I wanted to love this musical since I do love the movie but I have to be honest and say that for me, it just didn't work. I didn't leave remembering even one line of any of the songs, none of them was memorable. At times it moved so slowly that I was at the point of falling asleep or praying for the evening to end.
The cast is talented, the singing and dancing was of a high quality, it is just the material that they were dealing with that killed it. There is no way that even the very talented Duke Lafoon could save the very cumbersome dialogue. He sang his heart out but I don't remember any of the songs.
There were moments that were entertaining. Clarence the rather inept angel second class keeps us smiling but he isn't always on stage. The Charleston contest in the first act was very well done, by far the liveliest moment in the evening. Costumes were beautiful and the opening number of the Second Act 'Wings" was a breath of fresh air. It was not enough however to redeem what was the most boring evening I have ever spent at Goodspeed.
Some movies should not be made into musicals, It's a Wonderful Life is obviously one of them. I am a season ticket holder and have enjoyed that status for years but this show was a disappointment especially since it is such a holiday favorite. I will say, Act Two moved along much better than Act One and the final number was rousing letting us all leave on a high note. I would not be tempted to see this show again.
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