First, let me be clear that this is not a review; it is a short essay on how good local theatre can truly be. Second, understand I have no personal connection to the cast or crew of Lake Plains Players' "White Christmas." I have no sisters, brothers, second cousins or spouses in the show. That being said, I will now state the main idea of my essay: "White Christmas" is the best piece of theatre I've seen in a very long time (in the interests of impartiality I'm excluding from that statement anything I've been in or directed.)
When I say "best piece of theatre," that includes both local and professional shows. "White Christmas" proves that excellent theatre is obtainable at any and every level. A little bit of history as I understand it is necessary here: directed Lance Anderson has been itching to do this show for years. He convinced the board to give him the chance this year, and a wise decision it was. Mounting a musical of this magnitude requires a herculean effort, starting with an unheard of three months of rehearsals. Add top-notch choreography by Cheryl Johnson, spot-on performances by stars Joseph Kusmierczak, Jennifer Neroni, Matthew Mayne and Jennifer Bradley, wonderful sets and music and you have an evening of unforgettable entertainment.
What continues to amaze me, and part of why I formed the WNY Theatre Alliance in the first place, is the dedication and spirit of the members of our local theatre community. And yes, by "local" I do mean "non-professional." The term "non-professional," however, is misleading; I wish there was a better term for those of us who choose to eschew the professional companies in favor of groups like Lake Plains, Towne Players, Lancaster Regional Theatre, Amherst Players, Starry Night, Niagara Regional Theatre Guild, Theatre in the Mist and Aurora Players (to mention but a few) who produce professional-level works of art without all the baggage that comes with Alleyway, Irish Classical, Kavinkoky and the like. Yes, Virginia, there is theatre outside of Buffalo.
The cast & crew of "White Christmas" dedicated three months of their lives to this single work of art and produced a grand total of three performances. No "professional" theatre would ever consider such a thing. You tell me who does it for the love of the Theatre.
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