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For the second year in a row, Paul Mason Barnes is in town to direct Pioneer Theatre Company's big holiday production. And for the second year in a row, that production is based on a classic holiday movie.
In 2009, it was "A Christmas Story." This year, it's "White Christmas." And that's where the similarities end.
"They're actually two different beasts," Barnes said. " 'White Christmas' is a big, traditional stage musical. 'A Christmas Story' was more like a straight play."
Theatergoers who had seen "A Christmas Story" on-screen knew exactly what to expect. Fans of "White Christmas," on the other hand, can expect something a little bit different from the 1954 film. The story has been condensed, and more Irving Berlin songs have been added.
As the show's director, Barnes said his job was to make a cohesive whole out of elements drawn from different sources, the original movie script plus songs from the Irving Berlin catalog.
Familiar songs from the movie, including the title tune, "Sisters," "Snow" and "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," remain. They're joined by Berlin standards like "Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun," "How Deep Is the Ocean," "I Love a Piano," "Happy Holiday" and "Love and the Weather."
Other Berlin classics, such as "Blue Skies," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Let Yourself Go," which were heard briefly in the movie, get more attention in the musical.
David Ives and Paul Blake wrote the book for the musical, based on the film written by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama and Melvin Frank.
The story remains essentially the same. A pair of song-and-dance men (Tally Sessions and Tim Falter taking on the roles originated by Bing Crosy and Danny Kaye) decide to put on a show to save the resort owned by their former commanding general.
While doing so, they woo sisters Betty and Judy Haynes (Amy Justman and Kaitlyn Davidson in the roles originated by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen).
Pioneer's 2009 "A Christmas Story" was set just before World War II; "White Christmas" is set shortly after. But the latter is "more of a generational piece" than the former, Barnes said.
Not only is the musical less slavishly true to the movie than was "A Christmas Story," but some contemporary audiences are likely less familiar with the 1954 film.
"So probably people's expectations for this are somewhat diminished," Barnes said. "Although I'm told by other people who have worked on the stage version that people remember some very, very specific things from the film. Such as the color of the dresses the women wear in the number 'Sisters' and the big, red dresses at the end. I think if we were to veer seriously away from those familiar choices, we might disappoint some people."
PTC's dresses aren't exact replicas, because the movie costume designs are copyrighted.
"But we are certainly adhering to tradition. Because you don't want to disappoint people at the holidays," Barnes said with a laugh.
'White Christmas — The Musical'
P Pioneer Theatre Company presents a stage version of the classic holiday movie.
When • Dec. 2-24; curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday; additional matinees are Dec. 21 and 23 at 2 p.m., and Dec. 24 at noon.
Where • Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $34-$54 (students in grades K-12 are half-price Mondays and Tuesdays), available by calling 801-581-6961; online at http://www.pioneertheatre.org; or at the PMT box office