Review: Los Angeles' Theatrical Christmas Season Is Off to a Very Merry Start with the Stage Version of WONDERFUL LIFE

Wonderful Life/by Jason Lott and Helen Pafumi/directed by Helen Pafumi/Malibu Playhouse/through December 20

The 1946 Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life was based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern, published in 1945. Now there is a stage adaptation, a solo show in which actor/co-writer Jason Lott portrays George Bailey and all the characters who surround him in Bedford Falls, New York. Nominated for a Helen Hayes Award in Washington D C, Lott is an actor who can play both men and women exceedingly well by simply switching his voice to a higher or lower register. In Wonderful Life he intones, just to take one example, Mary Hatch and George Bailey on the phone talking to Sam Wainwright, as the two realize for the first time that they are falling in love with each other. It's a heart-tingling moment for fans of the movie... and also for those unfamiliar with the scene, for Lott proves an uncanny ability to capture the image of innocence and raw emotion of that special moment.

Let's back up just a bit and set the background for Wonderful Life newbees, without creating too much of a spoiler alert. George Bailey has led a life of sacrifice and been a class-A citizen and humanitarian in his home town of Bedford Falls since birth and, after his father's death, the main man of Bailey Brothers' Building and Loan. His Uncle Billy relies on George's solid judgment and ingenuity to get them through the most difficult of times. This is the 30s, during the era of the Great Depression when people need loans to build new homes and businesses and cannot rely on Henry Potter, the stingy owner of Bedford Falls' only bank. Somehow $8000 goes missing and George must find the money to prevent the Building and Loan from going under. Unfortunately, he cannot, forsees the closure of the family business and becomes distraught, depressed and so disenchanted that he attempts suicide by jumping off a bridge on Christmas Eve. Little does George know that there is a second-class angel, Clarence - still without his wings - who has been heaven-sent to help him find his way. If Clarence can show George the value of living, he will earn his angel's wings. George declares that he wishes he had never been born. Clarence seizes the moment and tells George - as a test - that he will erase George's previous life so he may start fresh. But the town is no longer Bedford Falls; it is Pottersville, owned by George's family's arch rival Henry Potter. It is important to note that George has been happily married to Mary Hatch and they have 4 children. When Clarence erases George's past, he is without a wife and children; he faces his future completely alone. Will it take long for George to see the error of his ways and express the wish to rejoin the arena of the living, warts and all?

If you want more, you will have to rent the movie on Netflix or head on out to the Malibu Playhouse to catch Lott onstage as George and about 20 other characters. Under Helen Pafumi's fluid staging and excellent pace, Lott really does a superior job of telling the story, which comes in at about 70 minutes...and that is no easy task where there is not a whole lot of humor. Yes, he can essay hooker Violet Bick in a sensuous pose or two or speak in an Italian accent and vocally disguise himself as the owner of Martini's Bar and Grill, but that's about it for the laughter. The story is not an amusing one. It's deadly serious and requires a great deal of minute focus and skill to keep the audience attuned. Lott carries it off quite brilliantly, and you will leave the theatre in a happy state, a changed human being. OK, spoiler alert, there's a happy ending, but, unless you are familiar with the movie, you do not know what transpires to get it there. Go, go, go to the Malibu Playhouse through December 20! No sets, no wigs, no costume changes, no props, just damn good acting, some detailed direction and a super fine script! As we were leaving the theatre, my friend said, " I had forgotten how good this is! He (Lott) has made me want to rent the film and watch it all over again." Now that's a compliment!

http://malibuplayhouse.org/

(bottom photo credit: C. Stanley)

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