Holiday Inn first came out as a musical-within-a-film during World War II — 1942, to be exact — and it’s pretty much been a classic ever since.
Originally it starred Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, with music by Irving Berlin. The story remains pretty much the same today, although The Shedd’s version is the Broadway stage adaptation.
Here’s the story, as summarized by The Shedd:
The song-and-dance trio of Jim Hardy, Ted Hanover and Lila Dixon breaks up when Jim decides to quit the boards for life on a Connecticut farm and expects Lila, who is his fiancée, to join him.
Instead, Lila continues on performing with Ted and forthwith, calling off her engagement and leaving Jim to run his new, run-down farm on his own.
Down on the farm, Jim meets Linda, a spirited schoolteacher with talent to spare. Together they turn the farmhouse into a fabulous inn that features dazzling performances that celebrate each major holiday, from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July.
And, of course, love is in the air, but not without its problems, because when Lila runs off with a rich oil tycoon, leaving Ted in the lurch, he shows up at Holiday Inn and tries to lure Linda away to be his new dance partner in Hollywood.
What happens next is revealed through song-and-dance numbers that include many Irving Berlin hits, such as “Blue Skies,” “Shaking The Blues Away”, “Easter Parade,” “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Heat Wave,” “Be Careful, It’s My Heart”, “Happy Holiday”, “White Christmas,” and more.
The cast includes Mike Wiley as Jim, Lynnea Barry as Linda, Adam Kelly as Ted, and Vanessa Greenway as Lila, plus Kara Churchill, Heidi Turnquist, and Bailey Ubel. Ensemble members are Ashley Chandler, Keri Davis, Johanna Gilbert (dance captain), Riley Given, Ashley Mason, Alex Mauney, Matthew Michaels, and Ulises Ordonez Perez.
Richard Jessup directs, with music direction by Robert Ashens, assisted by Emily Kidder, and choreography by Laura Sue Hiszczynskyj, with set and scenic design by Jim Ralph and Connie Huston, and costumes by Anna Björnsdotter.
The production team includes manager Alex Lopez, stage manager Riley Allen, assisted by Bailey Tucker, wardrobe supervisor Lyn Burg, sound tech Nick Tresente, and carpenter tech Jan Easton.
“Holiday Inn” at The Shedd
When: 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, 11, 17, and 18; 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19
Where: 868 High St., Eugene
Tickets: $19-$39, available at the ticket office, 541-434-7000, or online at theshedd.org
