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<\/a>(L-R) Jeff Gardner, Rob Nagle,Ryun Yu, Haneefah Wood, Rebecca Mozo, and Simon Helberg. Photo by Brick Patrick, as is the one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
Now, before my actual review, here\u2019s why this time-honored story means so much to me: Before Mr. X and I had our beloved toy poodle Clarence, the Singing Dog, we had another absolutely adorable, precious companion, Bud. Viewers of Karen\u2019s Restaurant Revue<\/em> loved that little ball of white fluff. Bud shockingly passed away at only four years old, and I knew right away that if we ever got another dog, we would name him after Bud.<\/p>\n So, of course, since Bud was now an angel, and our favorite angel is Clarence from Frank Capra\u2019s film, It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>, that would be his name. So, we had the name before we had the actual dog. Three years<\/em> before we got the dog, actually!<\/p>\n There\u2019s so much more to that story, which is too long to write. But it\u2019s a good one! So hopefully I\u2019ll tell it on my YouTube Channel soon. I\u2019m so sorry, but I ran out of time to shoot a video to accompany this review. (But, if you sat near me in the show the other day, and heard me crying hysterically towards the end, when Clarence gets his wings, I apologize. I tried hard to hold it in, but it gets me every time. Maybe the lovely theatre usherettes should hand-out tissue packets for sensitive audience members such as myself.)<\/p>\n (L-R) Jeff Gardner, Rob Nagle, Haneefah Wood, Ryun Yu, Rebecca Mozo, and Simon Helberg. Photo by Brick Patrick.<\/p><\/div>\n The Pasadena Playhouse had done a similar production to this one last year, of Miracle On 34th Street<\/em>, and I loved it so much that I was wondering if It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em> could live up to that<\/em> high standard. And…it totally does! It even throws in a surprise gorgeous visual in the last twenty minutes or so. (The whole show is only eighty minutes long, really exactly, with no intermission.) And they did this<\/em> one with just five<\/em> actors!!!<\/p>\n Only one of them is a \u201cname,\u201d (Simon Helberg from Big Bang Theory<\/em>,) but the entire quintet lives up to the challenge of doing multiple character voices, (in most cases,) and making them charming and entertaining. And different<\/em> from each other! (I<\/em> can actually do multiple voices myself\u2014a girl<\/em> from Brooklyn and a truck driver<\/em>…from Brooklyn.)<\/p>\n Simon Helberg. Photo by Brick Patrick.<\/p><\/div>\n I give Simon a lot of credit for tackling this iconic Jimmy Stewart role. It can not be fun knowing that your performance will be compared to that of the master, but I advise everyone to take his<\/em> \u201cGeorge Bailey\u201d on its own merits because, let\u2019s face it, folks, no one<\/em> is the beloved Jimmy Stewart. But Simon makes it work. And his entrance is adorable, and so him. (And, on a shallow note, his stardom gives this presentation some extra panache. And after watching Big Bang Theory for all eleven years, it was interesting to see him work in person. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll all appreciate him, as well.)<\/p>\n Rob Nagle and Ryun Yu voice all<\/em> the male roles\u2014I repeat all<\/em>\u2014(outside of Simon\u2019s \u201cGeorge,\u201d) with gusto and definition. And in addition, Rob masterfully plays the host of the fictional radio program that\u2019s presenting this production. Rebecca Mozo is a perfect concerned wife, and Haneefah Wood is not only rocking one of the most gorgeous bracelets I\u2019ve ever coveted, but she plays the little girl, Zuzu, so well that there\u2019s no need for a child actor this year. I actually had to look twice to see if that voice was indeed coming from her!<\/p>\n (L-R) Jeff Gardner, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Mozo, Rob Nagle, and Ryun Yu. Photo by Brick Patrick.<\/p><\/div>\n Speaking of looking, this is the one show in town during which you can even close your eyes for a bit, to feel what it would be like to hear it on the radio back then.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t do it for long or you will miss the most fascinating aspect of this production\u2014the before-our-eyes foley (sound effects) work. Jeff Gardner is great at creating all kinds of realistic sounds out of everyday items. What he does is truly an art. Most people aren\u2019t even aware of it, but I helped-out on a movie back in the day, (don\u2019t ask!,) so my love of all that ingenuity started early. I think many of you will be amazed by Jeff\u2019s maneuvers on this stage.<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I loved the simple-yet-clever set, which started-off the warm feelings as soon as we entered the theatre. (I\u2019m surprised that there\u2019s no set design credit in the program, so I don\u2019t know to whom to give the kudos.)<\/p>\n (L-R) Jeff Gardner, Rob Nagle, Haneefah Wood, Rebecca Mozo, Simon Helberg, and Ryun Yu. Photo by Brick Patrick.<\/p><\/div>\n And I really adored the real-time clock high on the set wall, a bit under the \u201cApplause\u201d sign, especially since time-obsessed moi did not wear a watch that day. (It didn\u2019t go with my holiday jewelry ensemble. Come on, don\u2019t you all know by now that I\u2019m shallow?) And, I don’t know if this is on purpose or not, but I so appreciate that the clock disappears in the part where George Bailey hasn\u2019t existed. Such a clever touch if they meant it.<\/p>\n Adding to the fun is the old-time commercials that the cast does as breaks in the radio program, complete with jingles-singing. I had to look-up \u201cDuck\u2019s Toilet Cake\u201d to see if it was a real product back then, but had no luck. So, if they made that one up just for this show, they got me.<\/p>\n The courtyard festive-ness. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The good feelings and holiday spirit continued for many of the guests even after the show. We noticed a lot of them milling around the patio last Sunday afternoon, when we saw It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever been to the Pasadena Playhouse on a regular show day, (I had to miss this opening night because I was, once again, overbooked,) and it was fascinating to see just how happy and upbeat everyone was. Snacks and holiday souvenirs were being sold out there, and there were tables and chairs to enjoy it all on, which I\u2019ve never seen out there before. And the courtyard featured a gigantic and beautiful Christmas tree, with colorful statues of presents all around it. It\u2019s all so festive! (But how did they get it up in that fountain location?! Did they take down the sculpture in the center of it for the tree? I have got<\/em> to know!)<\/p>\n But I do<\/em> already know which show they should do next<\/em> year; I can\u2019t believe that I have to wait another eleven months to see if I am correct. (And, if they want to hire me as a consultant, I can guarantee you that it will be a fun one. Just sayin\u2019.)<\/p>\n In the meantime, do not miss this<\/em> show this week\u2014it\u2019s a wonderful addition to your holiday activities!<\/p>\n It\u2019s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play<\/em> running through December 23, 2018<\/strong> IT\u2019S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY In this busy end-of-year season, Mr. X and I really hassled to see this very limited-run show at the Pasadena Playhouse. And we\u2019re so glad we did! Before I spin my little personal yarn about this holiday tale, I\u2019m telling you right up front–go see It\u2019s a<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Avenue Pasadena 626-356-7529\u00a0www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"