B'way Update: Wonderful Live Radio Play

Andrew Rannells will play George Bailey
in It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

The holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life continues its journey of conquering all media after film and TV with a Broadway version recasting the heartwarming story of George Bailey and his Christmastime redemption as a radio play. It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will begin a special limited holiday engagement at the Broadhurst Theater on Nov. 4 with an opening set for Nov. 18, running through Jan. 3, 2027. Tony winner Jerry Zaks will direct the adaptation by Joe Landry, based on the story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern which served as the basis of the beloved Frank Capra film (Screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Capra and Jo Swerling). 

The cast will be headlined by Andrew Rannells (Book of Mormon) as George Bailey, Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her, Smash) as Mary Bailey, Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as the Angel Clarence, Harry Hamill (LA Law) as Mr. Potter and others, and Lisa Rinna (Days of Our Lives) as Violet and others. 

The production which was first presented professionally at the Stamford Connecticut Center for the Arts in 1996, takes place in a 1940s radio studio complete with foley sound effects and holiday carols performed during commercial breaks. This adaptation has been subsequently presented on numerous regional stages.

"This story has touched the hearts of millions for generations, and I'm thrilled to now be bringing it to the Broadway stage this holiday season with this sensational cast of musical theater, television, and comedy greats," said director Jerry Zaks. "This production's unique format as a radio play calls back to the charm of a bygone era, while also folding in exciting surprises to thrill modern audiences, making for a memorable and joyful holiday experience for all!"

A scene from one of the many regional
productions of It's a Wonderful Life:
A Live Radio Play (Peterborough Players)

"It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play began when my dear friend Frances Rose Kondziela asked me to create a stage version she could direct at Fairfield High School,” said playwright Joe Landry. “I never dreamed that the little play we started together would travel for decades, be embraced by theatres around the country, and eventually arrive on Broadway. I’m deeply grateful to Jerry Zaks, our producers, creative team, and extraordinary cast for bringing it to the Broadhurst. It’s something I’m still trying to take in."

James Stewart, Donna Reed and the kids
in the original 1946 It's a Wonderful Life.

2026-27 Broadway and Off-Broadway Calendar

Fall 2026
Oct. 1--creation stories and all the important importants (LCT/Clara Tow) 
Oct. 4--The Hairy Ape (Irish Repertory Theater)
Oct. 4--Slam Frank (Orpheum)
Oct. 9--Good Time Charley (Public)
Oct. 9--A Ghost in Your Ear (Audible/Minetta Lane)
Oct. 11--Fish (Signature Theater Company/WP Theater)
Oct. 13--Rope (New Group/St. Clements) (previews begin, opening TBA)
Oct. 14--Anon--a tempest at our kitchen table (MCC)
Oct. 15--Midnight (Daryl Roth)
Oct. 15--Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen (The Night Egg/Culture Club) 
Oct. 18--Other Desert Cities (Hudson)
Oct. 19--King of the Yees (Signature Theater Company)
Oct. 21--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Public)
Oct. 21--860 (Imperial)
Oct. 22--The Imaginary Invalid (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)
Oct. 22--Magic Mike Live New York 
Oct. 22--2:22: A Ghost Story (Lortel)
Oct. 27--I Become We (Atlantic Theater Co.) 
Oct. 28--In the Heights (Encores!)
Oct. 29--A Few Good Men (LCT/Vivian Beaumont)
Oct. 29--The Heart (Roundabout/Laura Pels)
Nov. 1--Ms. Blakk for President (Vineyard)
Nov. 2--Waiting for Lefty (CSC)
Nov. 3--We'll See (Public)

Nov. 5--The Unbelievers (MTC/City Center)
Nov. 5--The Verge (Public)
Nov. 8--Wanted (James Earl Jones)
Nov. 9--Here There Are Blueberries (Barrymore)
Nov. 9--The Visitors (Second Stage/Signature Center)
Nov. 10--Elektra (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)
Nov. 12--The Good Thief (Irish Repertory Theater)
Nov. 15--Downstate (Booth)
Nov. 16--The Fantasticks (Revised Version) (Second Stage/Hayes)
Nov. 17--Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise (Lunt-Fontanne)

Nov. 18--It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Broadhurst)
Nov. 18--the ripple, the wave that carried me home (Playwrights Horizons)
Nov. 19--Much Ado About Nothing (Winter Garden)
Nov. 23--Seven Guitars (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)
Nov. 24--Wild Rose (NYTW) (previews begin, opening TBA)
Nov. 24--The Dead, 1904 (IRT/American Irish Historical Society)
Dreamgirls
HOLE! (Playwrights Horizons)
Jackals (New Group/Theater at St. Clements)

Winter 2026-27

Dec. 1--Inter Alia (Music Box)

Dec. 3--Imitation of Life (The Shed/National Black Theater) 

