Charter Academy presents 'It's a Wonderful Life'

COEUR d'ALENE - "It's a Wonderful Life" will be warming hearts and readying audiences for the magic of the holiday season when the musical version comes to the stage next month, presented by Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy.

In American culture, "It's a Wonderful Life" has become almost as familiar as Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

The story is a natural for a stage adaptation: The saga of George Bailey, the "everyman" from the small town of Bedford Falls, whose dreams of escape and adventure have been quashed by family obligation and civic duty, whose guardian angel has to descend on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and to remind him - by showing him what the world would have been like had he never been born - that his has been, after all, a wonderful life.

This faithful adaptation has all the favorite characters, including George and Mary Hatch, Clarence, Uncle Billy, Violet, and, of course, the Scrooge-like villain, Mr. Potter. This fine dramatization not only celebrates the faith of the season, it also celebrates the American philosophy of life - hard work, fair play and the love and support of one's family and community will be rewarded.

A beautiful and melodic score has been added to James W. Rodgers' faithful and popular adaptation of the classic film. Capturing both the spirit and the period of the original, the musical selections offer a wide variety of delightful and heartwarming melodies. All the great characters are here: George ("Something Important"), Mary ("Quiet Wishes; Simple Dreams"), Clarence ("I Want to Fly"), Violet ("I Love to Dance"), Uncle Billy and Aunt Tilly ("Whoops! Another Year's Gone By") and Potter ("Easy Living").

This timeless classic will be performed Nov. 12, 13, 14 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Christ the King Church, located at 1700 Pennsylvania Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. Tickets are available at the door one hour before each performance. Prices: $8 adults, $6 children and students.