Ali Ewoldt, Ashley Robinson and More to Star in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE! at Irish Repertory Theatre

Irish Repertory Theatre has revealed the full cast for their 2025 holiday production, It’s A Wonderful Life!, adapted for radio from Frank Capra's 1946 film by Anthony E. Palermo and directed by Charlotte Moore (A Child’s Christmas in Wales). Featuring music direction by David Hancock Turner (The Butcher Boy), It’s A Wonderful Life! will begin performances December 3, 2025, on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage, with opening night set for December 7, for a limited run through December 31, 2025.

The cast for It’s A Wonderful Life! will include Rufus Collins (The Dead, 1904), Ali Ewoldt (A Child’s Christmas in Wales), Reed Lancaster (A Child’s Christmas in Wales), Leenya Rideout (Come From Away), and Ashley Robinson (A Child’s Christmas in Wales).

It’s A Wonderful Life! will feature scenic design by James Morgan (It’s A Wonderful Life), costume design by David Toser (Aristocrats), lighting design by Michael Gottlieb (The Honey Trap), sound design by Florian Staab (Philadelphia, Here I Come!), and properties by Nicole Rozanski (Beckett Briefs). Michael Palmer (Irishtown) is the Production Stage Manager and Jade Doina (Philadelphia, Here I Come!) is the Assistant Stage Manager. The original musical score was composed and arranged by Jonathan Green.

Step back in time to radio station W.I.R.T. on Christmas Eve, 1946, where Frank Capra’s holiday classic It’s A Wonderful Life comes thrillingly to life before your eyes—and ears! Irish Rep’s celebrated production of It’s A Wonderful Life!, adapted by Anthony E. Palermo and directed by Charlotte Moore, reimagines the beloved film as a live radio broadcast filled with nostalgic songs, vintage commercials, and delightful handmade sound effects.

George Bailey, the kindest man in Bedford Falls, has always put others first—until one fateful night when he begins to doubt if his life has made a difference. Enter Clarence, a guardian angel still waiting to earn his wings, who shows George how the world would look if he had never been born. With six actors portraying more than two dozen unforgettable characters, this heartwarming production captures the magic of the Golden Age of Radio. It reminds us that “no one is a failure who has friends.” And yes—Clarence finally gets his wings.