Pike Road: "Irving Berlin's White Christmas: the Musical"

Yet again, the Pike Road Theatre Company, under James Keith Posey's astute direction, has delivered a dazzling production that entertains and inspires: Irving Berlin's White Christmas: the Musical. 

In its two-year history, the PRTC's five show main season, as well as many successful ventures into Theatre for Youth, the largely sold-out runs have involved and entertained countless Pike Road residents and citizens from across the River Region. What an accomplishment! -- But this could be the last production at the Pike Road Intermediate School. Check the PRTC website for updates.

This time, the Christmas Spirit thoroughly engages audiences who leave the theatre with smiles on their faces, and ready to spread the joy that Mr. Posey's talented company brought them from the stage.

Based on the film of the same name, and showcasing many of Irving Berlin's most popular songs ["The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing", "Count Your Blessings", "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", and "White Christmas" among them], the story is a familiar one in which two couples are thrown together, make mistakes, fall in and out of love, and come to the aid of a retired Army General with a company of show business folks, and all in the idyllic setting of a snowless Vermont country inn.

Former Army buddies and show-biz hooffers Bob Wallace [Jason Isbell] and Phil Davis [Jonathan Wilson] meet and fall in love with the Haynes Sisters, Betty [Stephanie Coppock] and Judy [Micki Head], a struggling singing duo; a few scheduling errors get them to an Inn run by retired General Henry Waverly [Eric Arvidson], whose business venture is falling apart, but kept alive by the hotel's feisty concierge, Martha Watson [Jan Roeton] and the innocent support of the General's granddaughter Susan [Kate Bradley].

With a large supporting cast in the Ensemble, minimal but effective set pieces, colorful costumes, production numbers' impressively managed choreography by Kim Isbell, and uniformly excellent singing in both the principal roles and the entire troupe, Mr. Posey sets a lively pace that never falters in the play's two-and-a-half-hours.

High quality acting accompanies the musical accomplishments, so we care about the individuals, their confusions, their connections with one another, and the final outcome.

It might be getting cold outside, but a trip to Pike Road to see this version of White Christmas will leave you feeling the warmth of the Season.

Wetumpka Depot: "Once Upon a Christmas"

The Wetumpka Depot is currently showcasing a new play for children by Jean Webb, inspired by the Kenneth Grahame novel The Wind in the Willows. 

Ms. Webb's Once Upon a Christmas has all the familiar characters -- Rat, Badger, Mole, Toad, Otters, Weasels -- who join forces at Christmas to help some of them in distress. It seems that Mrs. Otter is missing, Mr. Otter is injured, the three Little Otters are thrust upon four bachelors to help them through the holidays, and the suspicious Weasels are on the loose.

Director Kristy Meanor has two separate casts of actors at her disposal [I saw Cast A] in an ensemble hour-long production with plenty off music and delightful costumes and sets. -- Plus, the script contains several lessons for children and adults alike, both at the holidays or any time of the year.

Individual and ensemble acting is spot on, and presented at a level to engage the youngsters with brightly exaggerated movement and heightened vocal dexterity.

Numerous new and traditional songs [some with new lyrics] advance the plot and encourage us to sing along at times.

The lessons mentioned above are introduced gently, reminding us not to judge a book by its cover [the Weasels are the unexpected heroes of the story], that discipline for children can be done effectively by accentuating the positive, that everyone can afford to be generous to friends and strangers who need our help, that collaborating by utilizing the strengths of each individual gets results, and that Christmas is about more than just the presents.

Ms. Webb's script is well-focused, tells a clear story, and could benefit from a few minor edits [the scene in which the Little Otters play pranks goes on a bit too long]. 

All in all, Once Upon a Christmas adds another welcome dimension to River Region Holiday fare.

Millbrook: "A Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas"

Michael Snead's directing debut of Pat Cook's A Good Old-Fashioned Big Family Christmas got off to a good start at the Millbrook Community Theatre on Thursday night, entertaining its audience with a good-hearted, family-friendly Holiday-themed comedy.

Played on a charming "living room" set enhanced by a new L.E.D. lighting system, the 1-hour and 40-minutes production is told in a series of short scenes that could flow better with fewer blackouts and the addition of music between them; and, as Mr. Snead develops his directing skills, he'll get a stronger sense of pace and staging dynamics.

A 14-member ensemble of veteran and neophyte actors show us a multi-generational family [three sisters, their spouses and children, both sets of grandparents/inlaws, and a well-intentioned neighbor] -- all good people at heart, but with assorted quirks that get on each others' nerves -- as they gather for Christmas and try with varying degrees of success to be on their good behavior: familiar territory, and ample room for comic possibilities. -- And, they deliver.

It's silly and predictable, full of character types and stereotypical takes on gender roles, and with sufficient plot twists and surprises that sustain audience interest and engagement -- we recognize ourselves in the characters on-stage who show concern for one another, who bicker and cajole and blame and forgive, and ultimately demonstrate the love and understanding that keep a family together at Christmas, or at any time of the year.