How Did Notre Dame High Celebrate Christmas in April?

By Connor Jenkins of Marquette High School

White Christmas in April? The newly emerging spring weather in St. Louis didn’t stop Notre Dame High School from making Irving Berlin’s iconic black-and-white film burst with color onstage.

Presented in their modest gymnasium, Notre Dame’s production of White Christmas took us back to Christmas Eve 1944, joking with the 151st, singing iconic Christmas tunes, and watching in awe at the high energy dance numbers and winter wonderland created onstage.

Based off the 1954 film and book written by David Ives and Paul Blake, this time-tested Christmas classic tells the charming story of a pair of World War II soldiers, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, as they enter show business following the war.

Although they have different approaches to romance, they fall for a new act- a duo of singing sisters, Judy and Betty Haynes. After booking a gig in not-so-snowy Vermont, the couples realize they’re going to need a miracle in order to save the life of their former general’s beloved inn.

Mark Messmer (Bob Wallace) and Charlie Moody (Phil Davis) fully dedicate to their characters through their vocal and dancing technique as well as their emotional and comedic characterizations.

Channeling the remarkable chemistry that Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye shared onscreen, the pair was unstoppable, with radiant energy from start to finish.
The Haynes sisters (Katherine Potts and Emma McCann) complemented the pair with their finesse as a cohesive duo.

Katherine Potts (Betty Haynes) brought the swing and class with her show-stopping “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me” while Emma McCann’s (Judy Haynes) peppy personality lit up the stage in “I Love a Piano.”

Karen Esswein and Mariel Tishma’s ingenious set design allowed an impressive variety of different scenes through an efficient and versatile folding set. There were few missed sound cues and crackling throughout the first act, but the sound crew (Micki Wagner and Jackie Buchheit) cleaned these up in the second half of the show.

The technical and production aspects of the show climaxed at the standout numbers "I Love a Piano" and "Blue Skies."

Brilliant choreography allowed the chorus to shine as an ensemble onstage, supporting the energy of the lead characters through dazzling tap numbers and cheery showtunes.

However, nothing was quite as touching as a veterans' tribute using local war veterans during “The Old Man.” Truly a bow on top, this honor was followed by surprise after surprise, from snowfall to a sing-along that left the humble gymnasium filled with the joy and spirit of Christmas.

Christmas in April may sound out of the ordinary, but NDHS’s production of White Christmas showed us that the virtues of friendship, family, true love and the spirit of Christmas are not seasonal.

This review was submitted by The Cappies, a program that trains high school theater and journalism students as critics. The students then attend shows at other schools, write reviews and publish those reviews in local news outlets. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.