It’s a Wonderful Life – The Musical (didn’t see that coming, did you?) features some nice age-appropriate swing (“Would You Like to Dance With Me?“), though the occasional misstep (the Bossa nova romance “If You Want the Moon“) keeps this mediocre. The title song is a bit too wink-wink, rather than character or plot building. “Bless You, George Bailey” also unnerves as persistent opera. The tango-adjacent temptation from Old Man Potter “Tell Me What You Want,” however, is a nice callback and almost a showstopper.
But, then there’s the Janis Dunson Wilson approach. It starts with the children missing their wayward father, who’s praying for hope (“Is There Anybody Up There?”). Pretty terrifying. The angel, a female Clarence, raps–then leads us in a spiritual (with scat). The story’s in spotty flashback (Zoom) from the ending. But “Do You Want the Moon?” is a better character piece here. Potter’s threatening “Pity” comes off just Snidley Whiplash enough. And Clarence’s “Guardian Angel Second Class” oddly works as calypso. “Anyone Will Do” is the brilliant burlesque number in the Potterville bar. It’s all better storytelling, if only amateurish music.
