Hartford Stage Announces Holiday Production of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY

Usher in the season with the holiday hit It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Hartford Stage, starting performances November 25. In this stage adaptation directed by Zoë Golub-Sass, Connecticut playwright Joe Landry has refashioned the 1946 Jimmy Stewart movie into a play reminiscent of the Golden Age of Radio.Originally co-directed by Melia Bensussen and Rachel Alderman, the staging, complete with a Foley sound effects artists and period commercials, is certain to charm and entertain.

Based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern from the screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, and Jo Swerling, It's a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a young man who dreams of one day leaving his hometown of Bedford Falls to adventure around the world. When circumstances keep George from pursuing his fortunes elsewhere, he finds himself increasingly frustrated with small-town life and his responsibilities. On Christmas Eve, through the intervention of an affable angel who is angling to get his wings, George is given the rare opportunity to see how the world would be a very different place had he never been born.

It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play transports its audience to a festive recreation of a 1940s radio broadcast. The story of the Bailey Family, the greedy Mr. Potter and the residents of Bedford Falls merrily comes to life with a versatile cast of radio players, a live sound effects artist, period music, and, of course, charming throwback commercials. The cast of the production includes Jennifer Bareilles, Nicole Shalhoub, Godfrey Simmons, Price Waldman, and Evan Zes, along with Foley artist Liam Bellman-Sharpe.

Artistic Director Melia Bensussen shared, "We are delighted to bring back our acclaimed production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Our hope is to give more audiences the opportunity to see this delightful holiday show."

The design team for It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play includes Stephanie Osin Cohen (scenic designer), An-lin Dauber(costume designer), Evan C. Anderson (lighting designer), Frederick Kennedy (sound designer), J. Jared Janas (wig and hair designer). Casting is by Alaine Alldaffer. Kelly Hardy will be production stage manager, Chandalae Nyswonger will be the assistant stage manager.

Hartford Stage is offering a free, flexible exchange policy this holiday season: book your tickets today and rest easy knowing that if anything comes up, they'll help you find another date to see the show so you don't miss out on this festive winter event! More details about this offer can be found at www.HartfordStage.org.

It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play runs Friday, November 25, through Saturday, December 24. Tuesday through Sunday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday Matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets for It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play start at $30. Discounts are available for students and groups. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.HartfordStage.org calling (860) 527-5151, or visiting the Hartford Stage Box Office at 50 Church Street.

There will be a sensory-friendly performance on December 3 at 2 p.m. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a theatre experience that is slightly modified for audiences on the autism spectrum or with other sensory sensitivities. A mask-required performance will be on December 3 at 7:30 p.m.; an open-captioned performance for deaf and hard of hearing audiences will be Sunday, December 11 at 2:00 p.m., and the audio-described performance for vision-impaired audiences will be Saturday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m. Student ticket: Save 20% off the regular ticket price. For group discounts (10 or more), contact Group Sales at 860-527-5151. Group rates are limited to select performances and are based on availability.

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