Review: 'It's A Wonderful Life-A Live Radio Play' by ACT

WOODBRIDGE, CT - The students of Amity Creative Theatre (ACT) at Amity Regional High School are the latest group to take on IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE - A LIVE RADIO PLAY during this less than wonderful holiday season. With the largest of the casts that I have recently seen perform this play written by Joe Landry, these talented young performers brought the radio play to life in a big way.

This live radio broadcast originates from WACT in New York back in the day when fully scripted radio shows were very common. What wasn’t common at that time was performers wearing cloth masks for the entire broadcast, until ripping them off for a very clever (filmed) curtain call. The white masks were marked with the play’s logo, so instead of the usual show t-shirt, this cast got to keep a show mask as a memento of this wonderful production. The actors and on-stage orchestra also maintained a safe social distance during their time on the familiar Amity stage...seeing it made me long to be able to sit in one of the seats in that auditorium for my review as I have for so many years.

Leading the cast in the role of everyman George Bailey was Ryan Kennedy. His performance was marked by strong acting, as if he were not on the radio, despite the fact that he was behind a mask and a tall radio microphone. Some costume changes insured that the audience knew at what stage in George’s life he was speaking, as did the pitch of Mr. Kennedy’s voice. Although he held a script in his hands, he had obviously memorized some of the most important passages. Kudos to this memorable Amity student on yet another marvelous performance, under the direction of his father, Amity teacher Robert Kennedy.

Grace Blanchard was strong in the role of George’s wife Mary Bailey, as was Nick Matalote as Clarence, Angel Second Class looking to earn his wings. Michael Perrone was great in his various roles, including mean old Mr. Potter, pharmacist Mr. Gower, Mr. Martini, Nick and Old Man Collins. Nolan Young knew a whole lot of his lines as George’s brother Harry Bailey, Uncle Billy Bailey, Tommy and Mr. Welch. Jacob Ebert appeared as the voice of Peter Bailey, Ernie, Sam Wainwright, Pete, one of the Foley Artists and others. Harry Rosenay was a Foley Artist, Bert, Charlie, Binkie and others.

Bridget Browe was the narrator Freddie Filmore and Head Angel Joseph, with Audrey Jurzyk as Violet Brick, Matilda and Janey. George’s mother Rose Bailey, Mary’s mother Mrs. Hatch, Sadie and Dr. Campbell were voiced by Macie Cox. McKenna Maxwell rounded out the cast in the roles of Ruth Dakin-Bailey, young Zuzu Bailey, Mrs. Thompson, Schultz and Horace.

The lovely WACT radio singers, dressed in festive red and green, included Zola Kneeland, Faith Bernier, Maria Dalle Ave and Bethany Qian. The orchestra had Philip Dolan on drums, Mason Zhang on keyboard 1, Allison Su on keyboard 2, Aiden Tischer on keyboard 3, Isabella Antonucci on keyboard 4 and Marcia Rizzotti on the piano.

Mr. Kennedy directed the students as he always does, but also did the scenic design, as well as the sound effect and prop design for this one. (I loved the very small Christmas tree on the Foley table.) Mr. Kennedy also became the producer and technical director, probably in an effort to limit the number of adults interacting with his student cast. Mark Holleran of Holleran Media was in charge of the video direction and the fine editing with Broadway on Demand as the streaming service; for virtually the entire time, the stream worked seamlessly on my desktop.

The period costumes by Julie Chevan and Brenda Burt, wigs by Andrea Kennedy and the pipe curl hairdos brought us back to a simpler time. Sound design by Tom “Ivan” Ivanovich was up to the usual Amity standards with fine lighting by Dan Hassenmeyer. Amity teacher Phil Dolan conducted the orchestra and Marcia Rizzotti served as musical director/ arranger for the traditional carols that were heard between the scenes.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE - A LIVE RADIO PLAY is streaming December 17-19, 2020 On Demand from anywhere in the world.

The show is available on demand from the comfort of your home. You can log in anytime on those dates to watch right from your living room. Go to the website for more info or go to https://www.broadwayondemand.com/.../7JkxbQw4qfLo-its-a...

A downloadable virtual AMITYBILL program is available at https://drive.google.com/.../1ycxOI4wiCkM3phbu.../view...

The Broadway on Demand App is available at the Apple and Google store. You can also watch on your big screen with Apple TV, Roku or any Chromecast device. Please support the Amity students.

Enjoy this classic holiday story and live music before it goes away.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews in a normal year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.