By George, I Think They've Got It!

It wasn't exactly what one might call synchronicity, but it came pretty damn close. Last week I attended two performances. One was an operatic adaptation of a beloved film that is now more than seven decades old. The other was the world premiere of the sequel to a highly successful play that premiered at the Marin Theatre Company in 2016.

The fact that I saw these productions on two successive nights was not such a big deal. What caught my attention was something that was much more amusing to me for strictly personal reasons. In each of these works, one of the main characters is named George. So am I.

Unlike every Tom, Dick and Harry (or Michael, Steve, and Robert), George is not a common name in our society. One night earlier this year I found myself in the company of two other men named George (an extremely rare event). Last week, I spent two evenings sitting in darkened theatres as I watched two Georges get into all kinds of trouble onstage. As Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthra Maha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua (also known as King Mongkut of Siam) might say: "Is a puzzlement!"

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As part of its co-commission with the Houston Grand Opera and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the San Francisco Opera is presenting the West Coast premiere of a new work based on the beloved Frank Capra film entitled It's A Wonderful Life. The plot originated as a 4,100-word short story by Philip Van Doren Stern (who self-published The Greatest Gift as a booklet in 1943 and then, in 1945 as a book). Released in 1946, Capra's film has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films in history.

With music by Jake Heggie and a libretto by Gene Scheer that makes some critical changes to the plot (including an angelic gender reassignment that transforms Clarence into Clara), the operatic adaptation may rattle the memories of those who cherish Capra's film. In the following clip, the composer explains some of the challenges (both narrative and structural) that were faced by the opera's creative team and why certain changes had to be made for the operatic stage.


Some of the dramatic shifts help the audience to view the story from new perspectives. Much more emphasis is placed on George Bailey's youthful dreams of leaving the small town of Bedford Falls, New York and traveling the world in search of adventure (only to have his dreams crushed by the desperate reality that required him to take over the family business after his father's untimely death and his brother's unexpected marriage and relocation).

While the opera is very much about the financial crisis that leads to George entertaining suicidal thoughts, Scheer's libretto greatly expands the role of the angel, creating a parallel track devoted to showing how Clara earns her wings by putting in the necessary time and research (after 200 years as a second class angel) to learn what kind of man George Bailey had been prior to his attempted suicide.


Heggie's score has a lush lyricism which alternates with a jazzy upbeat theme for a dance craze called the "Meke Meke." Often, when a contemporary opera debuts, critics will point to musical influences they hear in the score from composers who are long dead and gone. Although I prefer to avoid this particular form of mental masturbation, I'll freely admit that at one point during the first act, I found myself sitting bolt upright, astonished to hear strains of music that could easily have been composed by Richard Rodgers and Carlisle Floyd.


Working on Robert Brill's bizarre-looking but highly functional unit set (with costumes designed by David C. Woolard, lighting by Brian Nason, projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, and choreography by Keturah Stickann), Leonard Foglia has directed the opera as a hybrid experience that embraces styles from the first three decades of the 20th century with what might have been a musical episode of The Twilight Zone.

William Burden (George Bailey) and Golda Schultz
(Clara) in a scene from It's A Wonderful Life
(Photo by: Cory Weaver)

William Burden gives a powerful performance as George Bailey, with Golda Schultz as the angel, Clara, who helps George realize how much he really wants to live. In supporting roles, Keith Jameson shines as George's easily confused uncle (Billy Bailey) with Joshua Hopkins as the brother (Harry) George saves from drowning when they are young boys.

Andriana Chuchman (Mary) and William Burden
(George) in a scene from It's A Wonderful Life
(Photo by: Cory Weaver)

Catherine Cook has some nice moments as George's mother, with Andriana Chuchman displaying a lovely soprano as George's teenage sweetheart and eventual wife. Thankfully, Rod Gilfry is on hand as the villainous Mr. Potter, whose insatiable greed and lust for power prevent any hope of introspection.

With Patrick Summers conducting (and chorus director Ian Robertson doing some impressive work with an opera chorus that must sing and dance), Clara's back-up singers are a quartet of angels (Sarah Cambidge, Ashley Dixon, Amitai Pati, and Christian Pursell) who have already received their wings.

William Burden stars as George Bailey in
It's A Wonderful Life (Photo by: Cory Weaver)

Whether It's A Wonderful Life will be welcomed into the operatic repertoire with the same level of enthusiasm as Heggie's Dead Man Walking and Moby-Dick remains to be seen. However, there can be no doubt about the composer's skill at shaping dramatic scenes, as evidenced in the opera's finale (after which the audience is invited to join the cast in singing Auld Lang Syne).

