San Diego Reader

Cygnet Theatre presents its extremely popular annual holiday show. In this staged version of the movie, you not only watch the familiar story of George Bailey, you also see how it's made in a 1947 radio studio: announcers, actors reading their lines, flashing applause signs, even a commercial for Lux soap. The story's still a grabber: What would life be like without George, whose selfless generosity abandoned his dreams for others'? The show's a treat, especially Scott Paulson's ingenious sounds, made from unlikely objects, and Tom Andrew's Craig Noel Award-winning performance as George.