It’s a wonderful tradition

Everybody knows that It’s a Wonderful Life is the ultimate Christmas tradition when it comes to movies, but Capital Stage is turning it into a feel-good stage tradition for the holidays with a live adaptation. Two special productions of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will be presented; one on Monday, December 21, at 7 p.m., and another on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) at 2 p.m. The Frank Capra film will be transformed into a 1940’s-style live radio broadcast. Expect to see all your favorite characters: George, Mary, Ma Bailey, Uncle Billy—yes, even Mr. Potter—and Clarence, the wannabe angel. Tickets are $25. For more information, see Capital Stage’s Web site at www.capstage.org. Of course, if you’ve just got to see the film version, the Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento has an annual tradition of special big-screen shows. This year, It’s a Wonderful Life will be shown on December 23 and 24 at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., and tickets are $9.50. Hey, there’s no such thing as too much of a wonderful life.