By James V. Ruocco
A loveable, inventive, nostalgic piece of theater "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" turns back the clock to the 1940's as five actors (a Foley sound man provides able assist with seamlessly executed sound effects) assume the roles made famous by James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore and Gloria Grahame, among others, in the 1946 film adaptation directed by Frank Capra.
The actual story finds Bedford Falls resident George Bailey contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve following the accidental loss of $8000, which, for plot purposes, finds guardian angel Clarence coming down to earth to show George what life would be like if he had never been born.
It's not an easy task, but if Clarence could pull George out of his depressive funk and begin anew, bells will ring, and Clarence will finally earn his wings.
At Hartford Stage, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" delivers the goods, pulling out all the stops to recreate a live radio broadcast - scripts in hand; floor microphones strategically set in place; actors popping in and out of character; sponsored commercials ready to dazzle; a side table filled with props ready to be used for sound effects - in real time, backed by a cheery inventiveness and creative luster that heightens the actual storytelling, its menagerie of characters and its universal theme of reawakening.
Sweet.
Winning.
Old Fashioned.
Emotional.
Important.
This is a feel-good classic with an important message that's played to the hilt in true immersive fashion offset by beguiling charm, vocal intensity and golden age sentiment.
Adapting "It's a Wonderful Life" to the stage in a play-within-a-play format, Joe Landry brings plenty of authenticity, atmosphere, insight and detail to his "live radio show" telling. The actual set up - a holiday classic told via a real-time live radio broadcast - lends itself nicely to fast-track storytelling laced with influence, drama, humor, commitment and story thread distinction.
As storyteller, Landry chooses his words wisely, carefully guiding the on-stage radio actors through the familiar story of George Bailey while thoroughly engaged in the actual stage mechanics of the WBFR sound stage setting, the stop-and-go framework of the piece, the commercial breaks that interrupt the action and finally, the luxury of having everything played out before a live studio audience whose laughter, tears and applause lend themselves nicely to the proceedings at hand.
Artistically, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" benefits largely from Zoe Golub-Sass's direction. There's a lot going on here from buildup and performance to camaraderie and interplay, all of which has to be timed, primed and readied without any form of halt, hiccup or interruption. Otherwise, things would grind to a halt and the in-the-studio "Applause" sign would never light up prompting loud applause from the in-house audience.
No worries, on that note.
Sass, as director, fuels Landry's work with surprise, invitation, warmth and individuality. From start to finish, there's life in the story. There's entertainment. There's tradition. There's drama. There's encounter. There's truth.
The production quickly pivots from one scene to the next, propelled by Sass's enthusiastic choices of mood, imagination, objective, interpretation, naivete and theatrical structure.
"It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" stars Price Waldman as Freddie Filmore, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. as Jake Laurents, Nicole Shalhoub as Sally Applewhite, Evan Zes as Harry "Jazzbo" Heywood and Jennifer Bareilles as Lana Sherwood.
With full-on verve, gallop and roar, this talented cast of five move through Landry's play-within-a-play with such commitment, style and range, you pretty much want to applaud their every move. Playing various characters from "It's a Wonderful Life" as well as WBFR radio station actors, they are an incredibly tight, likeable ensemble who not only transport audiences back to a time long gone by but provide this period piece with a charm and luster that is absolutely hard to resist.
A festive holiday story brimming with wit, cheer, joy and emotion, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" is a jewel-box Christmas treat afresh with sentiment, sweetness, nostalgia and command. Adapting Frank Capra's classic 1946 film to the stage, playwright Joe Landry turns George Bailey's story into front-page news via a live radio show that wonderfully reflects the warmth and appeal of this beloved moralistic fable.
It's harmonic. It's charming. It's playful. It's significant. It's magical.
Director Zoe Golub-Sass creates an immersive, smartly arranged production that springs from the heart, cuts to the soul and provides lots of happy tears guaranteed to last through next Christmas. More to the point, "It's a Wonderful Life" is never out of date. It also celebrates the richness of live theatre.
Photos of "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" courtesy of T. Charles Erickson.
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