Health & Fitness
It's A Wonderful Life, The Radio Play
It's A Good Life, The Radio Play is simply a great American theater classic you won't want to miss.
A Theater Review by Sharon Sultan Cutler
Holiday plays are plentiful this time of year. For me, this was the first time I've seen It's A Wonderful Life, The Radio Play. I praise the American Theater Company for introducing me to both an interesting story and an excellent cast for a special night of retro-theater.
The American Theater Company (ATC) presents its tenth anniversary run of this beloved classic. It runs through December 24 at ATC, 1909 West Byron St. in Chicago.
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"As we celebrate the 65th anniversary of Frank Capra's remarkable film and the 10th anniversary of what is now a holiday tradition in Chicago, it is clear that it is the spirit of It's a Wonderful Life lives on and continues to lift us up and bring us together, generation after generation," says director Jason Gerace.
This is a recreation of a 1940s radio show set in a make-believe but realistic radio station, with actors rushing to microphones to tell their story lines. The time is 1948 in Bedford Hills.
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We witness the life story of George Bailey, the passionate idealist, who grows up in a close-knit family, marries, and has many trials and tribulations as he reevaluates his life. Eventually, when things get too much for him, George decides he may end it all. But, through a series of heavenly events, as he questions what doesn't seem right, he discovers himself and his true worth through those people whose lives he has affected.
George Bailey is played by Christopher McLinden; Mr. Potter, his nemesis, is played by Mike Nussbaum, an actor in Chicago theaters for more than 50 years; and Mr. Bailey is played by Phillip Earl Johnson. Other able members of the cast include Mary Winn Heider, Mike Tepeli, Margaret Graham, Rick Kubes, Chris Amos, and pianist Rhapsody Snyder. Together, this is a winning professional cast.
What I love about the American Theater Company is how welcome people feel as the cast members greet the audience as they walk into the building as well as into the show itself. This is such a positive, friendly addition to show business.
The radio set, filled with nostalgia from the 1940 (radios, old microphones, telephones, furniture, etc) is interesting to take in; the actors seem to effortlessly come to their microphones in quick cues; and the costumes are a reminder of the beautiful fashions of yesteryear. Congratulations to Tom Burch for scenic design; Christine Pascual for costume design; and production stage manager, Helen Lattyak; plus many others who contribute to this classic's success.
Regular performances run on Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Street parking is available and at the metered lot on the corner of Lincoln and Berenice. ATC is wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $35-$50. Student and group discounts are available. For further information please call 773-409-4125 or visit www.atcweb.org.
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Sharon Sultan Cutler is the co-author of the upcoming book, Once Upon Our Times:65 Years Growing Up Baby Boomer as well as a Skokie Patch Blogger.
