Be there with bells on: MHMT’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ breathes life into radio play

By Ryan McCracken on November 26, 2021.

Carolyn Freeman portrays Foley artist Maggie Beech in Medicine Hat Musical Theatre's live radio play 'It's a Wonderful Life.' The show opens Friday and runs through Dec. 11. NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN

The lights fade and the curtains part, taking you back in time to a decade when families huddled around the radio for an evening of entertainment.

A skillfully crafted set serves as the time machine, transporting cast and audience to a technicolour version of that monochrome era, providing a glimpse into the radio booth where a special broadcast of “It’s A Wonderful Life — A Live Radio Play” is set to begin.

And with that, the stage is set for Medicine Hat Musical Theatre’s newest production, inviting you inside the fourth wall for a refreshing twist on the old Christmas classic.

The unveiling of the set makes it immediately apparent this live radio play provides far more visual spectacle than the description may suggest. From the aesthetic, to actions of the performers and sound provided through an overseeing Foley artist, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes of this broadcast.

There’s a lot to keep track of as well, as live actors portray voice actors portraying characters in the narrative. It may sound like a lot, and it does demand active listening from its audience to stay on top of the script’s fast-paced character changes. But the end result is a rewarding experience regardless of any familiarity with the source material — though it might help.

The show features a splitdouble cast, with a trio of rotating actors and another three remaining as mainstays for each performance. Taking the stage for all nine shows are Travis Boser as Harry Heywood, Jordan Weisgerber as Sally Applewhite and Carolyn Freeman as Maggie Beech.

Hayden Martin and Ryan Holdaway split the role of

Jake Laurents, while Amber Stark and Dee Cannon both play the part of Lana Sherwood, and Dave Townsend shares centre stage with Bruce Sandford as Freddie Filmore.

It’s the strength of this ensemble that carries the emotional weight of the plot forward, jockeying between strikingly different personas and voices while keeping the spirit of George Bailey’s story intact.

Boser is a must-see — or must-hear — as Harry Heywood, the one-man vocal variety show who always has something new and hilarious hiding up his sleeve.

Weisgerber’s Sally Applewhite is most notably tasked with providing a voice for the wholesome Mary Hatch, George’s better half, however she too brings a wide arsenal of voices to her place at the microphone.

Freeman is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the entire production, serving as the centrepiece in her portrayal of Foley artist Maggie Beech. With everything, perhaps even the kitchen sink, at her disposal in the all-seeing sound booth, Freeman provides a cacophony of sound effects in consistently creative and hilarious ways, conducting the action without ever obstructing it.

In Wednesday’s media night performance, Martin stepped into the shoes of Jake Laurents and delivered one of his best performances on stage in the Gas City, demanding attention each time he approached the microphone with his portrayal of the struggling George Bailey, from his younger years all the way up to his Christmas Eve epiphany.

Stark stepped into the heels of Lana Sherwood for Wednesday’s performance, evoking memories of oldtime movies with her spot-on Transatlantic accent and delivering some of the evening’s funniest moments.

Front and centre, Townsend took on the role of host Freddie Filmore, tasked with a grocery list of characters ranging from the bumbling Uncle Billy and optimistic guardian angel Clarence Odbody, to the gruff Mr. Potter — and often changing between the vastly different voices in a matter of seconds.

Bruce Sandford, Dee Cannon and Ryan Holdaway will take over the roles of Freddie Filmore, Lana Sherwood and Jake Laurents, respectively, on Dec. 2, 4, 8 and 10, as well as tonight’s opening performance.

The 1946 Holiday classic about how an angel gets its wings still hasn’t lost the impact behind its meaning, and that message is delivered with impressive force by MHMT’s cast and crew in this live radio play production, reminding us all that it is in fact a wonderful life.

‘It’s A Wonderful Life — A Life Radio Play” opens at the MHMT Playhouse tonight, with additional shows scheduled for Nov. 27, Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 8-11. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at mhmtheatre. thundertix.com.

MHMT follows guidelines set out by the province’s Restriction Exemption Program. All patrons, cast and crew must be fully vaccinated. Patrons will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon entry.