Maine State Music Theatre debuted its production of “White Christmas” Wednesday, July 17, immersing attendees in a full Christmas in July experience. In a romantic twist, husband-and-wife duo Daniel Plimpton and Darien Crago grace the stage as love interests in the summer show. Courtesy of MSMT

Maine State Music Theatre brings Christmas in July to Brunswick — and it’s just as sappy and romantic as a Hallmark film.

On Wednesday, the theater opened its production of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” a story that follows characters Captain Bob Wallace (played by Will Ray) and Private Phil Davis (played by Daniel Plimpton) as they enter into the world of performing after World War II. The duo then meet sisters Betty and Judy Haynes (played by Kerry Conte and Darien Crago, respectively), also performers, and follow them to Vermont to do a Christmas show.

Complete with a holiday craft market featuring local artisans and over-the-top Christmas décor, the Brunswick production of the famous Christmas love story also features its own, real-life triumph of love as “White Christmas” musical veterans and husband-and-wife duo Plimpton and Crago perform the musical for the first time as a married couple.

Plimpton and Crago, who fittingly play love interests Phil and Judy, met over a decade ago at rehearsals for a Long Island production of “White Christmas” in 2013. Crago was playing Judy while Plimpton was understudying for the Phil Davis role. About nine years later, they got married in Hudson Valley, New York.

Daniel Plimpton (left), Darien Crago and company in a scene from “White Christmas.” Courtesy of MSMT

“We’ve had the privilege of getting to work together off and on over the past decade. We’ve done a few ‘White Christmases’ together, but only one other version where we got to play opposite each other as Phil and Judy,” Crago said. “And this is our first time doing it as a married couple, so this is very special and very fun to revisit a show that is near and dear to us.”

This summer’s production marks a few other firsts for the couple: It is also the first time working with MSMT as well as the first production of “White Christmas” in the middle of summer, they said.

“It’s kind of fun because the characters are in the early stages of their relationship — even when they’re just meeting and when they’re just getting to know each other,” Plimpton said. “So, it’s fun to sort of explore those times of when we were talking about who we’d be as a couple and kind of getting to play that out on stage — for better or worse.”

Plimpton revealed that exploring the importance of dance in Phil and Judy’s lives parallels his and Crago’s experiences in the performance industry. He started tap dancing after sampling the art form in a community theater production at the age of 8 and pursued the artform more seriously in college.

He said it was after he met Crago, an accomplished dancer, that he was encouraged to pursue dance roles, noting she often acts as “dance captain” and gives him notes, helping make him better his craft.

Daniel Plimpton and Darien Crago dance on a beach. Both performers have a background in dancing, a medium they get to delve into as they play Phil Davis and Judy Haynes in MSMT’s 2024 production of “White Christmas.” Courtesy of MSMT

Crago, who started dancing at the age of 3, began in the world of ballet and eventually moved into tap dancing as well. It was not until high school that she made the shift towards musical theater, where she discovered her passion for acting.

“I love to dance, but I think my favorite part that I’m drawn to is the storytelling through it — just the ability for the characters to explore either a very intense emotion that they’re facing or just something that furthers the plot,” Crago said. “I just love the storytelling element of dance, and musical theater is the perfect avenue for that.”

Crago, who has danced on Broadway and appeared on multiple TV shows (such as the acclaimed “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), has long loved the part in “White Christmas” where Phil and Judy fall in love. The moment — described as the turning point of Phil and Judy’s romance — is a scene known as “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing.” The “gorgeous” dance number, Crago said, remains one of hers and Plimpton’s favorite moments in the play.

“It’s just one of my favorite sequences; it has that storytelling element,” she said. “And I get to dance with my husband on stage, so it’s just so special within the show and emotionally out of the show for me as well.”

If you haven’t seen the show yet

For those who have seen “White Christmas,” the show is sure to offer moments of nostalgia and introduce a little bit of that Christmas spirit halfway through the year.

Darien Crago (left) and Daniel Plimpton dance in “White Christmas.” Courtesy of MSMT

For those new to “White Christmas” — perhaps you are an enthusiastic Hallmark “Christmas in July” binge-watcher or just generally longing for winter amid the summer heat waves — Plimpton said that the show will introduce newbies to a sweet love story that is set in the familiar backdrop of New England.

“It happens to take place in Vermont, but it absolutely could be any one of these towns — it could be Brunswick, it could be Wiscasset,” he said.

Crago also noted that audiences can look forward to the brand-new, stunning costumes made just for this production. A sizable orchestra is also bound to dazzle longtime fans and newcomers with its score full of Berlin classics like “Blue Skies” and “I Love a Piano.”

The show opened on July 17 and will run through Aug. 3. To view showtimes and purchase tickets, visit msmt.org.

Darien Crago (left) and Kerry Conte play the Haynes sisters in Maine State Music Theatre’s production of “White Christmas.” Courtesy of MSMT