Citadel will be visited by Clarence the Angel and the beleaguered George Bailey from November 13 – December 13, when the company presents IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE LIVE RADIO PLAY, based on the perennial favorite holiday film that starred James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. When the film premiered in 1946, before the television era, it was a common practice for popular films to be performed as live radio plays, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE was performed live on CBS’s THE LUX RADIO THEATRE with Stewart and Reed recreating their film roles as George and Mary Bailey on December 23, 1947. This radio play adaptation by playwright Joe Landry not only brings the film’s beloved story to the stage, but it also recreates the magic of the heyday of radio dramas.
The cast of five will play radio actors who are performing all 50 roles of the “radio play within a play,” recreating the tension and excitement of performing live before a studio audience and a nationwide radio audience of millions. Jack Hickey, the former Artistic Director of Oak Park Festival Theatre, who directed Citadel’s THE COTTAGE in 2024, will return to Citadel to direct. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY will open on Friday, November 13 after previews on November 11 and 12, and play through December 13.
Hickey’s stellar cast will be led by Brian Parry, known in Chicago for such iconic roles as Willy Loman, King Lear, and Richard Nixon. Parry has been cast in the equally iconic role of the villainous Mr. Potter, created in the film by Barrymore. Jake and Sally – the radio actors playing George and Mary Bailey - will be Jake Harrison Murphy (Puck in BrightSide Theatre’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM) and Rachel J. Jones (seen earlier this year in Writers Theatre’s LEOPOLDSTADT, and as Juliet in Oak Park Theatre’s ROMEO AND JULIET). Parry, along with John Dooley (of Citadel’s ADMISSIONS and THE COTTAGE) and Cait Kelly (of POOR BEHAVIOR and CRY IT OUT with Oil Lamp Theatre), will be the radio actors playing all the other characters of the film. Caleb Ryan Jones will create the Foley sound effects and play the radio stage manager. Understudies are Bob Sanders (Freddie/Mr. Potter and others), Zach Kunde (Harry, Jake/George Bailey and others) and Ariel Dooley (Sally/Mary Bailey). The final cast members, it should be noted, will be the Citadel audiences themselves – who will play the studio audience.
Top Row L-R: Brian Parry, Jake Harrison Murphy, Rachel J. Jones.
Lower Row L-R: Cait Kelly, John Dooley, Caleb Ryan Jones.
The IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE design team that will take audiences back to a radio studio of the 1940’s includes Jeff Award winners Bob Knuth (Scenic Design) and Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design); Joel Zishuk (Lighting Design), Alex Trinh (Sound Design), and Reiley Duffy (Props Design). Also on the production team are Abby Austin (Stage Manager), Jason Clark (Master Carpenter), Adri Andreolas (Scenic Charge), Natalie Barowsky (Stage Crew), and Scott and Ellen Phelps (Production Managers).
Flex passes, which can be used in any combinations for any Citadel Main Stage shows, are available for four admissions at $140.00, or three admissions for $115.00 or two admissions for $80.00. Preview flex passes are also available for $45 (two shows), $55 (three shows), or $65 (four shows). Subscriptions and single tickets priced at $50 (plus ticketing. Fees) are on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org.
Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company’s website at www.citadeltheatre.org.
LISTING INFORMATION
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
Adapted by Joe Landry
Based on the story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip van Doren Stern
Directed by Jack Hickey
Friday, November 13 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
(Previews November 11 and 12 at 7:30 pm)
Press Opening Friday, November 13 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on November 18 and December 2, Saturday matinees at 3 pm on November 28 and December 12. Understudy performance Wednesday, December 2 at 6:30 pm.
* No show on Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day)
Preview ticket prices $27.15 including ticketing fee. Regular run prices $53.40 including ticketing fee. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students..
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1
On one fateful Christmas Eve, George Bailey teeters on the edge of despair, until an unexpected visitor reveals the extraordinary impact of his life. The immortal story of the classic film is told as a lively 1940s radio broadcast. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY blends humor, nostalgia and heart into a timeless reminder that the choices we make can change everything.
BIOS
Jack Hickey (Director) Jack returns to Citadel Theatre, where he directed THE COTTAGE in 2024 and appeared as Tony Reilly in 2023’s OUTSIDE MULLINGAR. Jack has been a member for over 20 years of the Oak Park Festival Theatre, where he served as Artistic Director for 15 of those years. He has acted in or directed over 25 productions with the company, most notably as Falstaff in HENRY IV, Henry Drummond in INHERIT THE WIND, and Cyrano in CYRANO DE BERGERAC. Jack was nominated for an Equity Jeff Award playing Michael in SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME.
Jack is also a former company member of ShawChicago, performing in over 20 productions with them. Favorite roles there include The Devil in DON JUAN IN HELL, and Andrew Undershaft in MAJOR BARBARA. TV credits include CHICAGO MED and UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. He was in two commercials with Michael Jordan and appeared briefly (uncredited) in the film CONTINENTAL DIVIDE with John Belushi.
Joe Landry (Playwright) Joe Landry’s plays have been produced across the country and internationally and include IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY, REEFER MADNESS, VINTAGE HITCHCOCK: A LIVE RADIO PLAY, EVE & CO., BEAUTIFUL, HOLLYWOOD BABYLON, and NUMB. Mr. Landry attended Playwrights Horizons/NYU, founded Second Guess Theatre Company in Connecticut, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. He is currently developing new projects for the stage and screen
Scott Phelps (Artistic Director) is in his 24th year as the Artistic Director at Citadel. He’s acted in and directed dozens of Citadel productions for over two decades since founding this North Shore theatre in 2002 with his friend and lifelong companion, Ellen. In 2025, Scott co-starred with Ellen in MISERY, and the two played husband and wife in 2023’s THE CHRISTIANS. He has acted/directed in NYC, and in his home state of California; trained as an actor at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA; received his BFA from the University of Utah and did an apprenticeship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. For 18 years Scott worked for a promotional company and raised his three daughters and his son in Lake Forest. Recently he has been taking on the next chapter of his life — the role of “Beepa” to his grandchildren. Although he is unsure if he is old enough to play that part, he’s been enjoying the challenge.
Citadel Theatre is one of Chicagoland’s premier live theatres, producing hundreds of performances annually and inspiring audiences for nearly 24 years. Founded by Scott and Ellen Phelps in 2002, Citadel Theatre is comprised of its Main Stage performances and its theatre acting classes for children. A proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff ArtsLink, Citadel Theatre offers a unique intimate theatre experience that transports you to another setting and leaves you feeling exhilarated and wanting more. A recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Citadel can accept tax-deductible donations. For more information, ticketing, and to donate, please visit Citadel online at www.CitadelTheatre.org or call 847.735.8554.