A Coquitlam actor is returning to musical theatre next month by taking a lead role in the stage adaption of It’s a Wonderful Life.
And Erin Aberle-Palm is cast in the Gateway Theatre production alongside a former classmate from their musical theatre days at Capilano University.
Aberle-Palm stars as Mary Hatch Bailey, the wife of the protagonist George who is portrayed by Nick Fontaine. “It’s really great to be reunited with him for this show,” said the 2009 Cap U grad. “We work well together.”
Aberle-Palm auditioned for the characters of Mary and Violet, winning the former part that was played by Donna Reed in the 1947 film version featuring James Stewart.
Aberle-Palm describes Mary as “a very compassionate and open-hearted individual, determined to get it…. She and George are the perfect team; they really work together and she grounds him.”
For ticket holders unfamiliar with the fantasy plot, George Bailey is near suicide on Christmas Eve when a guardian angel shows him the lives he has touched over the years. He wakes up to realize his actions were not in vain.
Aberle-Palm said the show is a good lesson for this generation.
“Right now, it’s really easy to miss our sense of community when we’re focused on individual pursuits like fame and fortune. It’s really a relevant story in this media-driven world, where one person’s views can change.”
She added, “The greatest gift for George is to see the world without him and how his legacy has affected so many people.”
Aberle-Palm said she hasn’t see the entirety of film, which was directed by Frank Capra based on the short story The Greatest Gift, though it was her grandmother’s favourite flick.
Still, she believes the audience doesn’t need to see it either as director Peter Jorgensen and music director Nico Rhodes have taken its best bits to create a new musical stage show. “You will get the moments that you loved in the movie, too,” she said.
Meanwhile, following the production, Aberle-Palm will return to Langara College to finish her final year with Studio 58, the professional training program that focuses on classical theatre (earlier this year, the company cast her as Sabina in Skin of Our Teeth).
The 2018 recipient of the BC Arts Council Scholarship Award, Aberle-Palm plans to pursue future roles with Bard on the Beach, Shaw Festival and The Birmingham Conservatory with the Stratford Festival.
• For tickets to It’s a Wonderful Life at the Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond), call the box office at 604-270-1812 or visit tickets.gatewaytheatre.com. It ends Dec. 31.
