At Riverside Theatres from December 6 to 14, take a nostalgic trip with festive smash hit: Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn.
Based on ‘Holiday Inn’, the film that introduced classic carol ‘White Christmas’ to the world, the performance guarantees a toe-tapping good time for the family.
“‘Holiday Inn’ is an iconic film from 1942 featuring some of the greats, including Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire,” explained Rob Mallett, who is playing the character of Jim Hardy.
“It was turned into a Broadway musical to bring it to life on stage and now we’re doing that in Australia!”
Mallett is stepping into the shoes of Bing Crosby to play the main role.
“My character Jim retires from Broadway to a farm in Connecticut. The farm is dilapidated and in urgent need of repair and repayments, so he decides to turn it into an entertainment venue,” Mallett described.
“It’s all very charming and Broadway. There’s a love story, there are crazy producers coming and going, and there are dance girls.”
To this journalist, the show sounds like the stage version of a Hallmark Christmas movie, but to members of the audience that experienced the magic of ‘Holiday Inn’ in its heyday, the show is like being young again.
“One of the beautiful things about performing this show is that it’s almost like we’re building a time machine for our older folks to take them back to a time when this music was around. That’s a really special feature of being in these period pieces,” Mallett explained.
“It’s also special when someone who has lost a loved one has a connection to the music. They may remember listening to this music in their grandparents’ house or their parents may have played it. That’s the most powerful part of doing this genre of work.”
The show is charming and humorous, and the music is iconic.
“The song ‘White Christmas’ was written for this show, and I get to perform it,” Mallett said excitedly.
“It’s now a hugely popular, iconic song and there are dozens of versions. It feels nice to be able to touch the birth of a legend like ‘White Christmas’.
“The show features many famous songs like ‘Blue Skies’, ‘Easter Parade’, ‘Stepping Out With My Baby’, and ‘Shaking the Blues Away’.”
Mallett described the show as the ultimate addition to the holiday period.
“It’s the perfect escape from the madness of the rest of 2025 to finish the year with some light-hearted musical theatre frivolity,” Mallett finalised.
“We’ve got some of the company’s best performers in this show. The level of tap dancing is extraordinary, and the singing is unbelievable.
“I’m excited to add this show to the growing arts scene in Parramatta. It’s a real joy to perform in the west.”
Book a ticket to the show online at https://riversideparramatta.com.au.
Ally Hall joined the team 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.