SANDPOINT - The story is a Christmas classic, delivered in a style reminiscent of the memorable old radio shows from the 1930s and '40s. And for audiences attending the local production of "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Panida Theater, all the elements of that era are brought to life - on stage and off.

"It starts before they ever enter the theater, with 'newsies' hawking the paper to the people in line," said show producer Ron Ragone. "The ticket girl is in period costume and when they enter the lobby, it's like they've been transported back to the 1940s, with ushers - probably in ill-fitting uniforms - to show them to their seats."

At that point, the time traveling has only just begun. When the curtain opens and the house lights dim, the theater becomes a nostalgic starship that rockets actors and audience alike into a shared theatrical experience. Shared, because this production takes the familiar script and runs in an innovative direction, staging it with all the trappings of a live radio show from times gone by.

"We've got five girls from the Sandpoint High School Performing Choir performing songs like 'Java Jive' and 'Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree,'" Ragone said. "They're also singing some jingles about local businesses between scenes."

The play is not actually being broadcast, but could just as well be with its battery of on-stage microphones, a fully equipped sound effects team and an announcer who warms up the audience before the show and tells them their reactions are about to go out to a vast listening audience once the red "on-air" light clicks on at the beginning of the first act.

In theater, they call it "suspending disbelief."

"Oh, yes," Ragone said in an expansive tone. "This is going out to a huge audience of listeners all over the country, plus all of our troops serving overseas."

Merely replicating the Golden Age of Radio, though, isn't enough to hold a theater audience in sway, which is why the stage becomes a beehive of visual and auditory activity.

"You can't expect people to come and pay their money to watch you read from a script," the producer said. "There has to be some antics on-stage - you have to entertain them in other ways."

One of those ways is watching the split-second timing of sound effects crew Marilyn Haddad and Dave Hussey as they synch up to operate contraptions of all sorts to keep in lockstep with the dialog.

"There's really more 'tech' involved in this kind of production, because you not only have the stage lights to manipulate, but you've got all the sound effects," the producer explained. "From the crunching of paper to the slamming of doors to the buzzers and rings - it all has to be perfectly timed with the speech."

Equally sure to entertain are the images of instantly recognizable Ross Hall photos that will be projected onto the Panida movie screen - such as the famous black-and-white photo of downtown Sandpoint on a snowy night that serves as the play's poster art and is handily named after the Frank Capra Christmas movie - all made available by Dann Hall and Hallan's Gallery.

The radio play version of "It's a Wonderful Life" could have been staged with as few as eight actors to cover all the different roles, but director Robert Moore opted to make this a true community affair by casting a total of 31 local people. The script itself follows the basic story line of the movie, with a couple of changes - one of which is more stage time for Clarence the Angel, as well as the addition of a "supervisor of angels" who helps to provide a brief recap of the action during scene changes.

Perhaps the toughest role in the play is that of George Bailey, made famous by an iconic Jimmy Stewart performance in the 1946 film and played in the local production by Sam Richardson. Other principal roles include Andrew Sorg as the announcer, Madeline Elliot as Mary Bailey, Linda Robey as the supervisor of angels, Jim Bottoms as Clarence, Dale Wiley as Uncle Billy, Audra Mearns as Violet Bick and Ragone playing Mr. Potter.

Music direction and keyboard accompaniment are handled by Sarah Caruso, with SHS singers Danielle Capelli, Katie Maddox, Osaze Ogbeide, Holly McGarry and Aria Horowitz appearing in character as The Selkirk Sisters.

Cameos from costumer Shanne Andrade as movie idol Mona L'Amour will highlight fashions from Eve's Leaves and Pedro's on a stage designed by Deborah McShane, lit by Donovan Davis and managed by Stacia Reid, with production management from Melanie Davis.

Closing weekend performances of "It's a Wonderful Life" are set for today, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Panida Theater. Tickets are available at Pedro's, Eve's Leaves and Eichardt's in downtown Sandpoint, at Home Sweet Home Consignment in the Bonner Mall and - seat availability pending - at the box office prior to each performance.