Though Stillwater’s Town & Gown Community Theatre has not typically presented multiple musical productions in a single season, the 2023-24 lineup includes three. The first of these wonderful musical treats arrives just in time for the holidays as T&G offers up White Christmas in December.
Based on the famous film of the same name, White Christmas brings the familiar story and wonderful songs of Irving Berlin to the stage. The plot follows veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, who have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two tag along with a pair of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former Army commander. With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and the perennial title song, “White Christmas” is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.
When asked what drove his desire to bring White Christmas to the Town & Gown stage, director Timothy Cole recalled how much the film had meant to his family. “White Christmas has always been a favorite for me around holiday time. I grew up watching it with my mom every year and have been keeping the tradition alive with my kids now. It makes it even more special to see them in this production singing some of the favorites like “Snow” and “White Christmas." Cole also confirmed that there is growing buzz among Town & Gown patrons about the upcoming show. “We have already heard from a lot of people about how excited they are to see this production, so I hope it brings it a lot of new and familiar faces to Town & Gown."
As fans of the movie know, the cast of White Christmas includes dozens of performers. Town & Gown’s production utilizes over 50 actors ranging in age from 9 to 73! Patrons will see many familiar faces in the primary roles, including Dr. Scott Martin as Bob Wallace; Timothy Cole as Phil Davis; Sydney Weiser as Judy Haynes; Bailey Bovenschen as Martha Wilson; Kevin Gerfen as Ralph Sheldrake; Hilary Hunt as Rita, Zach Crawford as Ezekiel Foster, and Ruthann Daniel as Midge. But there are also many cast members who are new to the Town & Gown Stage, including Becki Klauss as Betty Haynes; Richard Ayers as Gen. Henry Waverly; Sophie Raines as Susan Waverly; and Cady Bulls as Rhoda.
The Ensemble cast includes Town & Gown veterans Sydney Wehmeyer, Dominique Cannon, Tracy Payne, Chloe Cavins, Joel Carpenter, Reed Bonge, Kyle Alan, and Aaron Carmichael. Making their Town & Gown debuts in the ensemble are Cam Cheek, Gracie Heim-Carpenter, Johnny Heim-Carpenter, Ronnie Heim-Carpenter, Kat Abdallah, Leigh DeFreitas, Katie Mays, Austin Reed, Aaron Veselak, Hank Hanrahan, and Aiden Ray. The Child Ensemble includes director Cole’s talented daughters Ellie and Winnie Cole, along with Margot Hunt (daughter of Hilary Hunt), and Marshall Peters. Ransom Crow and Violet Crawford round out the ensemble in their debut roles at Town & Gown.
With the spirit of the season in mind, the Town & Gown lobby and gallery will be decorated in Christmas regalia and Santa will be available for photos with the kiddos starting at 6:30 p.m. for evening shows and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. Hot chocolate and holiday cookies will be available before all performances as well.
White Christmas will run from December 6 – 10 and 13 – 17. Wednesday through Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows start at 2:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday December 4 at 11:00 a.m. and can be purchased by visiting the theatre’s Web site at www.townandgown.org or by calling the box office at (405) 372-9122. Ticket prices are $18 for adults, $16 for students, and $16 for seniors (over age 65). Watch for more updates, including behind-the-scenes photos and commentary, on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/townandgowntheatre.
For more information on this show and other fantastic events happening around the Stillwater community, check out our marketing partner, Visit Stillwater, at https://www.visitstillwater.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VisitStillwater.
