The Broadway based in 1942 is old-fashioned at the level, just Irving Berlin's 'Holiday Inn' Becomes Newly Minted Gem on Marriott Stage in Sardonic. Jake Smith Lauren Medina as amants and in Swinging on a Star Marriott Theatre the theater courtesy of the Liz side. Seven prizes for Live and in person: Marriott delivers 'West Side Story' the way it was meant to be the Spielberg team, the Ahrens Theatre. The original production of the "West Story"

Background: Holiday Inn from Film to Stage, and Planning a Theatre Night Out

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn began life as a 1942 Paramount film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, built around a clever premise: a performer turns a Connecticut farmhouse into an inn that opens only on holidays, giving Berlin an excuse to write a song for each one. The film introduced "White Christmas", which went on to become one of the best-selling songs ever recorded, and it also featured numbers such as "Happy Holiday" and "Easter Parade". The stage adaptation, which reached Broadway in 2016, keeps the holiday-by-holiday structure but folds in other Berlin standards like "Blue Skies" and "Steppin' Out with My Baby". It also reworks some material from the original film that modern audiences find uncomfortable.

Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, near Chicago, stages its productions in the round. That suits a dance-heavy show like this one, because tap routines and ensemble numbers can be watched from every side. The Chicago-area press covered the 2018 production, and the run has long since ended. The theatre has since staged other classics, including West Side Story, so check its official site for the current season.

Making a dinner-and-show evening safe and relaxed

Many theatregoers pair a matinee or evening performance with a meal, and that is where a little food-safety thinking helps:

  • Leftovers: if you take food home from a pre-show dinner, remember the two-hour rule. Perishable food shouldn't sit at room temperature longer than that, or longer than one hour above 90°F. A long show plus a drive home can easily exceed it, so skip the doggy bag or bring a cooler for the car.
  • Allergies: tell your server about allergies clearly and early, especially when a kitchen is rushing to serve diners before curtain time.
  • Holiday baking: if the show inspires your own holiday-themed gathering, keep raw dough away from children and cool large batches of food quickly before refrigerating.

For more ideas on outings, browse our venue notes or the wider guides section.