In the opening moments of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s stellar production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” a young man moves through the front door that leads to a radio station studio. As he scans his surroundings, viewing all the props and microphones that will create the live sound effects while five actors perform Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday classic for a radio broadcast, he grabs a vinyl album jacket with the show’s title, slips out the spherical wax and drops it onto a record player.
As the needle glides over the grooves and the scintillating sound of scratching penetrates the ears of the audience, the transport to Bedford Falls begins.
While these moments help get the show off the ground, it’s one piece of the man’s attire that stands out — he wears a surgical mask, immediately plopping him into our current global reality. It’s one of a plethora of fantastic and detailed choices made by director Giovanna Sardelli, providing a context that speaks to the immediate yet timeless nature of storytelling.
The magic of this production, running through Dec. 26 in Palo Alto, is how it brings forth the totality of a life to the forefront, imperfections and all, and how each person’s impact can be felt in immeasurable ways.
The hero of this narrative, George Bailey, is like a Scrooge in reverse. The infamous Charles Dickens miser is mean and discovers kindness; George is kind and becomes mean. Scrooge has it all, but George wants it all, yearning for a life past Bedford Falls where he could discover the Parthenon and Colosseum, come back home and go to college, then build 100-story skyscrapers. It’s what he imagines to be a wonderful life.
But time and time again, George is forced to remain in his quaint world, always opting to choose everyone but himself first. A deaf ear keeps him from military service, and his father’s passing forces him to stay in Bedford Falls to keep the family-owned bank from being overtaken by the evil slumlord Mr. Potter. He falls for the kind and loving Mary and has three children, but the disappointments of his life dominate his reality and a money scandal has him ready to end it all, until the angel Clarence shows how his life was indeed wonderful.
The gimmick of the show is the five fictional actors who play the denizens of colorful folks that make up the town. The gruff Freddie Filmore (Phil Wong) handles mean Mr. Potter and others, Lana Sherwood (Luisa Sermol) is tasked with every woman in town plus George’s daughter Zuzu. And the jovial Harry “Jazzbo” Heywood (Todd Cerveris) carries a heavy responsibility in multiple roles, but namely as Clarence, given the monumental task of saving George in order to earn his wings.
These terrific turns by a pleasingly diverse cast are anchored mightily by Moses Villarama, fiercely handling the wide-ranging emotions of George without falling into the trappings of imitation. Sarita Ocón sparkles in her interpretation of the actor Sally Applewhite, who plays the supportive Mary. It is an extraordinary pairing, two performers who listen to each other magnificently while building the story’s varied levels together with aplomb.
Each performer takes full advantage of their moments to shine, often within the same scene. Cerveris’ wide-eyed charm as Clarence and genuine love and care for his subject is loaded with warmth. Sermol’s wide range of characterizations are funny and poignant. And Wong’s main role as the avaricious Mr. Potter is a great foil for the internal strife that George struggles with.
It’s delightful how fluid Sardelli moves the piece through space on Christopher Fitzer’s scrumptious set design, complete with illuminated applause signs to prompt the live studio audience. The show is textured sharply with a cacophony of spry sounds that layer the moments of radio magic — spoons become broken glass, plungers in a garbage can of water bring George and Clarence together. And a host of doors that slam and close all over the stage keeps the story marching forward.
While the story is a reminder of how our lives impact others in ways we don’t always realize, this production is more than that. What might our lives have been throughout the pandemic without stories that fill us with hope, with wonder?
In troubling times such as these, a wonderful story such as this one puts hyope and Zuzu’s petals back in our pockets.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics Association. Twitter @davidjchavez.
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY’
Adapted by Joe Landry from the 1946 movie, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Through: Dec. 26, also available for streaming On Demand Dec. 16-Jan. 2
Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
COVID safety: Proof of vaccination is required and masks must be worn inside the theater
Tickets: $35-$95; www.theatreworks.org
0 comments:
Post a Comment