In 2007, Irving Berlin's White Christmas played the Playhouse in Edinburgh and Cardiff's Millennium Centre. Now, with a cast that includes Tony nominee Adam Cooper, Aled Jones, Suzanne Shaw, Tony winner Roy Dotrice, Louise Plowright and Rachel Stanley, the holiday-themed musical will begin performances at Plymouth's Theatre Royal Nov. 10, for a season through Nov. 21, before transferring to Salford's Lowry for a season from Nov. 27, 2009-Jan. 9, 2010.
Cooper was nominated for a 1999 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his appearance in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake and most recently appeared in Shall We Dance?, a dance show conceived, choreographed and starring him based around the music of Richard Rodgers that ran at Sadler's Wells. In White Christmas Cooper plays Phil Davis, who, together with his friend Bob Wallace (played by Aled Jones, the former boy soprano turned adult actor, singer, radio and TV presenter), is putting on a show in a Vermont inn and finding love in the process.
The cast also includes Suzanne Shaw (2008 champion of TV's "Dancing with Ice" and member of pop group Hear'Say) as Judy Haynes, Rachel Stanley (seen in White Christmas in 2007-08, as Grace Farrell in a tour of Annie, as Truly Scrumptious in a tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and as Velma Kelly in Chicago) as Betty Haynes, Roy Dotrice (2000 Tony Award winner as Best Featured Actor for his appearance in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten and a 1981 nominee for Best Actor in a Play for his appearance in A Life) as General Waverly, and Louise Plowright (original London cast of Mamma Mia! in the West End, where she played Tanya, before subsequently taking over as Donna) as Martha Watson.
The stage version of the 1954 Bing Crosby film features such songs as "Snow," "Happy Holiday," "Sisters" and the title song "White Christmas," performed by a cast of over 30 and a live 17-piece orchestra.
To book tickets for the run in Plymouth, contact the box office at 01752 267222, or visit www.theatreroyal.com; for tickets in Salford, contact the box office at 0870 787 5780 or visit www.thelowry.com.
