Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & II • November 30, 2011 Paper Mill presents ideal family show for the season by Dennis Seuling “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” the stage adaptation of the 1954 film that starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, is the current holiday attraction at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse. The musical includes Berlin’s film score and other hits, and has been beautifully staged by director Marc Bruni. The action is set in 1954. Two army buddies, Bob Wallace (James Clow) and Phil Davis (Tony Yazbeck), have gone on to fame as a musical act. A letter from an old army pal asks them to check out his sisters’ act. They go to the nightclub where Betty (Jill Paice) and Judy (Mededith Patterson) Haynes are performing. Phil Jill Paice, James Clow, Tony Yazbeck, Meredith Patterson, and cast in ‘Irving Berlin’s White is enchanted with the girls, Christmas.’ especially Judy, but there is a problem. The women have been booked to entertain at the Broadway version appeared flat and lacked sparkle, the an inn in Vermont for Christmas, while the men have been Paper Mill edition is filled with energy, terrific choreograbooked in Florida. Phil secretly exchanges his and Bob’s phy, outstanding music, and overall first-rate performances. train tickets and are Vermont bound. It’s colorful, fast-paced, filled with musical and comic flair, When they get to the inn, they discover it’s owned and truly puts the audience in the holiday spirit. and run by their former army superior, General Waverly Of the four principals, Yazbeck stands out. He has (Edward James Hyland), and that the inn has fallen on hard great personality, can sing nicely, and is quite a hoofer. He times. A heat wave has made things worse, since there is no also can make his comic lines land solidly, and he never snow. Determined to help their old general, Bob and Phil makes Phil’s eye for the ladies anything more than innocent concoct an elaborate plan to stage a musical show and pack ogling. the inn. Clow delivers in the vocal department with his solid “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” played two limited baritone, but never displays the vulnerability that would runs on Broadway during recent holiday seasons. Although (continued on Crossword page)