It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey is surely an American saint. The hero of the 1946 film and Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Bailey is now the subject of a new musical by Andrew Abrams and John Atkins — why has no one thought of this before? This first staged reading of the musical version from Capital City Theatre features a score that draws inspiration from the early 20th century of the story’s setting, which goes from flapper days through the Great Depression to World War II. Shows at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8-9 and 2 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Staged reading of new Capital City Theatre musical by Andrew Abrams and John Atkins, 7:30 pm, 12/8-9 and 2 pm, 12/10, The Core, Middleton. $20.

media release: The classic 1946 film about George Bailey, Clarence the angel, and the sleepy town of Bedford Falls has been a major part of our holiday season for decades. Come experience the first staged reading of a newly re-imagined musical version of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with all the characters you love in the film singing their hearts out. With a score that takes a fresh approach to the period style of the story, you’ll see why CCT wants this to become the timeless holiday classic that we bring you year after year.

Capital City Theatre Artistic Director Andrew Abrams writes the music for this show and also wrote the score for Shining in Misery: a King-Size Parody which had its world-premiere at Capital City Theatre, and Overture Center, as part of the first World Premiere Wisconsin festival of new works. 

Last year, Andrew’s musical But I’m a Cheerleader, the Musical had its first fully staged production at the Turbine Theatre in London and won the WhatsOnStage Award for “Best Off-West End Musical of 2022.”

He has been working with his writing partner for It’s a Wonderful Life, John Atkins, since they had their first assignment in the BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop in NYC when they were paired up to write a song for a fictional production of…wait for it…”It’s a Wonderful Life!”  

John also wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Warsaw, which toured universities across the country as part of Holocaust remembrance outreach. In his other life as an application developer, he created and maintains the site stagerabbit.com, a free platform for discovering local theaters across the country.  Abrams and Atkins have also worked on a version of Practical Magic, the Musical and the piece, The Life and Death of Mary Shelley.