Thanksgiving’s coming up next week and that means the start of the holiday season. Retail stores will have you thinking it started in July, but it really only feels like Christmas when the networks start showing our favorite holiday films -- “Miracle on 34th Street”, A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, “Bad Santa”, and, of course, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is about small-town America and how a good man, Harry Bailey, in a moment of despair, wishes he’d never been born. A guardian angel named Clarence helps Harry learn how much he means to other people, and, in the end, good triumphs over greed and iniquity.
We can all use a guardian angel right about now. But barring that, we still have the movie. And thanks to our friends at Fake Radio, the nation's premiere old-time-radio comedy troupe, we now have a live on-stage production of the radio play.
The only Portland performance of Fake Radio’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” takes place this Saturday, November 23rd at the Multnomah Arts Center in Southwest Portland. We’re fortunate to have Fake Radio’s artistic director, David Koff, and cast member, actor/writer/producer Jonathan Stark, here with us to preview the show.
- KBOO