'Holiday Inn' a musical for all seasons

‘HOLIDAY INN’: The company. Photo: Joan Marcus

HOLIDAY INN
Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin
Book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge
Directed by Gordon Greenberg
Choreography by Denis Jones
Through January 1, 2017
Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
(212-719-1300), www.RoundaboutTheatre.org

By David NouNou

Unlike White Christmas, another Irving Berlin musical that was adapted from a movie to a musical stage comedy, Holiday Inn is not an authentic holiday show. However, Holiday Inn is really a musical for all seasons. I would not call it a Christmas show or even a holiday show; it has elements for all 12 months of the year. It has its delightful moments, such as the wonderful Bryce Pinkham as Jim Hardy who leaves show business to buy a farm in Connecticut. It is also a show that never completely takes off due to its stilted book and lackluster direction, both by Gordon Greenberg.

There is also a little bit of a discomfort level when songs by the same writer have been taken out of his songbook and inserted into a score to liven it up; songs such as “Heat Wave,” which was sung by Marilyn Monroe in There’s No Business Like Show Business; ”Cheek to Cheek,” a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers song from Top Hat; and “Blue Skies” from the Bing Crosby-Fred Astaire movie Blue Skies. They are great to hear but then they do seem like fillers if you know they weren’t written for the show.

Set in 1946 – 1947, Jim Hardy has left his trio of show partners Ted Hanover (Corbin Bleu) and Lila Dixon (Megan Sikora) to buy a farm with his hopeful fiancée, Lila Dixon, but she has aspirations to stay in show business and the trio becomes a duet. Ted and Lila go to their new gigs while Jim goes off to Connecticut to buy Mason Farm, owned by the father of the lovely Linda Mason (Lora Lee Gayer). Linda’s father recently passed away and she had to sell the farm. They build up a friendship and a romance blossoms. Also, they come up with the idea of passing Mason Farm off as Holiday Inn, a place that celebrates all the holidays of the year, assisted by all of Jim’s former dancing buddies.

Back comes Ted drunk, losing Lila to a millionaire and is smitten by Linda after one dance. He wants to take her to Hollywood to costar with him but Jim can’t see losing Linda and a second chance at love to Ted. Ultimately, Linda has to make her choice. The storyline is pretty faithful to the movie.

Besides the proven Irving Berlin score, the most enjoyable part of the show is Bryce Pinkham as Jim. With each successive role since A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Mr. Pinkham is gaining more stage presence and command of the stage. It is pure pleasure watching him sing and dance. Corbin Bleu, best known for the TV show, “High School Musical,” is a most capable tap dancer. Lora Lee Gayer is an absolute delight and possesses a lovely singing voice.

Although the show never hits peaks, it does hit a middle of the road of enjoyable entertainment, with a wonderful songbook, some good performances and an eager cast that aims to please. Holiday Inn is fluff that you enjoy while watching but won’t retain for long after leaving the theater.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 10, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on October 9, 2016