PRODUCTION TEAM

FRANK CAPRA (May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his leading films were It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During World War II, Capra served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and produced propaganda films. After World War II, Capra’s career declined as his later films, such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), performed poorly when they were first released. In ensuing decades, however, It’s a Wonderful Life and other Capra films were revisited favorably by critics. Capra was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three. His films collectively garnered 53 Academy Award nominations between 1933 and 1961. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America. Frank Capra married twice and had four children. One of his sons, Frank Capra Jr., and grandson Frank Capra III have both made their careers in the film industry.

GWENDOLYN WHITESIDE she/her (Artistic Director/Director, Mary Bailey (12/29 & 12/31 @ 4:30pm) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater and has served as Artistic Director since 2010.  In her tenure, she created the nationally-recognized Blue Ink Playwriting Award and new work development program, implemented community service into the company’s mission, and adapted the arts education program The Lincoln Project for Chicago Public Schools serving nearly 4,000 students annually during a traditional school year. She led American Blues through its reorganization in 2009, building the operational budget from zero to $1 million. She secured the company’s first-ever operating reserve and endowment. Whiteside served on numerous panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and sat on the Board of Directors for Network of Ensemble Theaters and League of Chicago Theatres. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University (BS), The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA), and a Kellogg Executive Scholar in Nonprofit management (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University). As a producer, she’s received 14 Joseph Jefferson nominations or awards. As an actress, she’s received 5 Joseph Jefferson Awards, Citations, and nominations; 2 After Dark Awards; and 1 Broadway World Chicago Award.

MICHAEL MAHLER he/him (Music Director, Announcer/Pianist) is a proud Ensemble Member of American Blues, most recently seen as the Announcer/Pianist/Music Director in Blues’ live streaming production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! Past Blues productions: Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award – Best Music Direction), Little Shop of Horrors, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, and Side Man. Other recent roles include The Baker in Into the Woods (Writers); Jim Hardy in Holiday Inn, and Jack Singer in Honeymoon in Vegas (Marriott Theatre). Michael co-wrote the songs for the Netflix movie My Little Pony: A New Generation and contributed additional lyrics to Cameron Mackintosh’s most recent Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Other works as a composer/lyricist include The Secret of My Success, Miracle (Jeff Award – Best New Work), Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (Jeff Award – Best New Work), and Hero (Jeff Award – Best New Work). Michael is married to fellow Ensemble Member Dara Cameron and proud father to their son Ezra.

GRANT SABIN he/him (Scenic Design) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. He’s excited to be back with the It’s a Wonderful Life team for his 12th year. A native of rural Illinois, Grant blends his rural roots with urban art. He’s a recipient of the 2015 Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award. He is known throughout Chicago for his keen eye in capturing atmospheric detail and his ability to design “impressively executed sets” on a storefront-theater budget. His designs have been seen at Northlight, Victory Garden, Steppenwolf, Next, The Royal George, McCarter Theater NJ, Overture Center WI, Theatre Wit, Gallagher Bluedorn IA, American Blues, ATC, The House, The Hypocrites, Christina Isabelle Dance, The Seldoms Dance, and A Red Orchid. He was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson award for his designs of American Blues Theater’s Yankee Tavern, A Red Orchid’s production of The Sea Horse, and Dog & Pony’s production of Mr. Marmalade. He was recently named one of the Top 50 Players in Chicago Theatre by New City Magazine. Grant is currently a full-time faculty member at Columbia College Chicago.

KATY PETERSON VICCELLIO she/her (Lighting Design) is delighted to return for her 16th year as Lighting Designer to It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago. Katy has designed lighting and scenery throughout the United States for over 20 years. Favorite Chicago shows include It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! with American Blues; Playing With Fire and I Am My Own Wife (Jeff nomination) with BoHo Theatre, and seven seasons of Lighting/Production Design for The Oprah Winfrey Show. She holds a B.A. from The University of Texas and M. Arch from The Ohio State University, and practices architecture in Columbus, Ohio, where she lives with her husband, son, two dogs, and a fish. Her first building as a project architect won an AIA Ohio Honor Award and was featured in Metropolis magazine.

