East Granby Resident Among Cast of 'It's A Wonderful Life' in Hartford

You don't have to go further than Hartford at the start of the holiday season to visit George Bailey in Bedford Falls as he learns what the world would be like if he were never born.

Farmington's Virginia Wolf directs It's A Wonderful Life at The Mark Twain House & Museum the week after Thanksgiving as the holiday season begins. 

Connecticut's Herstory Theater, a "non-union, professional theater company," is partnering with The Mark Twain House for to bring the holiday classic live to Hartford "in the style of old-time radio theater" with local talent, enhanced with the work of sound effects artist Ian Galligan, of Meriden. Joe Landry wrote the adaptation.

Betsy Maguire, of Simsbury, Chris Berrien of East Granby, Susan Saks,  Marty Moran, of Wethersfield, Patrick Spadaccino and Bob Muscatel, both of Middletown, Jomarie Pipolo and Mark Englehart, both of West Hartford,  Ann Baldwin, of Windsor and John Swanson, of Rockville are in the cast. Wethersfield's Kathryn Lewis stage manages the show.

Fans of the film might remember a Connecticut connection to the story that only makes it fitting that The Mark Twain House is the venue for the performance. Clarence, a guardian angel, carries a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, which was written and published in Hartford.  

"It's A Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart,  was released in 1946. The beloved film was "not an immediate popular or financial success, but its reputation grew over the years," according to a press release about the production. Due to a "clerical error resulting in the loss of copyright protection," the movie was "widely" shown annually leading up to Christmas and grew in popularity, the release stated.

There will be two performances of It's a Wonderful Life on Saturday, Dec. 7 in the Mark Twain House Museum Center at 2 and 7 p.m. The show is 90 minutes long without intermission. Admission costs $10. For more information, call 860- 280-3130. Tickets can also be purchased online at itsawonderfullife.brownpapertickets.com.

Herstory Theater produces "educational performances" for "schools, museums, historic societies, libraries," and people interested in history, the release states.

The Mark Twain House and Musuem is located at 351 Farmington Ave. in Hartford.