*****One can tell that the holiday season is approaching. Theaters are getting into the swing of things with several companies doing “A Christmas Carol” and of course, “The Nutcracker” and while over the years, one or two have brought “It’s A Wonderful Life: the Radio Show” to their stages, it seems this year, we have five productions to bring us into the Christmas holiday. As many of you know, for many years, I was a part of the American Blues Theatre production, doing Santa for two performances and working in holiday songs for the sing-along. While I will be seeing their annual production with some changes in cast, I decided to see another, just to get a different angle on it. As I always say “A play is never the same when you have a different cast, a different stage, director, set and cast” here is the proof!
Citadel Theatre has put together a terrific cast, bringing “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” to new heights. When you enter the venue and see the set (Bob Knuth has truly created an old time radio studio), you will be transported back to the 1940s and truly feel that you are in the audience of a live radio broadcast. The actors, playing radio actors and a stage manager/Foley Artist ( Caleb Ryan Jones appears to be having as much fun with his roles as we do watching him), get ready to do their thing; it feels real.
Sharpley directed by Jack Hickey, the five other actors, playing a multitude of roles is probably the smallest cast I have ever seen do this particular play, which if you do not know is an adaptation of the film that starred James Stewart, and is based on Philip Van Dorenstern’s novel, “The Greatest Gift”. The actual story is about a man who lives in a small town , and when his father passes away, his dreams are burst and he is forced to take over his family business. There is a wealthy man in town who wants to own it all and the struggles between good and evil are between them.
When he hits a snag, and it looks like he is going to end it all, an “angel” is sent down to show him that his life is indeed more important to the world then he thinks. When he finds out what would have happened to his family and community had he never been born, and then sees how the town came out for him, he realizes that he has indeed had “A Wonderful Life”.
Playing the role of George Bailey is Jake Harrison Murphy, who does a dynamic job. The Foley and Murphy are the only performers who do not do multiple roles/characters. Cait Kelly takes on several roles, and does so with great agility.Rachel J. Jones handles several characters, the most important one being Mary Bailey, and John Dooley handles Clarence, the angel that changes George’s life as well as several other townspeople, and the heavy load is handled by Chicago favorite Brian Parry, who, at times as Freddie Filmore, the radio show host, plays roles that have conversations with each other. Not an easy task, but for Parry,” a piece of cake”.
Chicago theater audiences have experienced many versions of this play ( written by Joe Landry) and I am sure the challenge was to try not to imitate the others, but to be creative and bring something different to the table. Hickey and his people did just that. Rachel M. Sypniewski’s costumes were quite fitting, and joel Zishuk’s lighting along with the sound by Alex trinh worked to perfection. Reiley Duffy’s props were pretty authentic and the items that the Foley used to create the sounds we heard on the radio, ideal. I also thought the radio commercials were cute, and I think it neat that other theater companies loaned equipment to Citadel for the special effects. Great work by all!
“It’s A Wonderful Life: the Live Radio Show will continue Thru – Dec 13th with performances as follows:
Wednesdays 1:00pm (12/1 add 6:30 p.m.)
Box Office: 847-735-8554
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click on “It’s a Wonderful Life: Radio Show”
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