Seats are selling fast, so get your tickets before they’re all gone
By STU CLAMPITT
Regardless of what Hometown Weatherman Paul Poteet may have in store for us later this month, if you are dreaming of a white Christmas, Main Street Productions has you covered. The timeless musical classic White Christmas is hitting the stage from Dec. 9 through 19 at Westfield Playhouse, 220 N. Union St., for just eight shows, all of which are selling out fast.
The Reporter spoke to Director Andrea Odle about the years-long road to bring this show to local audiences.
“This was scheduled to be up in 2020,” Odle told The Reporter. “I submitted this show to the board almost two and a half years ago. Everything got put on hold for COVID, but now it’s back, so it’s good!”
When asked why she wanted to direct this show, she said it’s all about the name.
“Honestly it is the name,” Odle said. “It’s a big draw and in a brand-new building it’s fantastic. It is probably my favorite Christmas movie of all time. The fact that I can take my favorite Christmas movie and put it on stage is kind of magical.”
Odle does not subscribe to the modern view that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, though she was willing to concede that Gremlins is.
This is Odle’s fifth time directing in a stage career than spans decades.
“My first show? I was on stage when I was three and I haven’t stopped,” Odle said. “I have three kids, so when they were really little, I stopped for a little bit to be mom, but I think I’ve hit 60 shows. I lost count in the 50s, but I think I am at about 60 shows.”
For this show, she said she has the best choreographer she has ever worked with, and a huge cast.
“We have a cast of 21 and we have a crew of 15,” Odle said. “It is a lot. It is like herding cats a little bit, but honestly, I have an AD (Assistant Director) who keeps track of everyone, which is nice. My stage manager has been doing this for probably longer than I have. She herds all the cats backstage and I herd them all up front, so it’s good.”
According to Odle, in musical theater in Indianapolis it is often a challenge to cast male roles. For this show it’s not usually a problem because everybody wants to be Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the 1954 movie. Odle said the casting was hard given the pandemic, but she is exceptionally pleased with everyone involved in this production.
“The cast has been together for a long time and a couple of the crew have been here, but as a whole they were together for the first time as a crew for rehearsal Monday night [Nov. 30] and they were rock stars,” Odle told The Reporter. “It was uninterrupted; it was beautiful. Our gentleman who is doing mics upstairs – this is his first time ever and he’s doing 21 actors on mics. It is a big job and he is just amazing.”
The cast has been rehearsing in masks until just last week, and they will be unmasked on stage. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the audience will have to wear masks during the entire performance.
The show is playing four nights each week for only two weeks. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. and both Sunday shows are at 2:30 p.m.
The playhouse has 165 seats and shows are selling out fast, so get your tickets right now at westfieldplayhouse.org/showstickets or by calling (317) 402-3341.