CHRISTOPHER J. NEVILLE he/him (Costume Design) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. He is elated to be back this holiday at Bedford Falls. Previous Blues costume designs include Hank Williams: Lost Highway (assistant), The Rainmaker, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder, Dutchman/TRANSit, and The Columnist. Christopher stitched and assistant designed at Victory Gardens Theater, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago Opera Theater, Theatre at the Center, and Signal Ensemble Theatre.

ELYSE DOLAN she/her (Set Dressing/Properties Design) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where she is also the Associate Producer. Outside of her enthusiasm for decorating Christmas trees, she’s primarily a Director. Here at Blues she has directed several short plays in past editions of The Ripped Festival; directed staged readings in the annual Blue Ink Festival; and has been Assistant Director on a handful shows including Six Corners and Little Shop of Horrors. Recent directing credits include the Zoom reading of Other Rockpools at The New Coordinates, the Chicago premiere of If/Then at Brown Paper Box Co., and she was two weeks away from opening Nine at Blank Theatre Company at the time of the pandemic shut-down. Her directing work has been seen across Chicago at The New Coordinates, Broken Nose Theatre, Prop Thtr, Commission Theatre, Babes with Blades, 20% Theatre Company, and more. Elyse holds a B.A. from Denison University.

RICK SIMS he/him (Sound Design) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. He has composed and designed sound for numerous Chicago-area theaters, including Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, American Blues Theater, Congo Square Theatre, Writers Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The Hypocrites, House Theatre of Chicago, Court Theatre, American Theater Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Raven Theatre, Steep Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and About Face Theatre. His additional credits include The Getty, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Portland Playhouse. Rick won Jeff Awards for Sound Design for Moby Dick and Hepheastus (Lookingglass Theatre Company), a Black Theatre Alliance Award for Brothers in the Dust (Congo Square Theatre), and has received several nominations for both awards. Rick also wrote the book, music, and lyrics for Hillbilly Antigone at Lookingglass Theatre Company, where he is an Artistic Associate.

SHANDEE VAUGHAN she/her (Stage Manager) After spending the last year and half managing all things virtual, Shandee is ecstatic to be physically back in the room with her Blues family! Blues credits: Roan @ the Gates, Five Presidents, The Spitfire Grill, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, On Clover Road, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago (2016 & 2018-2020), Flyin’ West, The Buddy Holly Story, The Columnist, and Little Shop of Horrors. Other recent Chicago credits include: Time Is On Our Side (About Face Theatre), Deathscribe X (WildClaw Theatre), Night in Alachua County (WildClaw Theatre), and The Woman in Black (WildClaw Theatre). Shandee is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

MICHAEL TRUDEAU he/him (Technical Director) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater and is thrilled to be working with Blues again.  Past Blues credits include Technical Director for It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (2015-2017), Yankee Tavern, Little Shop of Horrors, and Side Man, among others. Outside of American Blues, he works full time at Northwestern University as the Lighting and Sound Technician for the theater department, and is also the Master Electrician at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Enjoy the show and Happy Holidays!

RACHEL WEST she/her (Assistant Lighting Design, Master Electrician) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater and thrilled to work on It’s a Wonderful Life actually LIVE again and in a new role this year! She has been serving as the Master Electrician for American Blues since 2018. Rachel is the Lighting Supervisor for Porchlight Music Theatre where she recently designed Nunsense as part of their Revisits series of lost musicals. She works with The Black Ensemble Theater, Mercury Theater, MCA Chicago, Actors Gymnasium and volunteers with the Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation teaching theater to individuals with special needs. She is a Chicago-area native and a graduate of Boston University School of Theatre.

