Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn

Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn at Beef And Boards Dinner Theatre

New Year's Eve doesn't have to mean the same crowded room and the same countdown. On December 31 at 7:30 PM, Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn takes the stage at Beef And Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis, and it offers a live evening built around story, song and the pleasure of watching a romance unfold in front of you. This is the stage musical, not a film screening, so the energy belongs to the people in the room.

The story starts with a choice many of us daydream about. Entertainer Jim walks away from show business for a Connecticut farmhouse. Then schoolteacher Linda enters the picture, and together they turn the place into an inn that puts on a show for each holiday. It's a warm, clever setup, and it leaves room for the whole year, not just December. Then comes the complication: Jim's friend Ted wants Linda as his Hollywood dance partner. Small-town comfort meets bright-lights ambition, and your heart gets a real question to chew on.

Irving Berlin's songbook powers the show, and the local description names Blue Skies, Easter Parade, Cheek to Cheek and White Christmas. Hearing songs like these performed live in Indianapolis can turn a familiar melody into a shared moment with everyone around you. If you want a year-end night with heart, romance and classic tunes, make this one your plan. Secure your seats for Holiday Inn at Beef And Boards and start the new year with a story worth applauding.