No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

Looking around at all the colored lights and decorations, the holiday season has officially begun in Chicagoland. Once again there’s a vast variety of wonderful holiday productions popping up for adults and entire families to enjoy. Some are exciting, brand new plays; but a few productions are old favorites that we look forward to every year. And Citadel’s new holiday offering may well be a production of one of everyone’s favorite Christmas classics of all time. 

The name George Bailey has become synonymous with Christmas. Ever since Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” first opened in movie theaters, and then began airing annually on television during the 1980’s, almost everyone in America knows the story by heart. Based upon a 1945 short story by Philip Van Doren Stern called “The Greatest Gift,” this endearing tale is about a man who sacrifices his own dreams to help his friends and family. The play’s theme that “No man is a failure who has friends” resonates deeply with audiences. And Citadel Theatre’s holiday production takes the film’s encouraging message even further through IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY.

While I attended the final dress rehearsal, I predict that audiences walking into the Citadel Theatre for each actual performance, will feel as if they’re stepping back in time to the Golden Era of Radio. All the company members greet theatergoers with a big smile. They shake hands and welcome everyone to their upcoming radio play. Before the play begins, the audience is introduced to the talented and versatile six-member ensemble of actors who will play all the roles from the movie. This talented and versatile company of performers also entertain with musical jingles and commercials that advertise businesses and products from the WWII years, and even provide all the sound effects and incidental music.

The story has become so familiar to us that a recap probably isn’t necessary. But if IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a brand new Christmas story for any of the younger theatergoers, then this one-of-a-kind presentation will offer an excellent introduction. The entire 90-minute one-act is filled with heartwarming nostalgia from a bygone era that Baby Boomers will particularly enjoy. Suffice it to say that despite the story’s familiarity, by the end of the show most of the audience will be choking back tears.

Talented Citadel actor (OUTSIDE MULLINGAR) and director, (THE COTTAGE) Jack Hickey, guides this one-act production of Capra’s beautifully-written film. He paces his production with brisk momentum, so that audiences barely notice the lack of an intermission in the 90-minute production. Each of the six talented ensemble members perform a variety of roles with skilled vocal and physical skill. If the audience were actually listening to this production on the radio, they’d imagine a far larger cast telling the story. This play, one of several radio adaptations by Joe Landry, is both faithful to the Capra classic and yet concise in its artistry. As directed by Jack Hickey, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY provides every major plot point and subtle nuance from the movie. Citadel’s enjoyable production is performed with energy, emotion and lots of humor.

Each of the company’s six talented actors create their own unique characterizations, wisely making no attempt to impersonate any of the actors from the film. In his promising Citadel debut, talented and boyish-looking Jake Harrison Murphy conveys the intelligence, warmth and likability of George Bailey. Lovely Rachel J. Jones sweetly portrays Mary Bailey, capturing the charm of the film’s original leading lady, Donna Reed. She also plays a few other supporting characters. Versatile veteran Chicago actor Brian Parry portrays, among many roles, both ornery villain Mr. Potter, as well as George’s childlike and often befuddled Uncle Billy. As the greedy and villainous Mr. Potter, Parry brings to mind some of the notorious, real-life villains of today, whose primary goal is to line their own pockets instead of helping others.

Rounding out this talented cast is the likable John Dooley, returning to Citadel to eloquently play, among many other characters, Clarence, George’s good-natured Guardian Angel. He also plays George’s younger brother, Harry, as well as a host of other Bedford Falls residents. Captivating Cait Kelley also makes her auspicious Citadel debut playing flirtatious Violet, little Zuzu (George and Mary’s youngest daughter), George’s mother and a host of others. And last, but definitely not least, Caleb Riley Jones appears as the Foley artist and the Radio Show Stage Manager. He also ably provides some of the background voices, as well as all of the sound effects for the play.

The old-fashioned Manhattan radio studio is perfectly decked out for the holidays, thanks to award-winning scenic designer, Bob Knuth. He’s created a richly-detailed setting that’s festooned with colorful Christmas lights and decorations. The set dressing, as well as all of the carefully chosen props that add so much detail, are by talented prop mistress, Reilly Duffy. The stage is bathed in lush lighting, including two flashing Applause Signs, designed by Joel Zishuk; and skillful Rachel M. Sypniewski’s authentic-looking, nicely-tailored 1940’s costumes clothe the actors in the perfect period look.

Citadel Theatre brings a stocking stuffed with warmth, whimsy and wonder to their LIVE RADIO PLAY presentation of Frank Capra’s Christmas classic. This can only be attributed to Jack Hickey’s faultless direction of Joe Landry’s carefully adapted script, as well as to a talented and sweetly sincere ensemble of actors and gifted theatre artists behind the production. The residents of Bedford Falls all spring to life through the cast’s versatile vocal performances and the audience’s imagination. It’s a much-needed reminder that there are good people in this world, and it’s a treat to revisit this classic story of how one man, in sacrificing his own dreams, is able to affect so many around him. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE is the perfect holiday story for the 21st century, reminding theatergoers that no man is a failure who has friends.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented November 13-December 13 by Citadel Theatre Company, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.

Tickets are available by calling the box office at 847-735-8554 or by going to www.citadeltheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos by North Shore Camera Club