in The Wayne’s production of “Elf” last Christmas and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“He is very much a hard worker,” Tudor, who portrays “Bob Wallace,” said of his character. “He loves to work. He also loves what he does [as an entertainer].”
To prepare to step into the shoes of Bing Crosby’s performance, Tudor said he watched the film “just to get a baseline for the characters.”
“Just trying to step into the mindset and doing some research, and figuring out what the character’s wants and dreams are,” Tudor said.
According to Tudor,” “Bob” does not see romance as being a big deal in his life until he meets “Betty.”
“I hope we give them a little bit of the original gave them when they first saw it. Hopefully, we give them a fresh spin on it while still staying true to the original,” Tudor said of audience members.
Audiences have previously seen Katey Hallock in “The Little Mermaid” and “Murder on the Orient Express” at The Wayne, but she also was music director for “SpongeBob: The Musical.”
As “Judy,” Hallock said she did a deep dive into the character’s background and personality to bring her to life on stage, which actors do not usually get to do with a character in a musical.
“Really the script does not have a lot of lines for her, so it was more of a complicated process this time,” Hallock said.
“Just the holiday spirit from it and really getting into the holiday spirit,” Hallock said she hopes audience members take from seeing the show.
To bring “Phil Davis” to the stage, Joshua Donohue said he threw the rule book for acting away. As an actor he would normally think twice about stealing the spotlight from another actor, but with “Phil” he does not have to worry about that.
“I think it’s a fun balance of like stealing it,” Donohue said. “It’s a way to spotlight other actors and other people to be like ‘I don’t know if you saw that but you saw that and that was pretty cool.’ The whole audience is like: ‘yeah, that was really cool.’”
Previously seen in “Pride & Prejudice” and “The Little Mermaid,” Donohue said that “Phil” allows him to let his own personal quirks come through with a fun, loving and adventurous side.
Donohue also helped with the set of “White Christmas,” including the train scene during which the ensemble cast sing “Snow.” During the white barn scene when “White Christmas” is sung by the cast, the set resembles a blank canvas and puts a focus on the characters.
“I think that there is just so much joy and happiness to be had,” Donohue said of the production. “And I think that no matter what show and what time of year, I think that’s always an important thing to showcase. There’s always fun, there’s always joy. Sometimes you might have to look a little harder but it’s still there.”
The Wayne Theatre is at 521 W. Main Street in downtown Waynesboro. “White Christmas” will be performed Friday, December 6, 2024 to Sunday, December 8 and Friday, December 13 to Sunday, December 15, 2024. Tickets are available online.
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Rebecca Barnabi