Dec. 6--Galileo: A Rock Musical (Shubert) 

Dec. 7--A View from the Bridge (LaMaMa)

Dec. 13--Finn (Atlantic Theater Co.) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Dec. 14--Wild Rose (NYTW)

Dec. 17--Spring Awakening (Studio Seaview)

Jan. 9--Too Bad for Her (Atlatntic Theater Co. ) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 13--Honor, An Artist Lecture by Suzanne Bocanegra in Tandem with Lili Taylor (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 17--Full Gallop (City Center Stage II)

Jan. 19--Dolly: A True Original Musical (St. James)

Jan. 21--Texas in Paris (Signature Center)

Jan. 27--Mix and Master (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

Jan. 28--Pretend It's Pretend (LCT/Clara Tow) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 2027--Awake and Sing (MTC/Samuel Friedman)

Jan. 2027--The Heart Sellers (MCC)

Feb. 3--You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Encores!)

Feb. 11--The Grief Eater Near North Bender (Roundabout/NYTW/Laura Pels)

Feb. 22--Work of Devotion (Second Stage/Signature Center)

Feb. 25--Faydra (MTC/City Center Stage I)

Feb. 28--King Lear (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Feb. 29--Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (CSC)

Feb. 2027--Three Days of Rain (Shubert theater TBA)

Feb. 2027--Petra (Vineyard Theater)

Feb. 2027--Miles for Mary (Signature Theater Company)

Are the Bennett Girls OK? (Public)

Welcome Table (Public)

Wold Meteor (Playwrights Horizons)

Spring 2027

March 17--Let 'Em Eat Cake (Encores!)

March 18--Small Mouth Sounds (Barrymore)

March 18--Old Actress (Atlantic Theater Co.) (previews begin, opening TBA)

March 25--Evita (Winter Garden)

April 5--Gloria (Second Stage/Hayes)

April 12--Purple Rain (Majestic)

April 15--The Sound of Music (LCT/Vivian Beaumont)

April 18--Paddington the Musical (Al Hirschfeld)

April 20--Damn Yankees (Marquis)

April 25--The Full Monty (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

April 28--how to roll a blunt (Second Stage/Signature Center)

April 28--Kiss of the Spider Woman (Encores!)

April--Warriors (Lunt-Fontanne)

May 6--Born in the Dirt (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

May 24--Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret (CSC)

May 27--Push (Atlantic Theater Co.) (previews begin, opening TBA)

May--Angela's Mixtape (Signature Theater Company)

The Annunciation (Playwrights Horizons)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Feast of Rabbits (Playwrights Horizons)

Montauk (MTC/Samuel J. Friedman)

The Vagina Monologues (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Summer 2027

June 11--Beautiful Jolie Gabor (Transport Group/Theater 555) (previews begin, opening TBA)

June--What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (MCC)

Aug. 17--10 Things I Hate About You (previews begin, opening TBA)

Fall 2027

Annie

Dates TBD

Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo
Private Lives

MISS STEP (Playwrights Horizons)

Narcissister (Playwrights Horizons)

New work by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri (Playwright Horizons)

Playing Burton (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

Future--Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death; Beat Street; Black Orpheus; Coal Miner's Daughter; Come Fall in Love--The DDLJ Musical; Crazy Rich Asians; Dare To Be Stupid: The Weird Al Yankovic Musical; The Devil Wears Prada; Ella: An American Miracle; Eurovision Song Contest; Everybody's Talking About Jamie; Fahrenheit 451; Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Musical; Frida, the Musical; Game of Thrones; Get Happy; The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation; High Noon; Imitation of Life; The Interestings; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; The Karate Kid; La La Land; The Mousetrap; Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Spotlight Manor; The Nanny; The Normal Heart/The Destiny of Me; Pal Joey; Particle Fever; The Princess Bride; Purple Rain; The Queen's Gambit; Rear Window; The Secret Garden; Sing Street; Slumdog Millionaire; Soul Train; Studio 54; Waking Ned Devine; Working Girl.

2026-27 Broadway Season Breakdown
New Plays
Inter Alia
It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Mix and Master
Montauk
Paranormal Activity

New Musicals
Dolly: A True Original Musical
Galileo, A Rock Musical
Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo
Paddington The Musical
Purple Rain
Wanted
Warriors

Play Revivals
Awake and Sing
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Downstate
A Few Good Men
Gloria
Here There Are Blueberries
The Imaginary Invalid
Much Ado About Nothing
Other Desert Cities
Private Lives
School Girls or the African Mean Girls Play
Small Mouth Sounds
Three Days of Rain

Musical Revivals
Damn Yankees
Dreamgirls
Evita
The Fantasticks
The Full Monty
The Sound of Music

Solos/Specialties
860 (Billy Crystal)
Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise
Celebrity Autobiography