White Christmas was written some years after Berlin had passed on. It's not in any way "his" show - he obviously had no say in the artistic choices that were made. (Nor is it even a revival of a stage show he did write, unlike shows I mentioned like Anything Goes or No, No, Nanette, which at least had a basis from which to start when they were rethought for revival.)
The OP was referring to Herman's work as a living contributor/collaborator. I'm doing the same - I don't think including shows merely written around a dead man's song catalogue (even when inspired by a film written while they were alive) should belong in the same category.
Were we, say, to include all the posthumous Gershwin retreads, it might just wind up that Crazy For You would be one of the most produced Gershwin shows. But since neither of the brothers had anything to do with the creation of that musical (and don't tell me it's "based on Girl Crazy" - very little of it is), it seems very odd to consider it in the same league with the shows they actually did write and collaborate in. |
