City Theater presents Holiday Inn

Treat yourself to a marvelous gift this holiday season. Make sure you see Holiday Inn at Biddeford City Theater. This touching uplifting production, directed and produced by the immensely gifted Linda Sturdivant, will fill your heart with love.

It is perfectly staged, effervescent and endearing. Irving Berlin fans will enjoy hearing many of the favorites enhanced by magnificent voices and amazing dancing. Sturdivant, Music Director/ Patrick Martin, Choreographer/ Mariel Roy and AD /Rebecca Rinaldi have proven the dream team.

As the curtain opens we are greeted by the eight featured dancers and singers: Oliver Caron, Abram Dwyer, Jackie Grigg, Ellie Joseph, Briana Lacy, Cory Osborne, KateWhalen and Owen White. They begin the “wow factor” of this show with their stellar voices and fancy footwork. Each of these talented individuals are stars in their own right.

They have many creative stunning costume changes. A round of applause to Costumer/ Darnell Stuart and her assistants: Wendy Carey, Lynn McKellar, JoAn Pion, Dawn Sample, Marisa Silvia and Janice Toomey. All the costumes were monumental and fabulous. Backstage during this production are eight costumers.

Enter Derek Kingsley/Jim Hardy, Keating Babcock/Ted Hanover, and Kathryn Kellogg/Lila Dixon. A powerful trio, these mega talents never fail to deliver.

Kingsley, a City Theater favorite, gives heart and soul along with his terrific voice. He convinced this reviewer he was actually playing the piano. A phenomenal actor, Kingsley’s comedic timing is perfect. He is totally believable as the longtime singer/songwriter, who longs for ‘The Little Things in Life’ with his beautiful co-star Dixon.

Kellogg is fabulous as the spoiled NYC want-to-be star, complete with an adorable accent.  A triple threat in every show she does, she is always on, even when jumping rope. (Who knew she’d have to hone this skill for two shows?) She brings an impressive resume to her City Theater debut and audiences will want to see more of this vivacious talent.

Babcock is perfectly egotistic and charming as Ted. A trained ballet dancer, Babcock just learned how to tap dance for this production and he is a great ‘hoofer”. Adorable and charming, he steals hearts.

We then meet Peter Salsbury/Danny, the trio’s agent, hysterical and spot on in his character role. He persuades Ted and Lila to go on tour, despite Lila’s engagement to Jim. After Ted and Lila depart, Jim moves to his newly purchased farm in Connecticut. He encounters Andrew LeBlond Sturdivant/ Charlie Winslow who delivers bad news and many bills with great aplomb. This budding young star loves to be onstage and it shows. Sturdivant certainly carries on his family’s tradition and talent.

Arriving next in our nostalgic story is Colleen Katana/Linda Mason town school teacher and former resident of said farm. Katana is captivating and lovely. A City Theater favorite Katana absolutely shines as she sings and dances her way into Jim’s heart. She introduces Kingsley/Jim to the resident fix-it person, City Theater star Jennine Cannizzo/Louise Badger.

A pivotal scene-stealing character, Cannizzo tries to fix everything and everyone. She appears in some of the most hysterical costumes and ‘footwear’. (A nod to Propmaster Peter Salsbury for his creative genius in this show.) Cannizzo belts out her songs with great style and passion. Audiences and this reviewer love this gifted actress.

Each dance number is smashing! Mariel Roy has created magic with her choreography! Bella Mok and Mariah Peric, dancers in the ensemble, bring added pizazz to the stage. Caleb Lacy is great as the announcer with his perfect voice! It is clear why he is an award winning actor.

The set, designed by Sean Farrelly, is charming and very flexible.(He also appears in a cameo role) Farrelly helps manage it along with twelve other stage crew members: Dana Chabot, Anna Faherty, Adam Gallant (who also helps run the light board), Caleb Lacey (when he’s not onstage), Lynn McKellar, Rebecca Rinaldi and Susan Quackenbush. Conductor Patrick Martin, who plays the piano, has once more assembled a fine pit orchestra: Alex Wong/cello, Hope St Germain/Reed 1, Heather Sumner/Reed 2, Carol Furman/Reed 3, John Furman/Trumpet, Mitch Price/Trombone, Jimmy McGirr/Bass and Josh Adams/Drums. White Christmas, Shaking the Blues Away, Blue Skies, and Easter Parade are just a few of the many memorable songs.

Kudos to the remainder of the staff not yet mentioned: Master Carpenter/Richard Pion, Tech Advisor & Projections/Karl Carrigan, Stage Manager/Greg Brackett, Production Assistant/Janice Toomey, Projection Slides/Sara Sanborn, Light Design/ Florence Cooley, Sound Design/ Todd Hutchisen, Fight Choereo./Jacob Cote, Hair and Makeup/Dana Chabot, Sound board op/ Matt Eaton, Light Board Op/ Derek Lemieux along with Adam Gallant, Follow Spot/ Charlie Gould, Videographer/Ben Keller, Graphic Design/ Jessica Thibodeau, Publicity Photos/ Rich Obrey and Scenic Painting Deborah Davis. The set building and painting crew: Lindsay Armstrong, Will Clarke, Rebecca Crist, Amanda Douquette, Regan Elder, Rene Fontaine, Charlie Gould, Connor Hall, Cris Hart, Joe Keyser, Irene Lemay, Aaron Mears, Gordon Ruggaber, Katherine Skinner, Sean Farrelly and Paul Wolf.

All these great folks plus an additional 158 City Theater volunteers helped bring Holiday Inn to life. This production is a warm hot chocolate for the soul.

This Christmas gift of a show is running for its final weekend Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. You can buy tickets online, via email at boxoffice@citytheater.org or by phone at 207-282-0849.

Story courtesy of Nancy Durgin