Off Broadway at the Marcus Center to Present IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE LIVE FROM WVL RADIO THEATRE, 12/18-21

Off Broadway at the Marcus Center will bring IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE LIVE FROM WVL RADIO THEATRE to the Wilson Theater in Vogel Hall on December 18-21. Tickets are $38.00 and are subject to change. Tickets go on sale this Sunday, October 12 at 12:00 pm at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 North Water Street, Downtown Milwaukee, by phone at 414-273-7206, or online at MarcusCenter.org or Ticketmaster.com. Groups of 10 or more SAVE by calling 414-273-7121 ext. 210. This limited engagement is sponsored by the Ambassador Hotel.

It's Christmas Eve in 1945, and only a handful of WVL Radio's actors have braved the blizzard to perform that evening's broadcast of It's a Wonderful Life and keep the station afloat. This clever stage adaptation breathes new life into the poignant story of George Bailey and Bedford Falls. When Frank Capra and his co-writers were working on the original screenplay of It's a Wonderful Life, the Great Depression was a vivid memory. The story of George Bailey and Bedford Falls is juxtaposed against a time of failing banks, devastatingly high unemployment and a shortage of affordable housing. The circumstances are eerily familiar, and over 60 years later, this story remains as fresh and relevant as ever. Its message of hope and optimism is the perfect antidote to holiday cynicism.

This 1940s "live broadcast" of Frank Capra's beloved film takes us back to the Golden Age of Radio. This fresh new adaptation of the film is set in the fictional studio of WVL Radio Theatre on a cold, snowy winter night. Due to the blizzard, the professional voice actors are unable to get through, but the show must go on - so a small but intrepid band of employees manage to create the dozens of movie characters and scenes using just their voices and a sound effects table.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, Frank Capra's beloved film is an undisputed holiday treasure, ranked #11 in the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films ever made - and also their #1 most inspirational American film of all time.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Orchestrations - Top 3

1. Ethan Popp, The Rescues - The Lost Boys

28.7% of votes

2. Lux Pyramid - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

13.7% of votes

3. Anders Eljas, Brian Usifer - Chess

12.8% of votes

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