To close one's eyes in the theater is usually considered bad form. To do so during Acacia Theatre's presentation of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play could be considered a tribute to the way this adaptation of Frank Capra's classic Christmas movie might have been experienced in radio's heyday.
But it would be better not to let your eyelids droop too often, lest you miss an authentic evocation of the way many Americans took in drama and comedy between trips to the movies about 60 years ago. From the lighted "Applause" and "On Air" signs to the vintage wardrobe to the way members of the cast quickly changed their voices in order to portray a host of characters, the golden age of radio resonated in this production.
Some similarities between Capra's cinematic adaptation of Philip Van Doren Stern's The Greatest Gift and Acacia's take were uncanny. John Pfannerstill's spin on George Bailey not only recalled the earnest vigor of Jimmy Stewart's famed performance, but included a vocal resemblance as well. Michael Chobanoff not only embodied Bailey's coldhearted nemesis, Mr. Potter, but resembled the way Lionel Barrymore portrayed him, too.
Courtney Nelson merits kudos for flipping from childlike Zuzu to the adult Violet without a hitch, and for doing so without the script her fellow actors held (hers got lost). Charles Sommers' explanations of some of the sound effects he created (during the talk-back with the cast after the show) and Caitlin York's artistry on both piano and organ rounded out the ways in which this Wonderful Life echoed radio's golden age.
It's a Wonderful Life runs through Dec. 14.
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