This past weekend, November 21-23, the Westlake Players debuted It's a Wonderful Life in black and white! The theatre group worked endless hours to perfect the classic performance. 

 

Between Clarence Odbody’s (Sean Samoyedny’s) monologues and George Bailey’s (Brady Fitzgerald’s) breakdowns onstage, the audience was captivated. Everyone backstage and in the audience shed a tear as Mary Hatch (Giuliana Malaj) and George Bailey confessed their love to one another and grew their family together. The cast continued with star performances by countless others who have made the show a truly remarkable event.

 

Highlighting both the Great Depression setting, as well as the movie production’s release date, the monochromatic black and white set and costumes brought the classic film to life. The cast was flawlessly characterized by the colorless makeup, and the crew painted props and set pieces black, white, and gray to match the cast's attire. This also intentionally mirrored the major themes of self-doubt and sacrifice. However, the casts’ impeccable performance was sure to highlight the value in second chances, hope and perseverance.  

Along with the notable performances, the cast wove in the famous tunes: “Auld Lang Syne,” “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” “Buffalo Gals” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” These truly made the performance memorable, as well as left the audience feeling festive. 

 

The audience was not the only group to have enjoyed the show, as the cast themselves admitted they enjoyed interacting with the classic 1920s set and dressing in their historically accurate costumes. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, It’s A Wonderful Life reminds us all to be more thankful for and aware of those who we have in our lives and to remember the impact we have on one another. It certainly drove home the message that “no man is a failure who has friends.”