“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” will take the beloved characters of Bedford Falls, much of the dialogue and story and present it onstage with local talent at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at High Street United Methodist Church, 230 E. High St.
The program is part of the Sanctuary Series and will being co-presented with the Springfield Arts Council. Admission is free with a free-will offering taken at intermission with any proceeds going to support the series.
In a throwback to the days of the 1930s and 1940s when families gathered around their radios for their entertainment programming, this will recapture what it may have been like in those days if you were in the studio with the performers, with many playing multiple parts.
Yet it will engage the audience in different ways than just listening to the adaption by Joe Landry, using imaginative concepts and Reader’s Theater format, which is what attracted Sanctuary Series director Paden Frank to it.
“It gives the audience the chance to listen to a performance and there’s a range of community members involved, some theater veterans, young and old and even some newbies who will strip the story down to an hour long to tell the basic story.”
Show director George West has most of the main characters center stage, but others, such as the angels, in different spots and those doing ad libs or sounds in the orchestra pit, in what Frank calls “a triangle way of looking at things.”
There will also be a family feel. Lead characters George and Mary Bailey are played by real-life couple Mark and Danielle Weber and their real-life daughter, Shiloh, will play the Baileys’ daughter Zuzu and son Deklan will play the young George Bailey.
Frank’s own 10-year-old daughter, River, will make her acting debut as young Mary and other parts. He said the movie is an annual holiday tradition for him and River approached him for the part and wanted to watch it for the first time. Now he hopes it will continue for future holidays.
The film’s story of faith and redemption also speaks to what the Sanctuary Series promotes.
“It’s a perfect marriage as it’s in a church at Christmas time and decorated for the story of togetherness, one everyone knows and loves,” said Frank.
He has a theater background and taking over the Sanctuary Series helps him continue that outlet and Frank is glad to continue the legacy begun by Chris Moore, who began the series and was the longtime executive director of the Springfield Arts Council.
The Sanctuary Series will have upcoming live entertainment on Jan. 11, Feb. 15, March 15, April 12 and May 3. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/highstreetunited/.
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