“It’s a Wonderful Life” Courtesy of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Used with permission.
It’s safe to say that only a tiny minority has not seen “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 American classic Christmas drama directed by Frank Capra that is now a staple on television and streaming platforms. Like many others, I have lost track of the number of times I have seen what is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and among the best Christmas films. So it was with great interest that I took in a stage adaptation of “It’s a Wonderful Life” Saturday at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre on Indy’s northside.
L-R Logan Moore and Grace Morgan – Courtesy of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Used with permission.
Based on the short story and booklet, “The Greatest Gift,” which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and loosely based on the Charles Dickens novella, “A Christmas Carol,” published in 1843, the film’s star James Stewart is George Bailey, a frustrated family man who has given up his personal ambitions to serve others as a banker in his small town of Bedford Falls, New York. Responding to a financial crisis he cannot control, he attempts suicide on Christmas Eve, but thanks to the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence, his life is saved, and George learns a lesson about not taking the simple joys of life for granted. It’s an irresistible message that is universal and timeless.
These days it is not unusual to see stage versions of scripts that have originated on film, and though some adaptations are more successful than others, they are no longer a novelty. Nevertheless, I was curious about how effectively the piece would be staged. I am pleased to report that under the astute direction of Elizabeth Stark, despite flaws, the Beef &Boards conversion, overall, was a success.
Though I would have preferred that Logan Moore, a strong actor, not mimic Jimmy Stewart’s performance and made the role his own, he nevertheless was compelling as “everyman” George Bailey. Regarding placing their own spin on their roles, the same can be said for Don Farrell as Clarence, but he too was delightful as George’s savior, as was Bill Book as Uncle Billy. Grace Morgan was believable as George’s loving wife, Mary. Dan Scharbrough, though a solid actor, could have been more of a curmudgeon and is too young to convincingly play the role of “old man,” mean-spirited Potter. Deserving of praise were the children in the cast, all of whom were believable in multiple ways. As far as those in minor roles, the actor who played Potter’s assistant wore his hair in a non-period ponytail, which proved to be a noticeable distraction.
Very effective, indeed, was Michael Layton’s set design which incorporated space on stage and on a proscenium for projections of various locations. Others on the creative team who were responsible for the show’s 40s era setting were lighting designer Ryan Koharchik, costumer Travis Grant and Michael Hoagland who composed incidental music for the play.
There are only a limited number of tickets available for “It’s a Wonderful Life.” To purchase tickets online, visit beefandboards.com. Tickets are also available by calling the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Box Office at 317.872.9664 anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays.
