IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and A VERY DIE HARD CHRISTMAS Open this Week at Theatre Unleashed

This holiday season, Theatre Unleashed is literally going to have something for everyone! From Nov. 30 to Dec. 18, TU will proudly present what it's dubbing the "Naughty and Nice" rep, which includes the return of two of the company's most popular holiday traditions; It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play and A Very Die Hard Christmas at The Belfry Stage in NoHo.

"The holidays are all about traditions and our patrons have enjoyed TU's holiday traditions for over five years now, said Jenn Scuderi Crafts, the company's artistic director and the director of Wonderful Life. "Last year, as our mainstay It's A Wonderful Life: The Radio Playwent through a re-write, we decided to try a totally different direction and bring the smash hit A Very Die Hard Christmas to L.A. Audiences loved it, but we did hear feedback that they missed the old traditions. So this year we are very excited to bring both these audience favorites back to our stage for a real holiday treat."

It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play takes place at KAWL, a struggling 1940s radio station that good-hearted owner Michael Anderson is barely keeping alive. He calls on some old friends (with big personalities) and some less-than-professional station employees to offer up a live radio version of Frank Capra's touching masterpiece It's a Wonderful Life in what might sadly be the station's last live show. But it's the holidays, a time when miracles can happen...

In A Very Die Hard Christmas, a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. One man has managed to escape. An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He's alone, tired...and he doesn't like Christmas. This is much more than a stage version of the holiday classic Die Hard, its parody at its best with Christmas miracles and familiar holiday friends galore. Yippee Ki-Yay, Father Christmas!

It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play will run Wednesday and Friday nights and Sunday matinees. A Very Die Hard Christmas will run Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

"I am beyond honored and thrilled that Theatre Unleashed is once again bringing back to the stage my take on this classic story of love, friendship and true holiday spirit," said Jim Martyka, writer of It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play. "The changes I made to the show really frame the story better and add depth to the characters and the era it takes place in, and what Jenn and the actors are doing with it will fill audiences with nostalgia and absolute cheer."

In a bit of an ironic twist in this friendly TU holiday competition, Scuderi Crafts' husband and TU managing director Gregory Crafts will director Die Hard.

"The West Coast premiere of A Very Die Hard Christmas last year was our most incendiary success to date, swiftly becoming the top holiday show in Los Angeles with a bullet," he said. "This year, our tastefully offensive tale of John McClane's search for his Holiday Spirit returns with a few new faces and fifty percent more explosions. Hold on to your butts! Wait, that's Jurassic Park. Oh yeah. Yippie Kai Yay, Mother Fucker!"

So, are you naughty or nice? Or both?! Either way, check out www.theatreunleashed.org for more info.

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