I don’t remember how it came up. It wasn’t even close to Christmas. It was actually the end of summer and I was talking to my future husband for the first time. His team had just beat mine in volleyball and everyone had headed to the local bar for the post game social. For some reason, that I’ve long since forgotten, he started reciting quotes from It’s A Wonderful Life.
It wasn’t just the well known ones that everyone throws out from time to time. He could recite the entire movie line for line. Although his favorite, to this day, is an exaggerated version of George Bailey muttering “Harry, Harry” after his brother arrives at the end of the movie. It’s his go-to quote because he can say it while doing one of the worst impressions of Jimmy Stewart I’ve ever heard.
It wasn’t the only reason I fell in love with him, but it definitely helped. It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite movie of all time. I’ve watched it so many times that now tear up before the touching moments even begin because I know they’re coming. The movie makes me happy.
When I discovered that Portland Stage was presenting It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play this season, getting tickets was a top priority. After a fun morning exploring Portland, we headed to a matinée showing. While I had walked by the entrance to Portland Stage many times, this was my first time inside. It is a beautiful space and much larger than it appears from the outside.
While intimately familiar with the story, this one had a twist. It was presented as a live radio play from the forties with each “voice” actor, playing multiple roles and sound effects created right on the stage. There were also a few radio breaks for commercial presentations where the cast came together to sing funny advertising jingles to classic Christmas tunes.
The show moved along quickly and was full of humor as the actors moved seamlessly between the classic roles. It was extremely engaging and offered a creative new perspective on the story. The cast was excellent and brought great energy to their performances.
It’s only playing for a few more days, but if you have a chance I recommend you try to get to one of the shows. It will definitely get you into the Christmas spirit. “remember no man is a failure who has friends”
Do you have a favorite holiday movie?
| things to know | |
|---|---|
| Place | Portland Stage |
| Address | 25A Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04104 |
| Website | Portland Stage |
| Favorite ♥ | The Humor |
Weekends in Maine 
Sounds like a fun day!
I can’t pick a single favorite Christmas movie – I love so many (including It’s a Wonderful Life). We were unusually busy this season, so I didn’t get to watch any real Christmas movies (unless you count Die Hard among them…).
I meant to ask earlier – how went the list of things to do in December? (Or really, how is it going, as the month is still ongoing.)
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Sadly, I only got to a few things on my list. It is always amazing how crazy busy December seems to get. I’m working on my 2018 bucket list now. Even though I never seem to get everything checked off, I do like my lists and it does help me focus on what I’d like to do.
PS – I count Die Hard as a Christmas Movie!
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I thought I came up with a good list for 2018 – I should really post it on the blog (I posted it on Instagram, and lots of people seemed to enjoy seeing it).
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Yes, you should post it to your blog too!
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I have put it on the to do list!
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This sounds like a wonderful event – how lovely to see it live. I have a top five of Christmas movies that I like to watch in December to get in the Christmas mood, with the top two being Scrooged with Bill Murray, and the modern version of Miracle on 34th Street.
Have a wonderful 2018.
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Those are both great movies. Yes, it really is nice to have some traditional ones to come back to each year. My husband and daughter don’t think it’s Christmas until they’ve watched the Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol.
It was fun to see my favorite with a new spin. I think I’ll make an effort to get to a live show again next year. It was a lot of fun. Have a wonderful 2018 too!
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