This holiday season, bells will ring and Angels will get their wings! BroadwayWorld has just learned that It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, will have its Broadway Premiere at the Broadhurst Theatre. Adapted for the stage by Joe Landry and based on the story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, the play transports audiences to a 1940s radio studio, where a company of celebrated actors gathers to perform Frank Capra’s timeless classic, live on-the-air, complete with a foley artist and holiday carols. Previews begin Wednesday, November 4, with an official Opening Night of Wednesday, November 18, for a strictly limited engagement of nine weeks only, through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
Five of stage and screen’s most beloved and dynamic stars will bring a bevy of Bedford Falls characters to life for the Broadway debut of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Two-time Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (Gutenberg!, The Book of Mormon) leads the company as George Bailey, opposite two-time Tony nominee Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her, “Smash”) as Mary Bailey. Six-time Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess (Oh, Mary!, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) earns his wings as Clarence and others, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Harry Hamlin (“Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches,” “L.A. Law,” “Mad Men”) takes on the villainous Mr. Potter and others, and four-time Emmy nominee Lisa Rinna (“Days of Our Lives,” “The Traitors,” “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”) plays Violet and others.
”This story has touched the hearts of millions for generations, and I’m thrilled to now be bringing it to the Broadway stage this holiday season with this sensational cast of musical theater, television, and comedy greats,” said director Jerry Zaks. “This production’s unique format as a radio play calls back to the charm of a bygone era, while also folding in exciting surprises to thrill modern audiences, making for a memorable and joyful holiday experience for all!”
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play invites theatergoers to take their seats in the live studio audience of a 1940s radio broadcast, high above New York City at Christmastime, where a company of actors has gathered to perform one of the most beloved holiday stories ever told. It’s the timeless story of George Bailey, a man who has spent his life putting the needs of others before his own. When a crisis forces him to look back on the life he’s lived, he discovers just how much one person can mean to the people around him. Jerry Zaks’ joyful production brings the town of Bedford Falls to life, with the actors playing dozens of characters, a foley artist creating sound effects live onstage, and, of course, some carols along the way. It’s the holiday classic you know by heart, on Broadway for the first time ever.
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play began when my dear friend Frances Rose Kondziela asked me to create a stage version she could direct at Fairfield High School,” said playwright Joe Landry. “I never dreamed that the little play we started together would travel for decades, be embraced by theatres around the country, and eventually arrive on Broadway. I’m deeply grateful to Jerry Zaks, our producers, creative team, and extraordinary cast for bringing it to the Broadhurst. It’s something I’m still trying to take in.”
The design team for the Broadway production includes Tony Award-winning Costume & Scenic Designer Santo Loquasto (Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man), Lighting Designer Kenneth Posner (Beetlejuice, The Coast of Utopia), and Sound Designer Palmer Heffernan (John Proctor is the Villain, Just For Us). Music Direction is by Andy Einhorn (Gypsy, Carousel). Casting is by Taylor Williams, CSA, and General Management is by WJP/Dylan Glen.
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is produced on Broadway by Seaview, WJP, 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.
Based on the 1943 short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern, Frank Capra’s heartwarming masterpiece film It’s A Wonderful Life was released in 1946 and nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the film, which is still embraced today as a cherished holiday tradition by families around the world. Joe Landry’s adaptation, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play first premiered in Connecticut in 1996, at Stamford Center for the Arts, and has since become one of the most produced plays in the country. This production marks the play’s Broadway premiere. The story ‘The Greatest Gift’ is used by permission of The Greatest Gift Corporation.
The play has never been seen on Broadway, but has been performed off-Broadway and is commonly seen during the holiday season at regional theatres across the country.
Tickets start at $49, and are on sale now at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239- 6200.
The performance schedule for It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play during previews is: Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM, Sundays at 1:00PM & 6:30PM. The regular performance schedule is: Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:00PM, Saturdays at 1:00PM & 7:00PM, Sundays at 1:00PM & 6:30PM. Performance dates and times during holiday weeks may vary, visit the show website for latest details.
Prefer BroadwayWorld in Google Search?
Add us as a preferred source so our stories show up more often in Top Stories and Google’s AI answers — for you.
Need more Broadway Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Fall season, discounts & more…
Also text me
