Bogardus, O'Malley, Denman, Patterson & More Set for White Christmas
Principal casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway premiere of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Stephen Bogardus, Kerry O'Malley, Jeffry Denman, Meredith Patterson, Charles Dean and Susan Mansur will lead a cast of 33 for the holiday show, a musical adaptation of the classic 1954 movie. Previews begin November 14 at the Marquis Theatre, for a limited-engagement run opening November 23 and closing January 4, 2009, directed by Walter Bobbie.
White Christmas tells the story of two showbiz buddies, Bob Wallace Bogardus and Phil Davis Denman, who put on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn and find their perfect mates in the bargain—sister act Betty O'Malley and Judy Haynes Patterson. The show features a book by David Ives Is He Dead? and Paul Blake and choreography by Randy Skinner.
O'Malley best known to New York audiences for her portrayal of the Baker's Wife in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods, which earned her Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle Award nominations, and has appeared on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun, Cyrano, Translations and at Encores! in Promises, Promises.
Denman, Patterson, Dean and Masur were part of White Christmas' world-premiere cast in San Francisco in 2004. Denman appeared in the original cast of The Producers, the final company of Cats and the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Patterson made her Broadway debut in the ensemble of 42nd Street in 2001 before graduating to the lead role of Peggy Sawyer. Other credits include the Broadway production of The Green Bird, the Encores! production of Face The Music and a regional mounting of The Boy Friend directed by original star Julie Andrews.
White Christmas marks a Broadway debut for Dean. Currently starring in Gore Vidal's The Best Man in Berkeley, he has performed in more than 80 productions at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Masur's Broadway credits include the original Broadway cast of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and the revival of Damn Yankees opposite Jerry Lewis. Off-Broadway she appeared in Steel Magnolias and the original cast of the musical Ruthless!
White Christmas will feature set design by Anna Louizos In the Heights, Avenue Q, costumes by Carrie Robbins Grease, Over Here, lighting design by Ken Billington Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, Annie, sound design by Acme Sound Partners In the Heights, Spamalot, orchestrations by Larry Blank The Drowsy Chaperone, vocal and dance arrangements by Bruce Pomahac and music supervision by Rob Berman.
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.
