Review by Tony Annicone
This year, GAMM Theatre’s holiday production is “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live A Radio Play,” adapted by Joe Landry. It’s their fifth presentation of this show. Seven performers plus a sound effects man deliver all the lines of all the characters in the Frank Capra movie. This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live radio broadcast in Warwick, RI. It is staged as an old-fashioned 1940s radio show. The audience is transported back in time as a radio audience watching an ensemble of performers bringing dozens of characters to life on stage. The “broadcast” is interspersed with live commercials about Greenwood Credit Union and Gamm Theatre. Before the show, there is a sing-a-long with cast members doing “Jingle Bells” and “12 Days of Christmas,” with the Foley Artist doing sound effects for each day while doing them faster and faster each time. Relive the story of the idealistic George Bailey as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. This is a fully realized version of the story initially brought to life by Frank Capra in the movie that starred Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Directed previously by Damon Kiely and remounted this year as well as last year by Tony Estrella, who molds these eight talented performers (including himself) into these iconic characters from the movie perfectly, obtains incredible performances from them, and blends the comedy and pathos to get them many laughs and tears on their journey. Tony plays George once again and also appeared in that role in the past three versions of this show. A spontaneous standing ovation is their well-deserved reward at the end of the performance.
