Ghostlight to Release White Christmas Cast Album This Fall

Brian D'Arcy James, Anastasia Barzee, Jeffry Denman and Meredith Patterson--who comprised the 2004 San Francisco world premiere cast as well as the 2005 Los Angeles cast of the musical White Christmas--will record the show's Irving Berlin score for Ghostlight Records.

The cast recording of White Christmas, based on the 1954 movie musical classic, will be released by Ghostlight--the more traditional show music branch of Sh-K-Boom Records--later this year (most likely in October).

San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston each had a White Christmas last holiday season as musical played in three separate and concurrent productions in those cities: at the Orpheum Theatre, the Pantages Theatre and the Wang Center, respectively. The San Francisco production starred Graham Rowat, Kate Baldwin, Mark Ledbetter and Shannon O'Bryan, while the one in Boston featured Michael Gruber, Stephen Bogardus, Nadine Isenegger and Kerry O'Malley.

Karen Morrow (The Grass Harp, I Had a Ball), who played the featured role of Martha Watson in the Boston production, will join d'Arcy James (The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Sweet Smell of Success) as Bob Wallace, Barzee (Urinetown, Jekyll & Hyde) as Betty Haynes, Denman (The Producers, How to Succeed...) as Phil Davis, and Patterson (42nd Street) as Judy Haynes for the cast recording, which will feature assorted ensemble members from the three productions. It will feature orchestrations are by Larry Blank, with vocal and dance arrangements by Bruce Pomahac; Joel Moss will produce.

"The musical tells the story of two showbiz buddies putting on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn, and finding their perfect mates in the bargain," according to press notes. White Christmas featured a book by David Ives (All in the Timing) and Paul Blake in addition to its classic Berlin songs. The three productions boasted direction by Tony Award-winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago) and choreography by Randy Skinner (42nd Street).  More productions are planned for the future.

White Christmas is based on the1954 Paramount film that starred Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen; the original screenplay was by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank. Many Berlin classics are showcased in this new production, including "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," " Sisters," "How Deep is the Ocean" and the title song. 

For more information, visit www.whitechristmasthemusical.com or www.ghostlightrecords.com.