Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna to star in It’s a Wonderful Life on Broadway

A live radio version of It’s a wonderful life will bow on Broadway this holiday season at the Broadhurst Theater, with previews beginning November 4 before a November 18 opening. The limited release will continue until January 3, 2027.

The cast will feature Andrew Rannells as George Bailey, Megan Hilty as Mary Bailey and Tituss Burgess as Clarence and others, as well as behind-the-scenes husband and wife Harry Hamlin as Mr. Potter and others and Lisa Rinna as Violet and others. Casting is done by Taylor Williams.

Adapted from the 1946 film (itself written by Broadway writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra) by Joe Landry, It’s a wonderful life will transport audiences to a 1940s radio studio as cast members come together to perform the timeless holiday favorite (based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s 1943 short story “The Greatest Gift”), complete with live sound effects and a band to play Christmas carols during commercial breaks. This film adaptation premiered in 1996 at Connecticut’s Stamford Center for the Arts, but the upcoming run will be its first Broadway bow.

“This story has touched the hearts of millions for generations, and I am thrilled to now bring it to the Broadway stage this holiday season with this sensational cast of greats from musical theater, television and comedy,” director Jerry Zaks said in a statement. “This production’s unique format as a radio play recalls the charm of a bygone era, while providing exciting surprises to delight modern audiences, creating a memorable and joyful holiday experience for all!”

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play began when my dear friend Frances Rose Kondziela asked me to create a stage version that she could direct at Fairfield High School,” adds Landry. “I never dreamed that the little play we started together would travel for decades, be adopted by theaters across the country, and eventually make it to Broadway. I am deeply grateful to Jerry Zaks, our producers, our creative team and our extraordinary cast for bringing it to the Broadhurst. It’s something I’m still trying to process.”

Zaks will direct the production, which will include set and costume design by Santo Loquasto, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Palmer Heffernan and musical direction by Andy Einhorn. Dylan Glen of Wagner Johnson Productions serves as general manager. The series will be produced by Seaview, Wagner Johnson Productions, No Guarantees Productions, Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Jillian Robbins, The Shubert Organization, The John Gore Organization, NETworks Presentations, Tom Tuft, Scott Abrams, Colleen Cook, Nicholas Kaiser, Stella La Rue and Bruce & Peggy Wanta.

Tickets are on Telecharge.com. Visit ItsaWonderfulLifeBway.com.