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Over in Mill Valley, the Marin Theatre Company is presenting the world premiere of a new play by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon that has been directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian. How this particular play came to fruition is a story in itself. As MTC's Artistic Director, Jasson Minadakis, explains:

“During the holiday season in 2016, we premiered Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, as part of a three-theatre rolling world premiere. At the time we had no idea of the impact it would have on our audience here in Marin, where it became the third best-selling title of all time with audiences all around the United States (it has been listed among the top ten most produced plays in the country for two years in a row). That is a credit to the genius of Lauren and Margot’s work, and their uncanny ability to write a new Jane Austen-inspired holiday show that is smart, funny, fresh, and romantic.”

Neiry Rojo (Cassie) and August Browning (Brian) in a
scene from The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley
(Photo by: Kevin Berne)

“While we were developing Miss Bennet, Lauren and Margot were already brainstorming a potential new story that would unfold at the same time as the original, but bring the focus downstairs to the servants quarters and show a different, unseen side of the Pemberley estate. This play would introduce us to the people whose stories are often overlooked in the world of Austen, examining their lives, recognizing how vital their roles are, and amplifying the important things they have to say. Lauren and Margot have again dived into the world of Pride and Prejudice to add a new play to the holiday canon. In this version, however, the servants of Pemberley (Mrs. Reynolds, Cassie, and Brian) finally have their opportunity to define their own legacy. This play shows that there are many lessons we can still learn from the world of Jane Austen -- lessons that aim to keep us inspired and thoughtful in times of deep questions and concerns about our world.”

Brian August, Kenny Toll, and Madeline Rouverol in a
scene from The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley
(Photo by: Kevin Berne)

Like the British drama series Upstairs/Downstairs and Robert Altman's 2001 film, Gosford Park, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley demonstrates what happens when the upper class goes slumming down where the servants live and work. It also shows how one class may exhibit a great sense of entitlement (without necessarily having earned their wealth or status) while another has a more realistic outlook on human behavior and, in particular, the frailty of men.

While members of the upper class such as Fitzwilliam Darcy (David Everett Moore); his wife, Elizabeth (Melissa Ortiz), and her sister, Lydia Wickham (Madeline Rouverol), are overly concerned with manners, appearances, and getting their hands on some of the delicious biscuits baked by Mrs. Reynolds (Jennie Brick), the real tension lies below the main floor. In a world ruled by the stern and stout yet sage and sympathetic Mrs. Reynolds, the handsome groomsman, Brian (August Browning), has a secret passion for inventing useful things. An empathetic young man whose romantic thoughts remain firmly rooted in traditional gender roles, Brian is shocked to discover that his feisty childhood friend, Cassie (Neiry Rojo), has just been hired to help with the seasonal chores as Pemberley welcomes guests arriving to celebrate Christmas.

David Everett Moore (Mr. Darcy ) and Melissa Ortiz
(Mrs. Darcy) in a scene from The Wickhams:
Christmas at Pemberley (Photo by: Kevin Berne)

Unfortunately, the one person who was intentionally not invited, George Wickham (Kenny Toll), has decided to show up anyway, demanding to see his wife, Lydia. A notorious scoundrel, George has a nasty talent for getting into trouble and always leaves a mess in his path. Having watched him since he was a toddler, Mrs. Reynolds has a soft spot in her heart for the man and usually comes to his defense.

Kenny Toll (George Wickham) and Jennie Brick
(Mrs. Reynolds) in a scene from The Wickhams:
Christmas at Pemberley (Photo by: Kevin Berne)

MTC's handsome production features a unit set designed by Wilson Chin, costumes by Courtney Flores, lighting by Wen-Ling Liao, and sound design by Sharath Patel. Thanks to the combined talents of Jane Austen, Lauren Gunderson, Margot Melcon, and Megan Sandberg-Zakian, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley is deliciously paced, filled with humor, and acted with gusto. Though there may not be a Christmas tree down in the servants quarters at Pemberley, the tall, handsome August Browning provides a hunky combination of intellectual curiosity, confused masculinity, and eye candy that could easily stuff anyone's holiday stocking.

Melissa Ortiz (Elizabeth Darcy) and Madeline Rouverol
(Lydia Wickham) in a scene from The Wickhams:
Christmas at Pemberley (Photo by: Kevin Berne)

Performances of The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley continue through December 16 at the Marin Theatre Company (click here for tickets). Here's the trailer: