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 (Executive Artistic Director/Director) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater and has served as Executive 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 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, endowment, and permanent home. 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 15 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.

GRANT SABIN (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 15th 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 Gardens, 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 (Lighting Design) is delighted to return for her 18th year as Lighting Designer to It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! with American Blues. 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 over seven seasons of the Emmy-winning Lighting/Production Design team for The Oprah Winfrey Show. She practices architecture in Columbus, Ohio at an international design firm and teaches architecture studio classes at The Ohio State University. Her first building as a project architect won an AIA Ohio Honor Award and was featured in Metropolis magazine.

CHRISTOPHER J. NEVILLE (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 (Set Dressing / Projections / Properties Design) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where she is also the Associate Artistic Director. Outside of her enthusiasm for decorating Christmas trees, she’s primarily a Director. Here at Blues she has directed The Thanksgiving Play as part of The Room reading series; several short plays in past editions of The Ripped Festival; 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. Other 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 Blackbird at Blank Theatre Company. 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.

RICHARD LUNDY (Production Stage Manager) Chicago credits include: Raven Theatre: Night Watch. Theater Wit: The Whistleblower. Mercury Theater: Clue. Venus Cabaret: Lady Day at Emerson’s…, Company. Timeline Theater: Paradise Blue, The Last Wife, Sunset Baby. Levin Productions: Assassination Theater. Next Theatre:16 productions including The Adding Machine: A Chamber Musical (World Premiere). Writers’ Theatre: Oh Coward!, The Maids. Famous Door: Suburban Motel, Porchlight: Meet John Doe. Also: Hypocrites, Northlight, Remains, Victory Gardens, Organic, Halstead Theatre, Wisdom Bridge. National tours: Miss Saigon (First National Company: Cameron Mackintosh). I Love Lucy Live! (David George). Regional: Olney Theatre Center: Miss You Like Hell, Oil. Also: Trinity Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Shakespeare & Company, Folger Shakespeare. 37-year member of Actors Equity. 31-year husband of the remarkable Carmel Carroll.

MICHAEL TRUDEAU (Asst Lighting Design, Technical Director) is a proud Ensemble member 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, 2021-2022), Yankee Tavern, Little Shop of Horrors, and Side Man, among others. Outside of American Blues, he works full time at Northwestern University as the Associate Lighting and Sound Supervisor for the Wirtz Center. Enjoy the show and Happy Holidays!

RACHEL WEST  (Master Electrician) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. She recently worked as Lighting Designer & Master Electrician on Alma; as Asst Lighting Designer & Master Electrician on Fences and It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (2021); and as Master Electrician on Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight. 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 and Passing Strange as part of their Revisits series of lost musicals. She also works with The Black Ensemble Theater. Rachel is a graduate of Boston University School of Theatre.

JOE COURT (Audio Engineer) is a sound designer, engineer, and educator. His work has been heard in Chicago (TUTA, A Red Orchid, Mary-Arrchie, Emerald City, and many, many more), New York (59E59, Off-Broadway, NYC), Los Angeles (REDCAT at the Disney Concert Hall), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ), The Clarence Brown Theatre (Knoxville, TN.), Great Lakes Theatre (Cleveland, OH), Virginia Stage Company (Norfolk, VA), Actors Theatre of Indiana, and the Idaho, Lake Tahoe, and Illinois Shakespeare Festivals. As an educator he has taught at Virginia Tech, and the University of Chicago. Joe is an artistic associate with TUTA theatre, Chicago. From 2008 until 2016, Joe served as sound engineer for the Chicago production of the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet. He has received 3 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for his design work. Member, USA 829.

EILEEN ROZYCKI (Scenic Artist) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. This is her 11th anniversary working on It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

LILY WALLS (Wardrobe Manager) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. Other Chicago companies she has worked with have included Haven (Science Fiction/Double Feature, Titus Andronicus), Midsummer Flight (Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Akvavit (Bad Girls, Rising Temperatures, Family Drama) and City Lit (Hound of the Baskervilles). She would like to thank her friends, family and community for the support and renewal they give, her husband Michael for everything, and August for being the best.

G. “MAX” MAXIN IV (Projection Associate) is a full-time Instructor at Northeastern Illinois University and Resident Lighting Designer for NEIU’s Stage Center Theatre. Max is a four-time Jeff Nominated Freelance Theatrical Designer in Chicago and is one of the co-founders of Another Door Theatre Project. Since moving to Chicago in 2012, Max has created over 200 designs in more than 120 professional & educational productions in or around the city and has spent two summers working as the touring lighting designer for La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy. Favorite Chicago-Area designs include projects at Mercury Theatre, American Blues Theater, Theatre at the Center, DePaul University, Northwestern University, Steppenwolf Garage, BoHo Theatre, Circle Theatre, Thompson Street Opera and Pride Films & Plays.

2nd longest-running holiday play in Chicago! 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! Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and Dean Richards recommended.

~ from 2023’s production ~

“3.5 stars…Warmest holiday show in town.” – Chicago Tribune. Read full review.

“3.5 stars…[It] has always been an ebullient open-hearted show – but it shines ever brighter in its new digs.” – Chicago Sun Times. Read full review.

“Highly recommended. …Next to Goodman’s A Christmas Carol, probably the most reliable and longest-running local holiday theatrical treat.” – Chicago Reader. Read full review.

“If you’re a Grinch like me and cringe upon hearing the same holiday tunes year after year, then you’ll appreciate this show that breathes new life into an old classic.” – Newcity. Read full review.

“Faultlessly directed production, as well as an incomparably sincere and talented ensemble of actors and theatre artists.” – Chicago Theatre Review. Read full review.

“Officially opened their permanent home in grand style…The theatrical tradition – a family show with a message for the young at heart.” – PicksInSix. Read full review.

“4 stars – Highly recommend. Incredible experience.” – Let’s Play. Read full review.

“Highest Rated Shows in Chicago” – Theatre in Chicago. Read full list.

See what audiences said 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

“Amazing performances! Beautiful voices!” – Natalia E.

“Loved, loved it, loved it! Never gave this story a chance and I am so glad I did this year!” – Maria P.

“Very entertaining. Very talented team of actors. Too bad the Christas season can’t last all year round. I’ll bring friends next time.” – Muhammed A.

“The actors were so talented the way they moved on stage and changed their voices for each part. It was amazing.” – Pachina F.

“[My wife and I] are celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary and 20th anniversary of regularly seeing your production! Thanks and congratulations to the cast for 20 years of a ‘wonderful’ show!” – Roy V.