It’s A Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play

By Joe Landry

Directed by Jim Howard

With Jim Howard, Richard Width, Ame Livingston, Larry Stallings, and Amy Terechenok

Orlando Theater Project at The Garden Theater in Winter Garden, FL

Ever since this chestnut escaped into the public domain, it’s become as big a part of our holiday tradition as sticky candy canes and peeing on Santa’s lap. Unlike that other staple seat filler, it’s not quite in danger of “Being Done To Death”, but it’s on that slippery slope. Until that inevitable disaster occurs we can quietly slip back to a 1940′s radio station where the cast of voices present the verbal version of the play, complete with sound effects and a very mild back stage drama.

Too-nice-to be true George Bailey (Width) struggles to keep his tiny Building and Loan afloat as the town meanie Mr. Potter (Howard) tries to take it over. When $8000 goes missing, George decides he’s worth more dead than alive through the miracle of Term Life Insurance. He’ll sacrifice himself instead of losing face and bothering the FDIC for the money. What a guy! Angel second class Clarence Odbody (Larry Stallings) get the job of saving George, and shows him how cheap and tawdry life in Bedford Falls might be, had George not been born.

I suspect real radio people didn’t dress as nicely as this cast, but the premise is entertaining – rather than blocking the show as if Bedford Falls was real, we see people scrambling to slam a door and then run to a microphone for a cue. Jim Howard sets the mood with his made for radio announcing style, while Larry Stalling does what he does best: project a nervous, uptight energy making Clarence seem like he might never get his promotion. Richard Width’s charm projects into his George, and as the only one character player, we never get to see him as two people arguing at once. The female roles were filled by Ame Livingston and Amy Terechenok, with Ms. Livingston in the clean cut roles like George’s uber nice wife Mary. Ms. Terechenok’s roles leant more toward the fallen woman roles, including Violet. Violet was George’s first girlfriend, and if he had never been on the scene, she’d be walking the streets.

Watching the radio actors is more interesting than watching the movie itself. We get a few silly ad breaks, a back story about a missing and presumed drunk sound effects guy, and a preshow that builds anticipation for the final count down to On Air. Ron Gravilla’s slightly claustrophobic set brings us into the radio studio, although there’s no way he could ever recapture that smell of warm electronics and cold cigarette butts.  

With a nod and a wink we know that this is just a play and we should all relax. Sure, it’s crammed with subtext about banking reform and urban planning, but those subjects are just as timeless as love and death and what’s in that oddly shaped box under the tree. These radio actors feel more real than their on air characters, and after the show they’ll all retire to a bar across the street for a couple of double bourbons before they come back for their next shift.  I haven’t seen this in ages: a holiday show that tastes fresh, and doesn’t leave that synthetic sweetener aftertaste.

For more information on Orlando Theater Project, please visit http://www.otp.cc

For more information on The Garden Theatre in Winter garden, please visit http://wgtheater.org or http://www.myspace.com/gardentheatre

Godspell

By John Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz

Directed by Paul Castaneda

Starring Kevin Sigman and Wyatt Glover

G.O.A.T., Orlando, FL

It’s really hard to criticize a play co-written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but what works as theology lacks a bit in the theatricality department. In this Sunday School lesson for the Attention Deficit Disordered, the singing outperforms the songs, the acting outperforms the script, and the Sinners become Saints without epiphany. We open with a Goth Metal dance party that makes you think “I’m going to need to call the cops, soon.” As the party gives the audience a frightening sense of worldly metal angst, John the Baptist (Glover) enters and gets the party calmed down with an apocalyptic version of his “You damned kids stay off my lawn” speech. The unhappy unsaved Goths quietly fall back as a very Sephardic Jesus (Sigman) takes the stage. It’s time for the bright, shiny and well behaved disciples  act out the parables, sing some upbeat but unmemorable songs, and take the sort of gentle rebuke from Jesus that you might give your 3 year old if he grabs too many cookies. And our Goth friends, they come back one by one, very discretely, and hang out at the back of the ensemble as truly penitent sinners ought.

While the songs were sort of blah (“Day By Day charted” in the 70’s and sounded sort of familiar), the singing wasn’t. “Day By Day” felt like it could still have some pop mileage when sung by Corrine Mahoney and The Ensemble. “Turn Back, Oh Man” was a nice torch number from Erin Brenna my favorite female dancer, and “We Beseech You” with Emile Doles stood out. Other noteworthy voice came from Mr. Glover and Nicole Carson. The dancing varied wildly, but lithe Andrew Sybert kept every one on the same line, even if showed off more than once. Sigman’s Jesus projected an otherworldly “I’m just here for the party” feeling but lacked the pop star charisma needed to make the Disciples enthusiasm feel real. The Goths looked menacing enough, but I’d have liked Jesus to interact with them more as they converted.

Except for some loud music in the opening sequence, Godspell is completely family friendly and never pushes a boundary that would offend a fanatically Christian audience member. The message might, we see that Salvation isn’t just for the people with fish bumpers stickers – I.R.S. agents and downloaders have an equal chance if they want it.  The large cast and minimal staging fill the GOAT space and compliment the exposed brick and wire atmosphere, and shows the company is adjusting nicely to its new space. While Godspell lack the toe tapping hits of its contemporary “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the show is enjoyable without getting preachy, and a great show case for some of Orlando’s lesser know but still noteworthy voices.

For more information, please visit http://www.goatgroup.com