Full disclosure: it’s very rare that I enjoy a movie on stage, especially when it’s a classic film. MusicalFare’s production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas the Musical may not have wholly changed my mind, but honestly, there is so much to love about this production.

To recap, the story is a re-telling on the 1954 film White Christmas, where a song-and-dance duo who met in the Army are now big time entertainers who discover their former General is running a country inn that’s hit a bad patch. To bolster his spirits and revenue, they stage a show in the barn (what’s a barn without a stage, of course) and invite their pals from the 151st Division for a surprise invasion, I mean visit. With an Irving Berlin score and cast led by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, the film is familiar and heart-warming.

MusicalFare’s staging at Shea’s 710 Theatre captures all the feels of the movie and adds abundant charm with an outstanding cast. John Kaczorowski and Sean Ryan are Army buddies Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, and you couldn’t ask for a more perfectly suited duo. Kaczorowski is the unlucky-in-love crooner and Ryan is the loves-them-all comic sidekick and together they are a hoot. In a scene right out of the movie, they vamp their way through “Sisters,” with rolled up pant legs and marabou fans and they look like they are having the best time ever. Chemistry like that is authentic and so much fun to see. I never thought anyone could out-do Ella Fitzgerald’s cover of “How Deep is the Ocean?” but Kaczorowski sings this Berlin love song right into your soul. Their love interests are the Haynes Sisters (Maria Pedro and Cassidy Kreuzer), sisters of an Army buddy who are traveling the club circuit, too. Greg Gjurich is loveably formidable as General Waverley who traded in his uniform for a comfy innkeeper sweater. The concierge (in the movie, there was a housekeeper) is Martha, former song-and-dance gal with plenty of kick and sass, and Mary Coppola Gjurich nails this. The real star in this show is Arden Kacala as the General’s granddaughter, Susan. She’s sweeter than Vermont maple syrup and completely steals the show when she reprises Martha’s signature song “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy.” Best of all, she sings like a little girl with boatloads of talent. Lots of familiar faces in the ensemble, too, and it was fun to see Dan Urtz tapping like a trooper, and see Bobby Cooke as Vermont farmhand Ezekiel, complete with a convincing “Ay-yup” in his voice.

More disclosure: this show is also on stage at the Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and I saw that production, too. While I always admire the high production values there, that staging felt almost too slick and at times, almost felt like it was staged with a wink and a nod to parody. MusicalFare embraced the vintage vibe that let the joy of finding love and celebrating family and friends shine through. It’s OK to be hokey when it’s authentically well done. I loved every nostalgic minute at Shea’s 710.

Director Chris Kelly made some wise decisions to blend the look of key movie moments with this staging. The costume colors for the Haynes sisters in particular were familiar and fine. Kristy Cavanaugh created some killer tap dancing numbers that were great fun to watch. (Hat tip to the Kay Duffy School of Dance and those 10 years that my mother made me wear tap shoes.) Chris Cavanagh uses that big 710 stage to full advantage with sets that morph from battlefield to nightclub to country inn. Theresa Quinn directed a great band that did the Berlin tunes full justice. Kari Drozd kept the colors all vibrant for the ’50s era attire, down to Susan’s big satin hairbows, and while Susan Drozd does ’40s hair and wigs to perfection, I was a bit startled when Betty Haynes (Maria Pedro) was a redhead and not Rosemary Clooney blonde.

This is holiday spirit on stage for sure, with songs you love performed with lots of heart and love of performing. In other words, “it’s a million dollar proposition!” (IFKYK). Irving Berlin’s White Christmas runs a little more than two hours with a 15-minute intermission to December 21. Find tickets and details on http://www.musicalfare.com or http://www.sheas.org.

One last sidebar: Theatre Companion and I saw the opening weekend Sunday matinee. It was a packed house and near the end of intermission, our heads turned when a whoop and “hey-ay-ay-ay” sounded from the back of the house, followed by spontaneous chanting of “Let’s Go, Buffalo.” Yes, someone was monitoring the Bills-Cleveland game, and that was the moment Josh ran it in which led to another W for the Bills. Support local theatre and Go Bills!