“Watson’s back in town.”
I had goosebumps when that line was sung during Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at Bass Performance Hall. Watson was indeed back in Fort Worth for a magical holiday show at my beloved Bass Performance Hall. Bass Hall is a sight for sore eyes at Christmas time and could fill even the biggest Grinch with holiday cheer. The marble steps, the giant Christmas trees, the snowflake martinis, what’s not to love? Bass Hall happens to be my favorite place to buy ornaments so come early to shop!
I should tell you right away that I’m not actually a fan of the 1954 film White Christmas but I trust Bass Hall and decided to go see the musical as a slight skeptic. I’m so glad I did. I left utterly enchanted. The musical was 1,000 times better than the movie. In fact my sister-in-law and I were grinning from ear to ear like idiots throughout the entire first act. It’s impossible not to. It’s full of toe-tapping fun and big band tunes.
The premise of the musical is that a pair of celebrity producers help out their old friend to produce a Broadway quality show at his struggling Vermont inn during an unseasonably warm winter. Hilarity, dancing, and romance ensues. The set design was magical. The charming Vermont inn was decked for the holidays. My favorite set was the Plaza Hotel, which only made a brief appearance during one scene.
My favorite moment of the show was when Ralph and Judy are dancing in a jazz club and everyone and everything melts away and it’s suddenly just the two of them. It’s such a romantic, dreamy moment. I was hooked. The choreography in this musical was nothing short of jaw-dropping. There were many fantastic dance numbers by choreographer Randy Skinner during the show but I looked around and noticed that the crowd quite literally had their mouths open in amazement during the tap number. People were clapping before it was even decent to do so. They just couldn’t help themselves. It was that good.
Sean Montgomery (Wallace, made famous by Bing Crosby) is reason enough to see this show, or any show he’s cast in for that matter. Part of the original Broadway cast of Groundhog Day, it was a treat to see Montgomery during his brief stop in DFW. I would listen to his velvety voice every Saturday night if he sang with a piano here in Dallas. Jeremy Benton was hilarious and lovable as Phil, providing many of the laughs in act one. Little Makayla Joy Connolly is such a treat as Susan, the rambunctious granddaughter of inn owner Waverly. At such a young age she possesses vocal talent that us mere mortals can only dream about.
Let’s hope we get a White Christmas in North Texas again next year! See if Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is visiting a city near you: irvingberlinswhitechristmas.com. White Christmas is part of Bass Performance Hall’s Broadway at the Bass series. Tickets would make a wonderful Christmas gift! Upcoming shows include Something Rotten, Finding Neverland, Waitress, and Love Never Dies. Get the full event list here.
May all your Christmases be white,
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Disclaimer: This article is intended to be a general resource. Any recommendations are based on personal opinion. A portion of this article may have been compensated but opinions are my own, always. I’m not a fan of negativity so if I don’t like something, I don’t write about it. I’m here to tell you about the best of the best!