A stage adaptation of the classic holiday story “It’s a Wonderful Life” will make its Broadway debut this season at the Broadhurst Theater. The production is scheduled to run from November 4 through January 3 and will feature Andrew Rannells in the lead role of George Bailey, the small-town banker whose life changes after a guardian angel intervenes.
The version being presented is a unique take on the well-known tale, framed as a live radio play titled “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Set in a 1940s radio studio, the show employs a cast portraying a troupe of actors performing an audio dramatization of the story. The original narrative traces back to a 1943 short story called “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, which was later adapted into the 1946 film directed by Frank Capra.
Alongside Rannells, the cast includes Megan Hilty as Mary Bailey, Tituss Burgess as Clarence the guardian angel, Harry Hamlin as the antagonistic Mr. Potter, and Lisa Rinna as Violet, the local flirt. Hamlin and Rinna, who are married, join a cast in which most members play multiple characters. The production plans to incorporate traditional holiday carols as part of its score. This adaptation, originally created in 1996 and widely performed since then, is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks. The producing team comprises Seaview, WJP (Wagner Johnson Productions), No Guarantees, and Broadway & Beyond.
The premiere of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of several holiday-themed productions set to open on Broadway this season amid ongoing economic challenges faced by the theater industry. The Broadhurst Theater has been empty since the closure of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” in August.
Other holiday shows scheduled to run on Broadway during the same period include “A New Holiday Surprise” by Blue Man Group, marking their Broadway debut at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater from November 12 through January 3, and a stage adaptation of the “Now You See Me” film franchise, featuring illusionists, at the Al Hirschfeld Theater from November 11 through January 3.
Beyond Broadway, a prominent production of “A Christmas Carol” will run at the Perelman Performing Arts Center from November 20 through January 3, starring Andy Karl as Ebenezer Scrooge. This production, which features rotating casts, was previously staged at PAC NYC last year and on Broadway in 2019.