A New Shine on a Seasonal Favorite

A timeless classic leaps from the screen and onto the Hobby Center stage this holiday season when Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) presents Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Houston’s home for musical theater invites all to experience this dazzling production packed with nostalgia, familiar Christmas tunes, and even snow. Local artist and performer Sarah Sachi is bringing her show-stopping talents to the beloved musical as a member of the ensemble cast, and she’s thrilled that audiences can celebrate the holidays with this iconic musical.

White Christmas follows two WWII buddies turned entertainers as they team up with a pair of sisters to save a snow-covered Vermont inn—and discover the true meaning of the holidays along the way. While the film version, which premiered in the 1950s, lacked racial diversity in its cast, TUTS plans to bring cultural representation to their take on the Christmas classic. “I am very pleased with the casting. It’s a beautiful, diverse cast, and I am just really genuinely excited, honored, and grateful that director Mitchell Greco decided to go in this direction,” Sachi says. “If the show is not calling for specific races (like in Hairspray or Memphis), I don’t understand why it can’t be a mixed bag of people. I definitely feel like this is one of those shows.”

While Sachi (a graduate of San Jacinto College and Sam Houston State University) didn’t consider the film to be a holiday tradition in her youth, she eventually embraced it, thanks to her friends. “I wouldn’t say that White Christmas was a holiday movie that was always playing in my home. I think the first time I saw it was when I was in college,” the 26-year-old recalls. “My friend was like, ‘Girl, we need to watch this.’ So, we put it on one day and I was immediately like, ‘Oh, wait, this is fun.”

Sachi quickly latched on to several aspects of the movie musical. “I especially loved the dancing. I was completely mesmerized by all of the routines and the lead girly doing so much—going back and forth and tip-tapping on her little toes.” 

The music also struck a chord with the out bisexual performer. “I have a sister and we like to randomly sing the song ‘Sisters’ to each other,” she says with a laugh. “I think all the sisters out there love that song to this day. Family and love are big themes in this show.”

Having grown up in Pearland, Sachi has attended TUTS productions from a young age. Finding herself on one of Houston’s most iconic stages has been a “pinch me” moment for her. “I have seen shows at TUTS throughout my entire life, and when I finally got to perform there in 2022, I was so thrilled.”

Sachi has performed in previous TUTS holiday shows, including Disney’s Mary Poppins, Cinderella, and Frozen. “This has become one of my new holiday traditions. I don’t want to be anywhere else than TUTS during the holiday season, because it just feels like home.”

The full-circle experience is sentimental to the Houston native. “The little Sachi inside me is constantly just jumping up and down and screaming any time that I get the chance to step on that stage again. It doesn’t matter if it’s the holidays or not. The holiday vibes just make it that much more sweet,” she says. “My family loves coming out and having an excuse to go to the theater, and childhood-me would not believe that this is happening. I never take it for granted. It’s always amazing.”

Having also starred in past TUTS productions such as In the Heights and Little Shop of Horrors, Sachi believes the magic of the season is unmatched during the TUTS holiday shows. “It’s going to snow in the theater! Even if it doesn’t snow outside in Houston, it’s gonna snow at Theatre Under The Stars, okay?” she exclaims. “We’re gonna make it happen this year!”

Sachi is stepping into a number of roles for this production, and she is thrilled to bring her flair and whimsy to the stage. “I’m just really excited to be in White Christmas and to play any part in it,” she says. “I was cast in a bunch of side roles, so I get to delve into all these different characters and just have fun.”

Houston’s Theater District is electric during the holiday season, with options aplenty for celebrating with friends and family. Sachi embraces the hustle and bustle while focusing much of her anticipation on the fun-filled celebrations that will unfold at the Hobby Center. “You can’t go wrong with a classic. It’s always gonna make you feel good and make you feel at home,” she says. “You’re going to watch White Christmas at home for the holidays anyway, so why not come see the live version where you really get to experience those emotions in real time and feel the energy in this space? That’s why I love live theater and musical theater. There’s something about that in-person energy that you just don’t always get through a screen. It’s going to be really special.”

WHAT: Theatre Under The Stars Presents White Christmas
WHEN: December 9–24
WHERE: Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St.
INFO: tuts.org