Run, don’t walk, to the Holland Theatre next weekend, Dec. 6 & 7
Editor’s note: See Tuesday’s print edition of the ‘Examiner’ for a special 1940s section featuring the play.
The Holland Theatre and Windmill Productions are pleased to present It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. With only two performances, tickets are sure to disappear quickly. At least we certainly hope so!
Based on the 1946 film, this retelling of the beloved story combines the heartfelt dialogue so many have enjoyed with the unexpected fun of being “on air.” On top of that, the audience will revel in hearing classic Christmas carols while answering 1940s trivia, all coming together to celebrate the holiday season.
Some of your favorite local actors accepted the challenge to tackle not one but several roles of different characters of varying ages. The task of making each one unique, the talented cast will admit, has really stretched them as actors.
You’ll laugh and cry as Rob Nicholson, playing Jake Laurents as the voice of our hero George Bailey, goes from squeaky-voiced child to a grown man struggling to make his way in the world.
“This production is full of heart,” Nicholson stated. “You can feel it onstage, you can feel it backstage, and I hope the audience feels it when they walk out the doors.”
Nicholson is joined by Examiner reporter Nikki Burkhamer as Sally Applewhite, whose soft-spoken charm truly captures the homegrown warmth of Mary Hatch Bailey. She hopes the performance will remind the audience of the joy the Christmas season brings as we “focus on family and gratefulness.”
Fellow Examiner reporter Sharyn Kopf, as actress Hope Merryweather, takes on as many as six different characters. A challenge she describes as “a fun way to explore all of my hidden personalities.”
Also gracing the stage are Q Snyder, Larry Novak, Chris Hildreth-Blair, Abby Dillon, Jaronn Carpenter, Don Corwin and Mayleigh Lane, all performing a variety of roles and sound effects.
You’re invited to join in the true spirit of the performance, from wearing your Sunday and/or 1940s best to simply dressing in something with a festive flair.
“How could it not get people in the holiday spirit?” Novak asked optimistically, even though he strikes the perfect sinister tone as the town villain, Henry F. Potter.
On the opposite spectrum, Hildreth-Blair, reading the part of the angel Clarence, carried on the optimism when he added, “Being part of such a magical classic really fills my heart with such joy!”
For director Anita Craig, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without It’s a Wonderful Life. Her goal is to immerse the audience in the show—“to suspend reality and make them feel like they’re not just there to watch a play, but to exist in that time and place for a couple of hours.”
With that in mind, the music, costumes, script and all the added extras are designed to transport the audience back to a 1940s small-town radio station. And having it all set in the historic Holland Theatre will only enhance that experience.
Tickets are available at theholland.org/tickets or at the box office during open hours. Call (937) 592-9002 for more information. You don’t want to miss this tremendous production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, so don’t dilly dally! Contact the Holland for your tickets today.
**See some of your favorite Examiner reporters take the stage!**
Sharyn Kopf, intrepid Examiner reporter, has been performing at the Holland Theatre since she came to Bellefontaine over a decade ago. In fact, she was cast in her first role—as Mrs. Soames in Our Town—two weeks before she actually moved here! Since then, you might have seen her as the mom, Grace Bradley, in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a snarky maid in Ladies First, and, most recently, Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady. Sharyn loves being a part of this community not only through her work for the Examiner but in her experiences on the Holland Theatre stage.
Nikki Burkhamer, also a reporter for the Examiner, plays actress Sally Applewhite performing the part of Mary Hatch Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. She has been involved with many Holland productions over the years, often behind the scenes, and describes this performance as “an honor and a blast.” Previously, you might have seen her as Truvy in Steel Magnolias and Edna McCarthy in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. A language arts special education teacher at Bellefontaine High School, Burkhamer lives in West Liberty with her husband, James. The couple has four sons. She dedicates this performance to her late father, Douglas Johnson.
