By Gary Wien, JerseyArts.com
originally published: 12/20/2017
Imagine being able to experience “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the very first time again.
Chances are you’ve seen the Christmas classic so often you can recite most of the movie by heart. It’s on television so much during the holidays that it’s easy to take the film for granted. But thanks to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, you can enjoy the story in a brand new way with “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”
The classic tale follows the troubles of George Bailey on Christmas Eve after his Uncle Billy loses $8,000 meant to be deposited for the Building & Loan. Realizing that he will be held responsible and is likely to go to jail, George begins to think that he is worth more dead than alive. He is ready to end it all when a guardian angel named Clarence comes down to Earth to show him what life would be like if he had never been born.
On stage now through December 31, the live radio play (adapted by Joe Landry) takes you into the world of a 1940s radio station where a group of actors and technicians have gathered to perform a live broadcast of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” You get nine actors representing more than 40 roles, commercials from the era, Foley sound effects and the lines you know by heart coming from strange, new voices.
“What I discovered in rehearsal is that you hear the story in a very different way when it’s not the voices you’ve grown up with,” said Doug West, who directs the production. “It’s like you’re favorite song. You don’t even think about it; you hear the lyrics and the song just clicks for you until you hear somebody else cover it and then you might hear a lyric a different way or catch a moment differently. In my opinion, it’s the same thing with this play and this story. It’s hearing it with a group of actors on stage who aren’t the people you grew up listening to. You catch different portions of the story than you might normally catch after popping in the DVD at home.”
West admits that many times when the movie is on, he finds himself watching sort of on autopilot. “I put it in, the film starts, I get this warm, fuzzy feeling, then a bell rings and it’s over. So, to actually listen to it live and to be in the room with it has been a really interesting experience.”
While a few movie theaters still show “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the big screen each Christmas, most people watch the film alone or with a few members of their family or friends. The experience of seeing it in a group setting adds to the story’s magic.
“I’m often surprised by how moved I am by the story in a different way than I am by the movie,” added West. “It may just be because I’m used to the movie, but seeing human beings in front of you interacting hits you in a different spot than seeing them on the screen sometimes does.”
Nowadays, “A Christmas Story” is played around the clock, but for many years “It’s A Wonderful Life” was seemingly always on television. West jokes that he remembers being able to hop from channel to channel – seeing it in black and white on one channel, color on another, and even hearing it in Spanish on a different channel. It became such a Christmas tradition that it was part of several classic “Saturday Night Live” skits featuring Dana Carvey using his James Stewart impersonation in hilarious fashion as the show made fun of how the film was always on television.
Part of the fun with this radio play is being able to hear the story in a form we rarely see in America anymore. Theatre was often performed live during the golden age of radio and special broadcasts like Orson Welles’ “The War of the Worlds” provided a unique experience throughout the country. It’s an art form we that has faded over the years, but one that is very unique.
“I’d love for everybody to come and see it twice – once with their eyes open and once with them closed!” said West, noting that the Foley sound effects add so much to the story.
There are many reasons as to why the film has stayed so popular six decades after its initial release. People love the characters, the small town charm of Bedford Falls, and the overall message that every life is important and affects more lives than they will ever know.
“’It’s a Wonderful Life’ has been a part of my holiday tradition for years,” said West. “We’ve assembled a fantastic cast and creative team for this production, and I’m very excited at the idea of sharing this iconic holiday tale with our audience.”
The production stars John Keabler as George Bailey, Susan Maris (Mary Hatch), Andy Paterson (Clarence Oddbody), John Ahlin (Mr. Potter), Tina Stafford (Ma Bailey), James Michael Reilley (Billy Bailey), Javon Johnson (Joseph), Elizabeth Colwell (Violet Bick) and Russell Sperberg (Harry Bailey). Warren Pace, the sound technician at the theatre, provides the live Foley sound effects throughout the show. The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre was transformed into a 1940s radio station by the creative talents of Scenic Designer Charlie Calvert, Lighting Designer Matthew Adelson, Costume Designer Natalie Loveland and Sound Designer Steven Beckel. The Production Stage Manager is Kathy Snyder.
Performances take place in the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre (36 Madison Avenue) in
Madison, NJ. For more information, visit www.shakespearenj.org.
PHOTOS BY JERRY DALIA
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
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Princeton’s Famous Triangle Show: Roswell That Ends Well
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJIf you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if
Roswell That Ends Well!
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when The Rainbow Is Enuf,
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJDunbar Repertory Company presents Ntozake Shange’s
FOR COLORED GIRLS Who have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, the groundbreaking “choreopoem” – a spellbinding collection of vivid prose and free verse narratives about and performed by Black women. Directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, SR.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when The Rainbow Is Enuf,
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Middletown Arts Center
36 Church Street, Middletown, NJDunbar Repertory Company presents Ntozake Shange’s
FOR COLORED GIRLS Who have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, the groundbreaking “choreopoem” – a spellbinding collection of vivid prose and free verse narratives about and performed by Black women. Directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, SR.
Murder At The Palace
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 7:00pm
The Historic Palace Theatre
7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong, NJSave the date for an adults-only night out set in the Roaring ’20s, as the Historic Palace Theatre plays host to a Murder Mystery event that’s truly to die for!
EVENT PREVIEWS
The Growing Stage presents Murder at the Palace
(NETCONG, NJ) -- The Growing Stage presents Murder at the Palace - a roaring 20's murder mystery - on Saturday, November 14, 2026 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. All proceeds benefit the artistic and educational programming of The Growing Stage.
SPQR Stage Co. presents "Pumpin' the Chihuahua"
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- SPQR Stage Co. presents Bill Sterritt's "Pumpin' the Chihuahua," an imaginative dark comedy running two weekends from November 14–22, 2026 at studio;space in Somers Point.
Moorestown Theater Company presents "9 to 5, the Musical"
(MOORESTOWN, NJ) -- Moorestown Theater Company presents 9 to 5, the Musical from November 18-22 at First Methodist Church. Three unlikely friends take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can't do, even in a man's world.
Raritan Valley Community College's Arts & Design department presents "The Laramie Project"
(BRANCHBURG, NJ) -- Raritan Valley Community College's Arts & Design department will present a student theatre production of The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theater Project, November 18-20, 2026 at 7:00pm each night. The performances, which are free of charge and open to the public, will be held in the Welpe Theatre at the College's Branchburg campus.
Offbook Productions present "The Women of Congress 1776"
(MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ) -- Offbook Productions presents The Women of Congress 1776 on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at the Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside. Showtime is 6:30pm.
Cape May Stage presents "Murder For Two - The Holiday Edition"
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May Stage presents Murder For Two - The Holiday Edition from November 18 through December 27, 2026. Directed by Roy Steinberg, it's a merry and musical whodunit!
Paper Mill Playhouse to open season with "Mary Poppins"
(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Paper Mill Playhouse presents Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins to open the company's 88th season. Performances begin Wednesday, November 18 ahead of a Sunday, November 22 opening night for a run that continues through Sunday, January 3, 2027. This is a spectacular musical filled with wonder, wit, and unforgettable songs.
Somerset County Vocational Technical High School Theater Arts Department presents "Come From Away"
(BRIDGEWATER, NJ) -- In a story about strangers becoming family and tragedy giving way to unexpected hope, one real-life couple's love story has given students at Somerset County Vocational Technical High School a personal connection to the musical they are bringing to the stage.
Centenary Stage Company to Close Out 2026 Fringe Festival with "Unseen"
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The Road Company presents "Solid Gold: A Show-Stopping Cabaret"
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