White Christmas

November 28 - December 30, 2009

Cast

MICHAEL GRUBER (Bob Wallace). Broadway: A Chorus Line (Mike in 1989, Greg and Zach in the 2008 revival), Munkustrap in Cats (also film), both Bill and Hortensio in Kiss Me Kate, and the original companies of The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man), Stairway to Paradise, Swing!, Miss Saigon, Laughing Room Only and My Favorite Year. World premieres: Don Hewes in Easter Parade (Chanhassen) and Stanley Donen in What a Glorious Feeling (Mason Street Warehouse). Favorite regional roles include: Gould in Grey Gardens (Ordway Center) Billy Buck Chandler in My One and Only (Reprise! L.A.), Jesus in Godspell, Saul in Rags (Walnut Street), Billy in Anything Goes (Stratford Festival, CA), Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain, Young Ben in Follies, Fingers in Red, Hot and Blue (Paper Mill Playhouse), Wizzer in Falsettos (Alliance, Atlanta), Jud in Oklahoma (Arizona Theater Co.), Sky in Guys and Dolls (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Cousin Kevin in Tommy ('99 Concert tour), Lucky in Dames at Sea (Goodspeed), and Bobby in Crazy for You (PCPA Theaterfest). www.MichaelGruberlibrary.com.

CHRISTINA SAFFRAN ASHFORD (Betty Haynes). Broadway: Singin' in the Rain (Kathy Seldon, cast album), A Chorus Line (Maggie), Sophisticated Ladies (Shoo Shoo), Drood (Rosa/Edwin Drood), The Music Man (Zaneeta). Regional: Leads in My Fair Lady, Showboat, South Pacific, Phantom, Jesus Christ Superstar, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Sunday in the Park with George, Damn Yankees, The Sound of Music, Aspects of Love, Pajama Game, She Loves Me, My One and Only, Chess, Street Scene. Concerts: Lead chanteuse for Herbie Hancock, soloist with various national symphony orchestras including the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Movie vocals: Enchanted, Aladdin, Mulan, 102 Dalmatians, Pocahontas, Cinderella, Galaxy Quest, Polar Express, Christmas with the Kranks, The Santa Clause II, etc. Solo CD, Temporary Insanity is available at www.LMLMusic.com. Christina is a founding board member of Retinoblastoma International (www.retinoblastoma.net), and an active member of SGI-USA. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Matthew N. Ashford and daughters, Grace and Emma. www.broadwayduo.com.

GREG MCCORMICK ALLEN (Phil Davis) is truly blessed to once again be playing Phil on the 5th Avenue stage. Since he last ventured to Pinetree, Greg could be seen onstage at SCT (Goodnight Moon), the Village Theatre (Msr D'Arque in Beauty & the Beast; Frank in Showboat) and here at The 5th (Mame; Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly!), as well as ringing in the holidays with the Dickens Carolers. He also managed to finally get his drivers license (no, he did not just turn 16!), recently attended his 20-year high school reunion (go Curtis Vikings!) and still has not won a Footlight Award! Favorite shows include La Cage Aux Folles (Hannah), My One and Only (Billy), On The Town (Chip) and the show you are currently enjoying. Greg thanks friends, family, the gang at 2 Union Tullys and especially his lovely wife Ann for their love and support!

TARYN DARR (Judy Haynes) is so thankful to call Seattle home once again and to be a part of another production here at the beautiful 5th Avenue Theatre. She feels she's come a long way since her first show here, Gypsy, in which she played the front end of the cow. Since then she's enjoyed performing in Dreamgirls, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mame as Gloria Upson, or her personal favorite, A Chorus Line, where she sang about the joys of plastic surgery as Val. Most recently, Taryn was jet-setting in the world premiere of Catch Me If You Can wearing Bob Mackie underwear and in Joseph... wearing a golden cow head, coming full circle. She's also proud of leading roles with Village Theatre in Grease, Iron Curtain, Babes In Arms, and South Pacific. Other favorites: CDST—Chicago (Roxie), La Jolla Playhouse—Palm Beach (Tessa). Many thanks to The 5th Ave. Much love to The Fam. www.taryndarr.com.

CAROL SWARBRICK (Martha Watson) is thrilled to be reprising her role of Martha Watson in Irving Berlin's White Christmas at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, where she has also played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, George's mother in Sunday in the Park with George, Vera Charles in Mame. Broadway: Side by Side by Sondheim, 42nd Street, and revivals of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Whoopee! National tours: A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine and State Fair. Regional theater: Phyllis in Stephen Sondheim's Follies, Eliza Gant in Look Homeward Angel and The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz (LA's Ovation Award Nominee). Television: General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Jeffersons, Murder, She Wrote, Columbo.

FRANK CORRADO (General Henry Waverly) has played leading and character roles at all the major theatres in Seattle, most recently at the Rep in productions of You Can't Take It with You and The Seafarer. His work has also been seen at many of the best-known regional theatres across the country. Earlier this year, he initiated the Pinter Fortnightly series at ACT, an experience that has led to the formation of a new company, Shadow and Light, with his esteemed colleagues Suzanne Bouchard and Victor Pappas, devoted to the plays of Harold Pinter. Their first production is in the works for a January/February 2010 run in ACT's Bullitt Cabaret.

CLAYTON CORZATTE (Ezekiel). Tony-nominee and Obie Award-winner, has played featured roles on Broadway and all over America for over fifty years. He and Susan Corzatte, son Christopher and daughter Felicity have lived in Seattle since 1969. Kayla, their granddaughter, is nine!

LAUREN CARLOS (Susan Waverly)