See what audiences are saying about It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! :

“My family and I were thrilled to be part of the audience on Friday (didn’t know about the audiograms before – but compelled to write this the morning after): we felt transported to 1940s WABT studio to enjoy and participate in this timeless Christmas classic.” – Samuel

Seen and heard on ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, FOX, WXRT, WBEZ, WBBM, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Magazine, Newcity, Chicago Reader, Time Out Chicago, Windy City Times, and many more! Jeff Award and Dean Richards recommended

Chicago Tribune

American Blues Theater’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is the don’t-miss show this holiday season
Chris Jones | Nov 22, 2020

Of all the changes that the pandemic has brought to the Chicago theater, predominantly calamitous, it is the annual American Blues Theater production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!,” as directed by Gwendolyn Whiteside, that is the most potent symbol of resilience.

Why? Well, for starters, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Even now. Vaccines are coming!

But the main thing here is that the entree is cooked live. Most theaters have rolled out some kind of tape or audio recording that’s already in the can, or filmed something without audiences. Fine as far as that goes. But they’re competing with everyone from Audible to Netflix to public radio.

American Blues, though, is performing the entire show live and in person via Zoom, every night. (Even though this show long has been set up as actors and a studio audience at a Golden Age radio taping, they did not take the easy audio way out.) Nothing is recorded, even for archival purposes.

Read the full review

Chicago Sun-Times

‘It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!’ delivers plenty of holiday cheer, virtually
Catey Sullivan | Nov 22, 2020

For its 2020 virtual pandemic season production, ABT bluntly begins the Zoom Age show (yes, it is a live Zoom show with cast members in those familiar onscreen rectangles) by stating that this year’s production is obviously challenged. For those who’ve seen the production on years past, there’s no hiding the lack of a meticulously re-created vintage sound-booth set. No vintage costumes. No milk, cookies and Santa in the lobby post-show.

Or as co-host Michael Mahler explained opening night: “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. We’re barely wearing pants.”

Despite the obstacles, director Gwendolyn Whiteside makes the show do its job. “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” is inarguably heart-warming and entertaining. The 80-minute production also makes a convincing case for the belief that good people wield real power. Finally, it is a piercing look at the forces that rob people of that belief. As for those rectangles: Most of the scenes are only one or two people: Maximize their size and the format is more movie than business meeting.

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PicksInSix

It IS a Wonderful “Wonderful Life!”
Ed Tracy | Nov 23, 2020

You don’t have to be a sentimentalist to be moved by the residents of Bedford Falls who come around every year about this time to teach us a lesson or two about kindness, compassion and commitment. Small town virtues and familiar faces have a way of putting you in a comfort zone, as American Blues Theatre’s stellar online radio show “It’s a Wonderful Life-Live in Chicago” proves again in just under 90 heartfelt minutes.  It was as clear that this warm, sincere Chicago holiday tradition–reimagined live via Zoom–still bursts with homespun charm.

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Rescripted

Holiday Tradition Meets Zoom Theatre with ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ at American Blues
Sierra Carlson | Dec 4, 2020

I, like so many others around the world, am still coming to terms with the fact that I won’t see my family this holiday season. I won’t go home for the holidays, I won’t have anyone in my own home, and all those family traditions will have to be reimagined, if practiced at all. American Blues Theatre is reimagining some traditions of their own, adapting the second longest-running holiday play in Chicago for Zoom. It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! is a retelling of Frank Capra’s classic film about one man’s integral role in his community. This cheerful (and unapologetically digital) adaptation invites the audience to revel in the strangeness and find something to celebrate from their own little square.

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The Bedford Box

From our home to yours, The Bedford Box has been specially prepared for you! Delivered to your home via mail or picked up at the box office, this box has all the charm of your favorite production.

Contents include –

– 20th anniversary commemorative It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! program
– vintage copper 2.5″ Wonderful Life ornament
– “Martini’s Specials” beverage recipes for all ages
– (new edition) of “The Greatest Gift” short story and companion audiobook, read by Artistic Affiliate Adrienne Walker (Broadway’s Nala in The Lion King) and composed music by Ensemble member Austin Cook (conductor for Broadway’s Hamilton).
– American Blues Theater socks
– “I Earned My Wings” sticker
– and a special sweet treat!