Saturday, December 15, 2012

Center for the Arts presents ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’




By Kristin Barking
Middle Stew Reporter
            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- “You never know the impact you have until you’re gone.” That is only one out of many little lessons the Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro offered in its production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Dec. 1. 
            “It’s a Wonderful Life” is directed by Renee Robinson and runs through Dec. 16 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and matinees on Sundays at 2 p.m.                            
            This classic retraces the decisive moments in the ultimately uplifting story of George Bailey, who is saved from his suicide plans by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody on Christmas Eve to rediscover meaning and joy in his life.                                           
            Auditions for the show were held the first week of November, and the cast talked about all the scenes individually before they began rehearsing run-throughs of the entire show two weeks before opening night.                                                                                       
            “For me, the biggest challenge is the quick costume changes, because I usually only have a few seconds,” Michael Adock, who plays George Bailey, said after the performance. 
            Middle Tennessee State University theatre major Josh Ball took on the role of Clarence, and he found the most difficulty in making the obvious age difference between the movie version’s “72-year-old grandpa” and himself feel fresh yet convincing.                          
            According to Ball, community spirit and appreciation transcended the limits of the play’s world.
            “My favorite part about the show is the cast," Ball said. "Everybody is really professional, and I feel that when all the cast is out on stage together, those are the most powerful moments.”
            In addition to the play, some of the performers gave a harmonious rendition of “O Holy Night” in the gallery during the break, further instilling the season’s spirit in their spectators. The audience then returned to their seats in the festively decorated auditorium for the second half, only to rise to their feet again an hour later for a standing ovation.                       
            In the play, George Bailey gets a chance to see what the world would look like if he had never been born. Adock considers taking such a step back to look at things from a different perspective in order to become aware of your own importance as a valuable lesson in the show.
            “You never know the impact you have until you’re gone,” Adock added. 
             Ball puts his expectations for what the audience will take away from the performance in more general terms, saying, “I hope people go home with some holiday happiness.”                                               
            Tickets are available online at http://www.boroarts.org , by phone at (615) 904-2787, or in person at the Center for the Arts at 110 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. 
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