The Washington Street Carolers Are Reviving Holiday Traditions With Broadway Flair.
BY JEN MCINERNEY
As a child growing up in Duxbury, Mickey White dreamed of performing on Broadway. For his eighth birthday, he asked for his own stage in his basement, where he not only performed but created sets, costumes, lighting and sound to produce a full-scale show.
“I really loved putting all the pieces together and making it all happen,” says White.
In high school, he played the pivotal role of the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,” which he cherishes as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”—because, outside of Broadway productions, the legendary show can only be licensed to high school theater programs. He went on to Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he earned a degree in musical theater. Following college, he played the role of Sketch in the national tour of the Broadway musical “Hairspray” and performed the characters of Prince Hans (“Frozen”), Bert (“Mary Poppins”) and Lago (“Aladdin”) for Disney Cruise Line. Along the way, he realized his love and talent for producing. “I found out I liked working behind the scenes more than performing on stage,” says White. “Having been a performer, I understand everything that goes into a show.”
Thus far, he’s earned production credits for an impressive lineup of Broadway and off-Broadway runs, including “Good Night and Good Luck,” starring George Clooney (associate producer); “The Roommate,” starring Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone (associate producer); “John Proctor is the Villain,” starring Sadie Sink (associate producer); “Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright” (producer); and, up next on Broadway, “The Lost Boys” (coproducer). He also recently co-produced the play “Clarkston,” a modern frontier story, at Trafalgar Theater in London’s West End.
But White is not limiting himself to the West End or the Great White Way. Since 2020, he’s been expanding his reach to the South Shore, producing showstoppers that have led to the creation of Harbour Lights Theatre. With Harbour Lights Theatre, he intends to stage professional, Broadway-quality productions right here on the South Shore.
When the Covid-19 pandemic caused the lights on Broadway to dim, White returned to Duxbury to await his next curtain call. One day, as he was riding his bicycle past the Duxbury Performing Arts Center on St. George Street, inspiration struck: he could bring Broadway to the South Shore! He envisioned a day—in the hopefully not-too distant future—when the doors to theaters everywhere would reopen and the show would go on
White’s first step toward fulfilling his vision happened at Christmastime. With mask mandates in place and public gatherings still on hold, he came up with the idea to bring safe, socially distanced live performances to the community with the time-honored tradition of outdoor caroling. He invited six of his Broadway friends to join him in singing classic holiday songs for his neighbors on Washington Street in Duxbury, and the ensemble became known as the Washington St. Carolers.
“It’s a really fun and fulfilling experience,” White says of the annual tradition, which returns community-wide this year from December 18 through December 22. White and his fellow carolers dress in authentic Victorian attire and visit 20 to 25 homes per day, offering festive renditions of favorites like “We Need a Little Christmas,” a special “Frosty the Snowman/Santa Claus is Coming to Town/Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” medley, a jazzy version of “Jingle Bells,” a swoon-worthy serenade of “White Christmas,” and more. The Washington St. Carolers must be booked in advance for home appearances, and they will also be singing at local venues, such as Island Creek Oysters and the Winsor House.
In addition to the Washington St. Carolers, White will also be presenting “A One Man Christmas Carol,” starring Broadway actor Jeff Williams at a Duxbury venue (check the Harbour Lights Theatre website for details). In this retelling of Charles Dickens’ enduring tale “A Christmas Carol,” Williams plays every character in the show.
White, who now divides his time between New York City and Duxbury, has exciting plans in development for the upcoming spring performance season of Harbour Lights Theatre. This past spring, he offered “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” a performance of Broadway numbers from “Gypsy,” “Waitress,” “Rent,” “Funny Girl,” “South Pacific,” “Mamma Mia!” and more at Clifford Hall inside the Duxbury Bay Maritime School. Ultimately, he would like to create a pipeline between New York and the South Shore: continuing to invite his Broadway friends to perform in Duxbury and creating opportunities for aspiring and emerging local actors to follow their dreams to Broadway.
For additional information, visit washingtonstcarolers.com or harbourlightstheatre.com.