The world-renowned Culinary Institute of America hosts a feast of a different sort next month when It's a Wonderful Life: The 1946 Radio Play, Tony Palermo's one-act adaptation of Frank Capra's iconic film, settles in for a weekends-only run from December 5-20, 2014.
The Hudson Valley-based Half Moon Theatre Company production stars John Summerford, Director of Half Moon Theatre's School of the Arts, as everyman George Bailey, the role made famous by James Stewart. The 25 or so other characters are portrayed by Jason Cohen, Darrell James, Molly Renfroe Katz and Amy Lemon Olson, plus Drama Desk-nominated live sound effects artist Ien DeNio.
Reviewing a 2012 Irish Repertory Theater production, The New York Times said that although the concept "requires the excision of treasured passages…this feather-light show is a small triumph anyway."
Said director Michael Schiralli: "It's not the holidays without watching It's a Wonderful Life. Its message--that no man is a failure who has friends--sums up the heart of the season. Sharing it with the Hudson Valley--live--in a theatrical setting, in this clever radio play version, makes it that [much] more special. It's the perfect gift for the person who has everything!"
With cooking shows from Bizarre Foods to The Barefoot Contessa now staples of TV entertainment, and not one but two entire channels devoted to them, it seems only fitting that a famous gourmet institution should flip the trend and bring non-edible entertainment into its hallowed halls. Performances are at the Culinary Institute of America's Marriott Pavilion at 1946 Campus Drive in Hyde Park, NY. Visit the Half Moon Theatre website for scheduling and tickets.
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