Displaying items by tag: James Stewart

Citadel will be visited by Clarence the Angel and the beleaguered George Bailey from November 13 – December 13, when the company presents IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE LIVE RADIO PLAY, based on the perennial favorite holiday film that starred James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. When the film premiered in 1946, before the television era, it was a common practice for popular films to be performed as live radio plays, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE was performed live on CBS's THE LUX RADIO THEATRE with Stewart and Reed recreating their film roles as George and Mary Bailey on December 23, 1947. This radio play adaptation by playwright Joe Landry not only brings the film's beloved story to the stage, but it also recreates the magic of the heyday of radio dramas. The cast of five will play radio actors who are performing all 50 roles of the "radio play within a play," recreating the tension and excitement of performing live before a studio audience and a nationwide radio audience of millions. Jack Hickey, the former Artistic Director of Oak Park Festival Theatre, who directed Citadel's THE COTTAGE in 2024, will return to Citadel to direct. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY will open on Friday, November 13 after previews on November 11 and 12, and play through December 13.
 
Hickey's stellar cast will be led by Brian Parry, known in Chicago for such iconic roles as Willy Loman, King Lear, and Richard Nixon. Parry has been cast in the equally iconic role of the villainous Mr. Potter, created in the film by Barrymore. Jake and Sally – the radio actors playing George and Mary Bailey  - will be Jake Harrison Murphy (Puck in BrightSide Theatre's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM) and Rachel J. Jones (seen earlier this year in Writers Theatre's LEOPOLDSTADT, and as Juliet in Oak Park Theatre's ROMEO AND JULIET). Parry, along with John Dooley (of Citadel's ADMISSIONS and THE COTTAGE) and Cait Kelly (of POOR BEHAVIOR and CRY IT OUT with Oil Lamp Theatre), will be the radio actors playing all the other characters of the film. Caleb Ryan Jones will create the Foley sound effects and play the radio stage manager. Understudies are Bob Sanders (Freddie/Mr. Potter and others), Zach Kunde (Harry, Jake/George Bailey and others) and Ariel Dooley (Sally/Mary Bailey). The final cast members, it should be noted, will be the Citadel audiences themselves – who will play the studio audience.

The IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE design team that will take audiences back to a radio studio of the 1940's includes Jeff Award winners Bob Knuth (Scenic Design) and Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design); Joel Zishuk (Lighting Design), Alex Trinh (Sound Design), and Reiley Duffy (Props Design). Also on the production team are Abby Austin (Stage Manager), Jason Clark (Master Carpenter), Adri Andreolas (Scenic Charge), Natalie Barowsky (Stage Crew), and Scott and Ellen Phelps (Production Managers).
 
Flex passes, which can be used in any combinations for any Citadel Main Stage shows, are available for four admissions at $140.00, or three admissions for $115.00 or two admissions for $80.00. Preview flex passes are also available for $45 (two shows), $55 (three shows), or $65 (four shows). Subscriptions and single tickets priced at $50 (plus ticketing. Fees) are on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org. 
 
Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company's website at www.citadeltheatre.org.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
Adapted by Joe Landry
Based on the story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip van Doren Stern
Directed by Jack Hickey
Friday, November 13 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
(Previews November 11 and 12 at 7:30 pm)

Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on November 18 and December 2, Saturday matinees at 3 pm on November 28 and December 12. Understudy performance Wednesday, December 2 at 6:30 pm.
* No show on Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day)
Preview ticket prices $27.15 including ticketing fee. Regular run prices $53.40 including  ticketing fee. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students..
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1
 
On one fateful Christmas Eve, George Bailey teeters on the edge of despair, until an unexpected visitor reveals the extraordinary impact of his life. The immortal story of the classic film is told as a lively 1940s radio broadcast. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY blends humor, nostalgia and heart into a timeless reminder that the choices we make can change everything.

Most of us have seen Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” at some point in their lives. Whether a Holiday tradition or by happenstance as television stations run their yearly marathons, there’s a very good chance you have experienced the heartfelt 1946 film classic starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. We have since seen many stage adaptations, from live radio broadcasts to large scale productions. In American Blues Theater’s “This Wonderful Life” written by Steve Murray we get an entirely different spin on this definitive piece of Americana as American Blues founding member James Leaming boldly takes on each character in the film himself in this brilliant one-man show.

For the small percentile of those who are not familiar with “It’s A Wonderful Life”, the story revolves around George Bailey during the late 1930’s through early 1940’s, taking place in the small town of Bedford Falls. The evil Mr. Potter runs the biggest bank in town and has most of its residents and small business owners in the palm of his hand. The only person to stand in his way is Pa Bailey, George’s father, who runs a small building and loans company where people can obtain funds for housing without paying exorbitant interest to Potter. George has high expectations for himself and plans to see the world while working for National Geographic once he finishes high school. After his stint around the world, George would return for college and proceed to live to his fullest potential. George’s life then takes another turn for the better when he meets Mary, his true soul mate. Though his father wants George to take over the building and loans one day, George is adamant that he wants to pursue bigger things and rejects the offer.

All is well for George until his father dies, leaving the building in loans in a state of flux. George agrees to take over temporarily, but soon finds he is needed permanently much to his chagrin. Married to Mary with a handful of kids, life is still fulfilling for George until the bank calls a loan and the money is missing. Instantly put into state of desperation, George comes to the realization that he is better off dead than alive after summing up his life to the worth of a life insurance policy. It is then that Clarence, an angel from Heaven, is sent down to help George get back on track. George wishes he was never born and Clarence grants that wish showing George what life would be without him in Bedford Falls. George is shown the positive affect that he has had on so many people, eventually seeing that he had a pretty wonderful life after all. It becomes a Christmas to remember when George's friends rally to his aid.

So that’s the gist of it.

It is a story over humanity overcoming hopelessness, a story of giving and the importance of friends. After all, as Clarence says, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

In “This Wonderful Life” James Leaming is nothing short of brilliant as he retells the famous classic, acting out each character from beginning to end. Throughout, Murray’s script adds a healthy pinch of additional humor that takes occasional jabs of the film in a fun-loving way. With a handful of very creative props and a backdrop that displays images of the story, Leaming is able to successfully pull off each character he tackles (especially his Mr. Potter and George Bailey) to give the audience a cohesive, engaging and highly entertaining theatre experience. Leaming’s ability to shift from character to character so effortlessly and so convincingly is a testament to his fine acting skills. Whereas one moment he seemingly channels the deep seeded bitterness and craftiness of Lionel Barrymore’s Mr. Potter, his ability to so quickly change gears to become the warm, likeable George Bailey or scatter-brained Uncle Billy is simply impressive.

This play is Jeff Recommended for good reason as Leaming’s performance is something to behold. Whether you’ve seen “It’s A Wonderful Life” via film or stage, it is unlikely you’ve seen a unique version such as this.

Skillfully directed by Carmen Roman, “This Wonderful Life” is highly recommended as a holiday treat the whole family can enjoy.

“This Wonderful Life” is being performed at The Edge Theater (5451 N Broadway) in Edgewater and is running through November 26th. For more show information visit www.americanbluestheater.com.