By Darlene Brace
Experience a memorable holiday treat with your family and friends by attending the presentation of “It’s a Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play”. This production will be a live performance play held on December 20th-22nd at the Cappa Theatre in the Robert H. Jackson Center, located at 305 East Fourth Street in Jamestown. You can immerse yourself in this timeless story, told in the unique style of a 1940s radio show that will feature an interactive evening of entertainment filled with the holiday spirit.
This production of It’s a Wonderful Life is being presented to you by actor/producer/director Mike Thornton. Mike has decades of experience and is a nationally known producer. Mike Thornton is not from this area originally, but after performing multiple times at Chautauqua Institution’s Amphitheater, he became very familiar with this area. During the pandemic, he and his wife Cecilia were looking for a peaceful place to get away from big city life. They rediscovered Chautauqua, and they eventually bought a house in the area. Mike hopes to bring a variety of quality professional entertainment to Jamestown.
Mike Thornton’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life is based on the 1946 movie starring Jimmy Stuart as the main character George, and his wife Mary was played by Donna Reed. As the story unfolds, George feels despondent about his life and feels that he is a failure. In his darkest time, he feels close to giving it all up, but an angel named Clarence helps him see the value and worth of his life. George then realizes he has so much to live for and feels a renewed optimism and happiness with life. This heartwarming movie has been entertaining audiences for over 70 years.
Mike’s rendition of this classic movie is being presented as a live performance play using the setting of a vintage 1940s live radio station. This radio broadcast style and the amazing, talented cast bring the story to life. For those who may be unfamiliar with a 1940s radio station setting, here is what to expect. As the audience is seated, the MC, Mike Thornton, will welcome and address the audience. He will explain how the production works. The audience will see the setting that resembles a vintage 1940s radio station, with special lighting, props, and several microphones placed around the stage. Some of the cast will periodically move from microphone to microphone throughout the performance. The MC will encourage the audience to interact with the show. He will tell the audience how to react to different cues, such as props or signals for applause, making the audience’s experience more interactive and engaging. As the actors tell the story, it will encourage the audience to use their imagination to visualize the story in their minds.
This production includes many characters performed by only seven cast members. The main character, George, will be played by David Wysocki, and George’s wife, Mary, will be played by Julia Niles. Clarence, the angel, will be performed by Stephen Stout. Along with being the producer and MC of the show, Mike Thornton portrays several characters. The rest of the talented cast members are Ron Orbach, Paige Cummings, and Christine Porter, who bring to life the remaining Bedford Falls characters.
Along with Mike Thornton being the producer of this production, the assistant producer is Adam Owens, and Ed Tomasini is the sound production/designer. Together, with the incredible cast, you will experience an unforgettable show.
If you plan on attending this show, there are four performances this weekend. On December 20th, the opening show will start at 7pm. On December 21st, there will be shows starting at 2pm and 7pm. The final performance will be on December 22nd at 2pm. Tickets are on sale for this unique performance at mtapresents.com.
As a special treat, if you purchase VIP reception tickets for the opening performance night on December 20th, your ticket includes an invitation to the reception after the show. This will be a complimentary wine and cheese reception with the opportunity to meet the cast.
Mike Thornton is excited about bringing It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play to Jamestown, and he is hoping that this production will be the first of many other entertainment experiences he can bring to the area. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to experience this unique show during this holiday season, so bring your family and friends on the journey of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. You will be so glad that you did.