George Bailey’s story is returning to the stage this holiday season, this time as a live radio broadcast.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is making its Broadway debut at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York, with an official opening set for Nov. 18.
The production places the audience in a 1940s radio studio as a small company of actors performs the story of Bailey, a man who begins to question the value of his life before an angel named Clarence helps him see how much he means to the people around him.
Actors take on multiple roles, while a Foley artist creates sound effects live onstage. The show also includes holiday carols.
Andrew Rannells plays George Bailey, with Megan Hilty as Mary Bailey. Tituss Burgess plays Clarence, Harry Hamlin takes on Mr. Potter and Lisa Rinna plays Violet.
The production is directed by Jerry Zaks and adapted for the stage by Joe Landry.
The stage adaptation has been performed around the country since its 1996 premiere in Connecticut. This Broadway production is a limited holiday engagement scheduled through Jan. 3.
It also arrives as the beloved Frank Capra film marks its 80th anniversary. The movie was released in 1946.
The Broadhurst Theatre is at 235 W. 44th St. in Manhattan. Tickets and performance details are available through the show’s official website.
Jimmy Stewart’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
For generations of Americans, Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey has come to represent the heart of “It’s a Wonderful Life”: an ordinary man who discovers, with help from his guardian angel, how deeply his life has touched the people around him.
The 1946 film follows George on Christmas Eve, when a financial crisis leaves him feeling that his family and neighbors would be better off without him. Clarence shows George an alternate version of Bedford Falls, helping him see what the town would have lost if he had never been there.
Stewart brought a personal connection to the role of the small-town everyman. He was born and raised in Indiana, in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where his father ran a hardware store.
After serving in World War II, Stewart returned to Hollywood and made “It’s a Wonderful Life” as his first film after the war. The movie also marked his reunion with director Frank Capra, with whom he had worked before the war. jimmy.org
The film premiered in New York in December 1946 and received five Academy Award nominations, including one for Stewart’s performance.
Though it was not a major success at the box office when first released, it later became a holiday favorite. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 1990.
For visitors who want to learn more about Stewart’s Pennsylvania roots, the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana features exhibits about his life and career.
