White Christmas

Welcome to the festive season, and a new venue for Lancaster Red Rose, the splendid ‘Morecambe Winter Gardens’, what memories I had walking inside this iconic building!

The stage adaption will not disappoint movie fans as the script and music are very close to the original. We had good casting, with some very nice cameo roles too. This super score includes the perennial favourite ‘White Christmas’, which won an Academy Award in 1942 for Best Original Song. A very commanding performance came from Geoff Houghton as General Henry Waverly, and I very much enjoyed Jenny Gilpin’s portrayal of Martha Watson, and how well she sang ‘Let Me Sing and I’m Happy’. She made the most of her character with some good comic timing.

The two male leads, Phil and Bob played their parts with much charisma and they were the perfect foils for sisters Judie and Betty. The singing and dancing was excellent, I did like the tap routines, and what can I say about Bob and Phil’s rendition of ‘Sisters’, except great, so very well played by the two couples Vanessa Whittle / Paul Atkinson and Shannon Whittle / Simon Kay. I think Shannon Whittle is an impressive young lady with a good deal of talent, all four leading roles complemented each other beautifully. I also enjoyed the performance given by the young lady playing Susan Waverly, who performed on the evening that I came along, I was told just how good both these two Susan’s performed, so well done to both girls. All smaller parts were well played, the whole cast gave 100% to this heart warming musical, and the magical finale when everything turned to colour, was really something.

I did think that sound had a little problem at times, possibly due to the vastness of the venue. There was good lighting and well done to the stage crew who were kept very busy all evening. The costumes were lovely and what a good orchestra, so upbeat! I wish you all a very happy Christmas and maybe and who knows, possibly a white one. Thank you.

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