It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

There’s something immediately heartwarming when one even hears the title It’s a Wonderful Life. This adaptation, exquisitely performed in the style of a live studio radio broadcast in 1946, lovingly honors America’s collective gratitude to Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and everyone who originally brought the story to life – giving the holiday audience a gift that attaches itself to one’s soul. George Bailey would be proud.

Sixty years later, the film's fans -- like devotees of A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and A Christmas Story (1983) -- claim it's not the holiday season proper until Wonderful warms up the TV. NC Stage puts a spin on the familiar theme... If you close your eyes, you're hearing it as if you were hearing it on the radio... there's more here than meets the eye." - Mountain XPress, Asheville, NC

Who doesn’t know the story -- George Bailey's conflict between wanting to escape his hometown and wanting to stick it out and do right by his family... Then he meets an angel named Clarence who gives him the rather gruesome gift of witnessing the world as if George Bailey had never been born... In this unique “live broadcast” adaptation by Joe Landry, the ON AIR sign lights up and you’re in the studios of WBFR Radio on Christmas Eve, 1946. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play invites you to experience Frank Capra's beloved story in a refreshingly new and intimate way. More than 30 characters and numerous locations of the classic movie spring to life, in a beautifully detailed replicated experience that recalls a mainstay of our cultural experience in years past -- the live radio drama. While it’s become almost a virtually extinct formula (a small group of talented actors + live sound effects + the listener’s vivid imagination,) this re-imagined production by NC Stage Company and immediate theatre project easily shows that it’s an art worth preserving. With productions already becoming a tradition in Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto, this creative retelling of the uplifting story of George Bailey, Clarence Oddbody (Angel, Second Class), and the many citizens of Bedford Falls becomes a perfect antidote to today's commercialized, stress-fueled holiday season.

From a Presenter's Point of View: In North Carolina, it is traditional that gems are found in the mountains... This production further validates that theory. In IAWL’s simplicity and classic message is its impact. In the company’s meticulous attention to its 1940s authenticity is its all-consuming charm. There’s a sincerity, warmth and untainted professional thoroughness from the moment this group comes in the stage door. I remember thinking, after I’d seen their full performance that first time and felt the truly palpable spirit that enveloped the audience during the course of the show, that maybe it’s George Bailey who’s driving their bus, after all. With minimal technical requirements, production flexibility, the familiar storyline and its ability to touch the hearts of audiences of all ages, IAWL is a presenter’s dream. And when a venue opts to include localized, customized radio commercials and your listeners hear their local businesses and sponsors being advertised circa 1946, you’ve sealed supportive friendships for your venue for a long time.

“When it ended, I sat there... moved to tears, my heart wide open... flooded with gratitude for all the blessings in my life.” - from an audience member’s Letter to the Editor in Asheville, NC

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