The touring production of "White Christmas" is not just like the ones you used to know.

That's because the title is so familiar, said David Armstrong of Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre Company. Besides the 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, there is Crosby's legendary recording of the title song, which was first featured in the 1942 Crosby-Fred Astaire vehicle "Holiday Inn."

"This is the kind of (title) that people have seen hundreds of times, so it's daunting in some ways," Armstrong said. "Our job is to not put the movie onstage. We tried to imagine if the creators of the movie had created it as a stage show first, what would they have done?"

Audiences can find out for themselves tonight as the Armstrong-directed production of "White Christmas" comes to Sacramento.

Armstrong's task when 5th Avenue became the first company to obtain the rights to the show was to create a vision of the story that wasn't a carbon copy of the music and images of the '50s film.

"The story line is basically the same in terms of events, but there have been elements added and some that are emphasized and some de-emphasized," Armstrong said. "You'll see quite a few songs that are not in the movie and some other classic Berlin songs that have been added and some that have been expanded."

The story chronicles two World War II Army pals who make it big on Broadway and then find themselves reunited with their general 10 years after the war.

"(The general) is sort of down on his luck at that point," Armstrong said. "Like any great holiday story, they do some really selfless acts; they help him out. It's totally from the heart with no regard for personal gain or for themselves."

The production includes Michael Gruber and Christina Saffran Ashford, who were featured last year in "Singin' in the Rain" in Sacramento.

"They are that rare breed of people who can do it all," Armstrong said. "The leads have to really be triple-threat performers. They have to really sing and really dance, and they have to live up to the version of the movie stars that people have in their heads."

You have most likely realized that this production of "White Christmas" does, in fact, open after Christmas Day. No problem, Armstrong said.

"The show itself would work in almost any season," he said. "Its like '42nd Street' or 'Guys & Dolls' and the big, old-fashioned musical comedies. It just happens to be set at Christmastime.

"The other thing that makes it timeless is the songs," Armstrong added. "There's the more classic Berlin tunes - like 'Blue Skies' and 'Let Me Sing a Happy Song' - just some amazing songs not tied into the holiday season that will be around forever."