James Clow, Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico, Tony Yazbeck and Mara Davi will star in the seasonal return of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, which begins previews on November 13 at Broadway's Marquis Theater. The limited engagement, directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Randy Skinner, will play through January 3, 2010.
Clow, Errico, Yazbeck and Davi will headline a cast of 33, which also features Ruth Williamson, Peter Reardon, Remy Auberjonois, Cliff Bemis, Madeleine Yen and David Ogden Stiers. Additional casting will be announced shortly.
The musical, adapted from the classic film of the same title which famously starred Bing Crosby, tells the story of two buddies who put on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn, finding their perfect mates in the process. Packed with some of Berlin's most famous tunes (including the title song), this merry holiday show follows several years of productions in regional theaters with its first Broadway run in November 2008. The production has received Tony Award nominations for Randy Skinner’s choreography and Larry Blank’s orchestrations. A national tour of the show was also recently announced.
Clow will star as song and dance man Bob Wallace, the role made famous by Crosby in the 1954 film. He starred in the role last season in the Detroit production of White Christmas at the Fox Theatre, and has appeared on Broadway in Assassins, Wonderful Town, Company, She Loves Me and Blood Brothers.
Errico appears as Betty Haynes, one-half of the beautiful and talented sister act that teams up with showmen Bob and Phil. She received a Tony Award nomination for her starring role in Amour. She has also appeared on Broadway in Dracula, My Fair Lady, High Society and Anna Karenina.
Yazbeck will co-star as the charismatic ladies’ man Phil Davis, a role he played in the 2007 Toronto holiday engagement of the musical. He was last seen on Broadway in the revival of Gypsy opposite Patti LuPone. Additional Broadway credits include A Chorus Line. He also starred in recent revival of On the Town for New York City Center's Encores!
Davi will play Betty’s younger sister Judy Haynes after starring in the role last season in the St. Paul production. On Broadway, she has been seen in the revival of A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone and in the title role in No, No Nanette for City Center Encores!
Williamson is featured as “Martha Watson,” General Waverly’s right-hand woman, a role she played in Los Angeles in 2005 and again in St. Paul in 2006. Broadway credits included the revival of La Cage Aux Folles.
Reardon returns to the role of Bob and Phil’s former Army buddy Ralph Sheldrake after appearing in last season’s original Broadway company. He has also appeared on Broadway in Urinetown, Passion, Meet Me in St. Louis and La Cage Aux Folles.
Auberjonis joins the White Christmas family as neurotic stage manager Mike Nulty. His Broadway credits include Frost/Nixon and The Country Girl.
Bemis returns to the Broadway cast after his performance last season as stage hand Ezekiel Foster. He was recently seen in the first national tour of The Drowsy Chaperone.
Yen makes her Broadway debut, returning to the role of General Henry Waverly’s precocious granddaughter Susan Waverly following her run with last season’s Detroit production at the Fox Theatre. She recently appeared at Carnegie Hall as Anna in the concert presentation of the musical Kristina.
Stiers will play General Henry Waverly, Bob and Phil’s former commanding officer and proprietor of the Vermont inn. The Emmy-nominated actor, widely known to television audiences as Major Charles Winchester from the iconic series M*A*S*H, returns to the role he played in the 2005 Los Angeles production, the 2006 St. Paul mounting and last season’s Detroit production. He has appeared on Broadway in the The Magic Show, Ulysses in Nighttown and Scapin.
The creative team includes Tony Award nominee Anna Louizos (sets), Tony Award nominee Carrie Robbins (costumes), Tony Award winner Ken Billington (lights) and Tony Award nominee Acme Sound Partners (sound design).
White Christmas is produced by Kevin McCollum, John Gore, Tom McGrath, Paul Blake, The Producing Office, Dan Markley, Sonny Everett and Broadway Across America in association with Paramount Pictures.
A second White Christmas company will embark on a seven-city tour at Omaha’s Orpheum Theatre on November 1, 2009. The production will continue on to Cincinnati, Ohio (Nov. 10-22), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Nov. 24-Dec. 6), East Lansing, Michigan (Dec. 9-13), St. Louis, Missouri (Dec. 15-27), Louisville, Kentucky (Dec. 29-Jan. 3, 2010), and Kansas City, Missouri (Jan. 5-10).