This Wonderful Life at Barrington Stage Company

Tom Beckett Recreates Capra's Beloved Film

By: Charles Giuliano - Dec 06, 2008

The sparing but effective set of Brian Prather and Kelly Syring. Kevin Sprague photos.

Just a cap and a wheel signify a cab ride.

Mary Hatch Bailey talks to George from the window of her home.

With his life insurance policy on the table a desperate George reasons that he is worth more to his family dead than alive.

The people pay back the bankrupt George for all that he has done for them.

 

 This Wonderful Life
Written by Steve Murray; Conceived by Mark Setlock
Starring Tom Beckett: Directed by  Andrew Volkoff: Scenic design, Brian Prather and Kelly Syring; Lighting, Jeff Davis; Costumes, Jacob A. Climer; Sound, Brad Berridge; Production Stage Manager, Renee Lutz; Casting, Janet Foster CSA, Sponsored by the Berkshire Eagle and Children's Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Barrington Stage Company: Stage 2, Pittsfield, Mass. December 3- 20
http://www.barringtonstageco.org

    Got the blues? Has the rotten economy made you feel down and out? That was just the mood of the nation in 1946 when Frank Capra produced and directed the all time, feel good, Holiday film "It's a Wonderful Life."

          Famously, it was not successful initially. It was disappointing at the box office and did not recover its, for then, enormous cost of $3.18 million. Although nominated for five Academy Awards it lost out in every category, including Best Picture, to the now largely forgotten, sentimental favorite "The Best Years of Our Lives" about soldiers returning from war and getting their lives back on track.

                Through a glitch the film slipped into eminent domain and was widely shown on TV during the Holiday season. After a court decision, in 1993, copyright was recovered by Republic Pictures and the film is licensed to NBC which now airs it on Christmas Eve and one other Holiday slot. A remastered DVD is a top item for Netflix. Through this exposure the film has earned a spot on most top 100 lists. The role of the small town, Savings and Loan banker, George Bailey, is widely considered to be one of the most enduring performances by Jimmy Stewart.

             Bursting on stage with a bolt of energy Tom Beckett, who in an hour and twenty minutes will manage to play all of the roles in the 130 minute film, states "I love 'It's a Wonderful Life' I love it so much I want to do it all for you myself. Ready?"

               Over the next manic moments he does indeed encapsulate the entire film and announces "Thank you and good night." The house lights dim and then come back up as he says "Sorry, was that too fast? I get a little excited. Do you love this move as much as I do? People love 'It's a Wonderful Life' for different reasons. Family man George Bailey. Evil banker old man Potter. Clarence the dotty angel. Annie the maid. Zuzu's petals. Or, the image of a man standing alone on a bridge on Christmas Eve. The story of how he got there. And how he found his way home again. OK. Want me to give it another try? I'll go slower this time. Promise."

               Well, not really. The pace and energy is actually quite frenetic. In addition to compressing the film by an hour, he also addresses the audience in brilliant asides that make us a part of the fun. From time to time he says to us "Oh you know that part." The concept of the production, which premiered at Portland Center Stage in Portland, Oregon in 2005, is to riff on our familiarity. He often steps out of character to milk audience reactions to the clever and sparing use of props. Some blinking chandeliers to simulate heaven as "special effects." A set of stairs as surrogate for a house. The famous bridge wheeled out with some snow falling from above. A table that is whirled about to simulate George, then, mean Mr. Potter. A wheel and cap signifying a cab ride. Once, hilariously, a prop got out of control. When he gives an office chair on wheels a shove it rolled off stage. In terrific ad lib he recovered nicely and in so doing further endeared the audience.

            Mostly the play succeeds through the flawless direction of Andrew Volkoff (his most recent hit for BSC was the stunning "I Am My Own Wife") and the crisp timing of Beckett. Effortlessly, he manages to smoothly transition from male to female, young to old, and every nuance in between. Each of the many characters is equally convincing. That would be enough for any single actor but add to that a lot of physical comedy and pratfalls. He is constantly falling on the stage only to recover and do it again, and again and again. While the laughter just builds and builds. It is amazing that he manages to catch his breath and keep going. It is impossible not to be caught up in his whirling dervish of energy, charm, and good cheer. Bravo.

          As the evening progressed we came to love Tom Beckett just as much as he proclaimed his love for "It's a Wonderful Life." Not only is the current production a smash hit for Barrington Stage it promises to be a much anticipated annual event. It seems that BSC has found an affordable holiday production (tickets are $30 and under with student and senior discounts as low as $15)."This Wonderful Life" will likely become a beloved Berkshire tradition. Well, for as least as long as the remarkable Tom Beckett is available and has the stamina for this most demanding one man play.

            Thanks Barrington Stage. Truly, we needed that. At least for one evening it distracted us from all the bad news. Though times are tough this heart-warming play will keep a lot of us from jumping off the bridge on Christmas Eve. What could be better than seeing Clarence the angel earn his wings? It lets our spirits fly.