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<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpFirst align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Engaging
star lifts one-man adaptationof 'Wonderful Life’ at CPH<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle align=center><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">on
12/10/10<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This time of year
makes the old feel young again.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Whether it’s gazing
at festive window displays, breathing in cold air singed by roasting chestnuts,
or hearing Christmas classics played over the radio, the sounds, sights and
smells of the holidays tap our memories and we become
children.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Cleveland Play
House’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">This Wonderful Life</I>, a
veritable retelling of the perennial holiday film <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">It’s A Wonderful Life</I>, is the express
lane for such rejuvenation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">It is the perfect
response to the “tell me a story, Daddy” reflex brought on by the nostalgic
reverie of the holiday season, no matter our age. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The storytelling is
so comfortable and comforting is this stage production that the dress code
should be jammies, and a glass of warm milk and a cookie should be doled out
with the playbill as the ushers tuck us into our seats.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“This Wonderful Life”
is performed by one man on a near-barren stage.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The entire film, with it’s over 30
characters, is reenacted with a blend of narration to set the scene and select
dialogue taken straight from the celluloid to tell the story.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">At first, this seems
like an odd piece of pretense. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Where’s the panoramic
shot of bucolic Bedford Falls to immediately transport us to this 1940s world of
small town America?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where’s the
stylized cinematography that captures the souls of forbearing everyman George
Bailey, festering money-grubber Mr. Potter, doddering Uncle Billy, endearing
Mary, and </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"
lang=EN-GB>benign</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> Angel Second Class
Clarence?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where’s little Zuzu?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The absence of these things is initially
unsettling.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Clearly,
the success of this one-man, one-act production is dependent on that one man’s
accessibility and virtuosity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He
must revive that personal connection we have with these iconic characters and
sustain it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He must bridge
the distance between master filmmaking and live theater.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Fortunately, there’s
James Leaming on stage and Peter Amster directing.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: auto auto 0pt; mso-add-space: auto"
class=MsoNormalCxSpMiddle><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Leaming
begins the evening amongst the audience, amiably welcoming and casually mingling
with the crowd as they take their seats.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He shares his love for the classic film, trades stories about favorite
moments and favorite characters, and is quick with a warm and winning grin.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is very endearing and, of course,
highly purposeful.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">By
the time Leaming walks onto the open stage—an inviting environment framed with
holiday greenery, Christmas lights and silver ornaments—familiarity fills the
room and any sense of foreboding has dissipated.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As we take our place at his feet, ready
for this communal bedtime story, we psychologically snuggle up to one another
and settle in for the evening.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Like
children who have heard the same tale read over and over again, we listen
intently, unconsciously mouthing the words at the moment they are
spoken.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">What
we hear in this truncated rendition by playwright Steve Murray are all the
familiar voices.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Leaming’s
impersonations of </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">James Stewart
(George), Lionel Barrymore (Potter) and Henry Travers (Clarance) are spot on,
which allows our imaginations to kick in and fill in the visual gaps created by
Leaming’s lack of resemblance to any of them.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Our narrator is less
adapt at recalling the voices of the women and children from the film, which is
a little disturbing since all his women sound like breathless bombshells
(imagine Donna Reed in a teddy).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Fortunately, Leaming’s charm and playful delivery serves as compensation
and keeps our imagination from wandering too far.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In fact, Leaming is
playful throughout the evening, offering clever asides that call attention to
and make fun of the more dated references and corny moments in the film.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These tidbits are meaningful only
to those who have seen the film, but the rest of the evening will make perfect
sense to the uninitiated.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Under Amster’s
direction, coupled with Aaron Muhl’s lighting and Kevin Kennedy’s clever sound
design, the few props and pieces of furniture on stage are more than sufficient
to establish a sense of time and place in this bare-bone production.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>More elaborate staging would be
counterproductive—even distracting—for a show like this.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The Cleveland Play
House has replaced one film-to-stage holiday tale, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A Christmas Story</I>, with another,
substituting a classic of its own invention with one that time created.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although kids in the audience will no
doubt prefer Flick getting his tongue stuck to the lamppost over Zuzu giving her
father flower petals to repair, the kid in the rest of us will be grinning from
ear to ear.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">This
Wonderful Life </SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">continues
through December 19 in The Cleveland Play House’s Drury Theatre.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range from $45 to
$65, call </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">216-795-7000 or visit
<A href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.clevelandplayhouse.com</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>