Capital City Theatre was looking for its own holiday show like “The Nutcracker” or “A Christmas Carol.” Something that everybody knows and associates with the holidays, and that they could stage every year and become an annual tradition in Madison.
What better than the classic 1946 movie that people watch year after year?
“It’s A Wonderful Life,” a new musical based on Frank Capra’s tearjerker starring Jimmy Stewart as a good man who learns how much his life has affected others, is now playing in the Mitby Theater and Madison College’s Truax Campus and runs through Sunday, Dec. 1.
Working off the film’s original screenplay (which is in the public domain), Andrew Abrams wrote the music and John Atkins wrote the lyrics and books. The musical has been a project literally 20 years in the making for the duo.
Abrams talked about the creation of the musical with Madison Minutes.
What is it about “It’s A Wonderful Life” that has become such an important part of the holidays for people 80 years later?
We want those stories, like “A Christmas Carol,” where a character goes through turmoil, like Scrooge or George Bailey, and comes out on the other side with kindness. We all want that, and crave that. Especially right now of all times.
How did you approach writing the music for the show?
People always ask me if I’ve contemporized the music at all. If you walked in and didn’t know, you’d think it was written in the early 1960s. It has a slightly forward-looking feel, but you know what decade you’re in as you watch the show. It roots you in the time of the movie, and I didn’t want to take the audience out of that.
Have you updated the original 1946 film for modern audiences?
We have a more diverse cast than in the film, trying to represent today’s world more than 1946 Hollywood. Another thing is the view of suicide. Suicide is such a major part of this movie, and it wasn’t until recently that people were talking openly about it.
Our director, Michael Cotey, gets up before rehearsals and gives these great speeches that make everybody cry. He talks about how if one or two people are affected by the musical to reconsider dark thoughts they’ve had, or seek help, we’ve done our job.
Here’s a few more holiday shows to bring cheer in Madison this season:
Dance Fabulous sends up “Die Hard,” “Wicked,” “Mean Girls” and more holiday chestnuts in this saucy and sassy revue at the Bur Oak on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Kanopy Dance goes global with this multicultural celebration that ranges from Scandinavian folklore to Indian community dances. At Overture’s Promenade Hall Dec. 5-8.
This based-on-a-true-story of a battlefield armistice during World War I has become an annual tradition for Four Seasons Theatre. Dec. 5-15 in Overture Center’s Playhouse.
Maestro John DeMain puts on the Santa hat for this annual celebration, including Madison Youth Choirs and the Mt. Zion Gospel Choirs. It runs Dec. 6-8 in Overture Hall.
It just wouldn’t be the holidays without Children’s Theatre of Madison’s annual production of the Charles Dickens classic, running Dec. 7-22 in the Capitol Theater at Overture Center.
Madison Ballet brings back this enchanting production, with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra providing live accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music. See it in Overture Hall Dec. 13-22.
Zany plays called “pantos” are a holiday tradition in England, and Bartell Theatre does its own version every December. Ruh roh! The show takes on classic cartoons Dec. 13-28.
The Pogues’ holiday classic inspires this Irish celebration of the season, featuring musicians, dancers, and an audience sing-along, at the Barrymore Theatre on Dec. 15.
Dance Wisconsin has been doing its own version of “Nutcracker” for nearly 50 years, with vocals from the Monona Grove High School singers. See it at Shannon Hall on Dec. 21 and 22.
