"This version doesn't diverge from or reinterpret its widely beloved source material...Duffy offers the most consistent delights with his props and gadgets for creating the sounds...To hanker for a more emotionally wide-ranging experience is to wish for something fundamentally different from what Palermo and Moore are interested in providing...Comfort food par excellence...There's nothing wrong with indulging, especially under hands as capable and affectionate as these."
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"It may be hard to imaging the story without Jimmy Stuart. But happily these actors are really wonderful and Moore handles the material so expertly our imaginations can easily fill in the blanks...If you're finding these dim days of December are a little dimmer than usual, give your heart cheer and your soul comfort with the pure goodness of a show that celebrates people who love, comfort, and care for each other."
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"Does any film director better define or describe the All-American spirit than Frank Capra? And does any other of Frank Capra's films better describe the All-American spirit than his Christmas movie 'It's a Wonderful Life?' Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life' is now an unusual stage play, presented as it first was a couple years ago at the Irish Rep as if it were a live radio play."
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“What a treat this radio play adaptation is...There is an easiness in the air and camaraderie amongst the lot...All play their numerous parts with relish and joy, surprising us all with their versatility, energy, and stage presence. They really do a spectacular job connecting us to the film while keeping us with them in the radio theater...The end wraps it up a bit too quickly, and doesn’t have the emotional ring to it like the film, but it is amazing how in 70 minutes they accomplish so much.”
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"The deftly executed script covers all important touchstones in heart-warmingly familiar scenes with abbreviated dialogue. It’s great fun to watch the studio SFX artist (Rory Duffy) create atmosphere with cued sounds...Director Moore has created a believable double scenario from the naturalness of station W I R T and its wry-to-us commercials, to the play within the play which captivates from the get-go. Characters are well defined, turn on a dime, and relate as if a long time company."
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“In no way could we be disappointed by this wonderful live radio-play...Adapted by Palermo in a homey style, it runs just over an hour. In director Moore’s hands, the themes and story soar as the cast pulls out all the stops and sink their teeth into the well-known characterizations...Moore and the cast and crew honor 'It’s a Wonderful Life' in this joyful commemoration, and what a sterling message to venerate.”
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"A clever way to present the story from a new angle...We get nostalgia, the pleasure of 'live' radio and the spine of the film’s story all at once...The set-up is low-key and winning...Anyone who has ever watched a radio play being performed knows what a treat that is, from observing the simple sound effects to the fun of seeing an actor switch from a little child to an old woman in the blink of an eye and so on...Moore directs the cast with a light touch and they are uniformly strong."
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