NEW YORK — It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will make its Broadway premiere this holiday season at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks will direct the limited engagement. The production stars Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna.
Previews begin November 4, 2026. Opening night is November 18. The production will run through January 3, 2027.
Andrew Rannells & Megan Hilty lead the cast
Two-time Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (Gutenberg!, The Book of Mormon) will play George Bailey. Two-time Tony nominee Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her, Smash) will star opposite him as Mary Bailey.
Meanwhile, six-time Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess (Oh, Mary!, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) will play Clarence and other characters.
Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Harry Hamlin (L.A. Law, Mad Men) will portray Mr. Potter and other roles. Four-time Emmy nominee Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives, The Traitors) will play Violet and other characters.
A holiday classic becomes a 1940s radio broadcast
Joe Landry adapted the play from Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story “The Greatest Gift,” which also inspired Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life.
The stage version places the audience inside a 1940s radio studio. There, a company of actors performs the story of George Bailey and the residents of Bedford Falls.
The performers take on dozens of characters. In addition, a foley artist creates sound effects live onstage, while holiday carols add to the radio-show atmosphere.
The Broadway premiere also arrives during the 80th anniversary year of Capra’s film.
Landry’s adaptation premiered in Connecticut in 1996 at Stamford Center for the Arts. Since then, theaters across the country have frequently produced the play.
Jerry Zaks directs the Broadway premiere
Zaks leads a creative team that includes scenic and costume designer Santo Loquasto, lighting designer Kenneth Posner and sound designer Palmer Heffernan. Andy Einhorn serves as music director. Taylor Williams, CSA, handles casting.
The production marks the first time Landry’s adaptation has played Broadway.
Tickets and theater information
It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play plays November 4, 2026 through January 3, 2027, at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th Street, New York.
Official website: ItsAWonderfulLifeBway.com
Tickets: Telecharge.com