By Stub Estey
A community theater performance based on a movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye is a tall order to pull off, but Fauquier is doing it successfully. Comparisons between the FCT cast onstage and famous movie characters are set aside by the time Michael Pryor (as Wallace), Noah Sariñana (as Davis), and Ryan Schaffer (as Sheldrake) finish the first song, “Happy Holiday.” If that wasn’t enough to get the audience in the Christmas spirit, soldiers join in to finish the job with the title song. A grin gradually grew on this audience member’s face and stayed there for the rest of the show. Director Esther Wells has a hit on her hands.
Patrons familiar with the movie will recall it opens during WWII and quickly fast-forwards to the 1950s, where Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, two ex-soldiers, are building their showbiz career. When the Haynes sisters are introduced via the duet “Sisters”, enjoyably rendered by Stephanie Blakely (Betty) and Lily VanBrocklin (Judy), boys meet girls, and the show goes on — transitioning via train from New York City to rural Vermont.
Along the rails, the iconic song “Snow,” with its synchronized entrances and harmonies, is delightfully delivered by Davis, the sisters, and Mr. & Mrs. Snoring Man, played by Nick Villacorte and Camden Gillespie. By the end of that song, most of the rest of the Company, in costumes suggesting the season, have joined to make it a rousing production number.
Ruth Williamson’s costumes take the audience back to the heyday of film and stage. A short list of a few of her showy costumes includes women dressed as Christmas trees; blue vests and dresses for “Blue Skies”; actors in black and white bringing to life “I Love a Piano”; men in black evoking a ’50s modern dance routine; and a sea of red for the final Christmas scene — a feast for the eyes!
Did I mention tap dancing? The ensemble sings and dances its way through the big numbers, keeping the beat with their feet. It’s remarkable to see so many community theater players tap-dancing. The Company’s dance numbers that flow around the stage even without tap shoes also are well-timed, with dancers aligned and fun to watch. To achieve that had to take many hours of rehearsals led by Choreographer Abby Chaumont.
Vocal Director Emily Stepp must have scheduled a lot of rehearsal time also, to perfect the tight harmonies that seem to resonate effortlessly as those ensemble players dance in sync. Stepp’s vocals, Chaumont’s choreography, and Williamson’s costumes work together masterfully, treating the audience to a seamless blending of those three aspects of the creative process.
Doug Barylski’s set design is kept simple, facilitating fast and nearly invisible scene changes as Stacy King’s lighting design projects more than 40 still photos to create larger-than-life-sized backgrounds, depicting everything from a wartime tableau to a TV studio to a barn in New England. Subtle changes in lighting intensity and color help move the story along pleasantly.
This cast is having fun. The ensemble works as one, with happy and expressive faces enlivening their characters individually. With a dozen featured dancers, it’s difficult to select standouts; they each are so captivating. A few mentions: Nick Villacorte and Hilary Pierce are engaging and smooth. Kayce Shaffer and Melissa Pieja are convincing, funny and flexible as showgirls. Garrett Tucker plays an amusingly traumatized Stage Manager dashing frantically through the snowy arc of the story.
Scott Pierce, as farmer Ezekiel Foster, delivered his pithy lines comically — one in particular got repeated laughs. Anthony Palladino was convincing and fun playing an emcee, and Dawn Gaynor was her normal hilarious self playing Martha at the front desk of the inn, hitting some notes worthy of Ethel Merman when she recalls her stage career in “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy.” Later, Dawn mugged cynically, without scene-stealing, when child actor Lennox Chen (as Susan Waverly) belted out her own version of Martha’s big number with the rest of a quartet of girls supporting her. That kid is going to be heard from again onstage. A lot. The quartet of girls was only part of a talented children’s ensemble, each of whom added a lot to the show.
You want duets? Michael Pryor/Stephanie Blakely were marvelous together in “How Deep Is the Ocean,” as were the other two leads, Noah Sariñana/Lily VanBrocklin, demonstrating, along with a talented quintet of featured dancers, that “The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing.” The “Sisters” duet was reprised by Pryor and Sariñana, playing it up comically as a faux fan-dancing sister act. There is even a tuneful trio, when Martha and the Haynes Sisters point out in harmony that “Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun.”
Even though the stars were mostly eclipsed by the FCT cast early in the show, Sephanie Blakely instantly brought to mind the movie’s Rosemary Clooney in song and costume in her version of Betty Haynes singing “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me.”
When the cast’s soldiers came down the side aisles singing the lyrics “We’ll follow the Old Man…,” celebrating their affection for their former General, played by newcomer Chris Winkler, Producer Maggie Swan had onstage actors encourage military veterans in the audience to stand for recognition. It was a sweet touch; few patrons (or cast members) escaped that scene without a catch in their throats or a stray tear. If it’s a positive one, sometimes theaters will tout a review of their production to help sell tickets. FCT does not need this review to sell tickets, because all nine performances were sold out by Thanksgiving. This show, like its title song, needs no sales pitch, but if you can get on the waitlist and score a ticket, I highly recommend you do so.
Running Time: Two hours and 15 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas plays through December 14, 2025, presented by Fauquier Community Theatre, performing at the Vint Hill Theater on the Green, 4225 Aiken Dr, Warrenton, VA. All tickets ($18 for youth, $20 for seniors, $24 for adults) are for reserved seating. Purchase tickets online or call the box office at (540) 349-8760. Tickets can sell out quickly, so plan ahead.
Programs are available at the performances and online.
Stub Estey is a retired business executive, published author and local actor/musician in northern Virginia.
