“White Christmas is a really wonderful old time story with a happy ending but it really doesn’t get produced very much because it’s moderately seasonal,” said New Richmond music director Doug Heflin, who is directing the show with the assistance of his wife, Lisa. “But because we have our musical a week before Thanksgiving, it kind of gives us a connection.
Cast members from New Richmond's production of White Christmas (from left) Sammi Gregory, Sarah Molitor, Ashleigh Beard, Will Heflin and Nick Gilman rehearse their roles.Besides it’s an Irving Berlin musical.
“I’m a big Irving Berlin fan,” admitted Heflin.
The muisical will be performed November 18th & 19th at 7:00 pm in the NRHS theater.
The White Christmas storyline has two World War II veterans and song-and-dance act following two beautiful sisters to a Vermont lodge where they will be performing in a Christmas show. Once there they find their former Army commander, General Waverly, is the lodge owner and a series of romantic mix-ups result where they try to help the general.
“The movie version of White Christmas is a bit different from what we will do on stage,” said Heflin, who is directing a cast and crew of 75. “You can tell they changed the movie version around to be a vehicle for the great stars.”
The two main characters Bob and Phil (played in the movie by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) are being played by Will Heflin and Nick Gilman. The sisters (Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney in the movie version) are played by Sammi Gregory and Sarah Molitor.
“Those four characters are the driving force in the movie,” noted Heflin, “but in the stage version we are doing we also have very important parts being played by Ashleigh Beard who playing Martha Watson the inn keeper, Michael Steelman who is General Waverly and Sarah Denneman who is playing Susan Wavely, the granddaughter of Waverly. In our stage version both Martha and Susan have solos.”
NRHS music director Doug Heflin directs a scene during rehearsal while his wife and assistant director, Lisa Heflin, and Newton McCollum discuss his role in the musical White Christmas.The New Richmond production also will include some of the dance routines from the Broadway and movie versions with the students doing their own choreography.
“Without a dance studio and a dance choreographer here, the students divvy up and do all their own choreography,” said Heflin. “We have a couple solo dances (Mary Grace Williams and Jessica Nazareth) and I think it looks great.”
Heflin said fans should not confuse White Christmas with Holiday Inn, another Irving Berlin musical from which the song White Christmas originated.
“White Christmas the musical only has a couple of Christmas scenes – the very two or three minutes and then the closing scene,” said Heflin.
“It’s going to be neat. It’s a good sit-back, feel-good about yourself and watch a neat show.”
Michael Steelman plays General Waverly in New Richmond High School's production of White Christmas.Cast List for White Christmas
November 18th & 19th at 7:00 pm in the NRHS theater
Will Heflin—Bob Wallace
Nick Gilman—Phil Davis
Sarah Molitor—Betty Haynes
Sammi Gregory—Judy Haynes
Michael Steelman—General Waverly
Ashleigh Beard—Martha Watson
Sarah Dennemann—Susan Waverly
Craig Hoagland – Ralph Sheldrake
Pavel Jump—Mike
Erica Jones—Rita
Rachel Heflin—Rhoda
Newton McCollum—Ezekiel Foster
Sydney Clancy—Tessie
Chelsea Fawley—Cigarette Girl
Charlie Spicker—Jimmy
Daniel Wilson—Conductor
Nicholas Wuest—Snoring Man
Cierra Edwards—Mrs. Snoring Man
Lydia Webb—Secretary
Lindsay Gundler—Dance Captain & Passenger #4
Morgan Olenick—Seamstress & Marty
Rachel Ploucha—Assistant Seamstress & Passenger #4
Luke Gilday—TV Announcer
Amber Hudson—Gloria
Jessica Nazareth—Feature Dancers
Hannah Smiddy—Feature Dancers
Mary Grace Williams—Feature Dancers
The Company
Halee Curtis
Tyler Davis
Megan Deters
Audrey Feiler
Cindy Hamilton
Abby Jewell
Olivia Latham
Emily Leffler
Skylar McDonald
Juliane Molitor
Mande Myers
Katelynn Nichols
Courtney Roberts
Analiese Rohdes
Jade Stamper
Ashley Stephens
Rachael Trowbridge
Kelsey Williams
