It’s a Wonderful Life ★★★★

It’s hard to think of a more enduring Christmas staple than Frank Capra’s emotive 1946 film, It’s A Wonderful Life. Telling the story of altruistic George Bailey, who through no fault of his own, falls on rough times, his company on the verge of collapse and decides to end it all. Fortunately a guardian angel is assigned to save George life – a task if successful would allow her to earn her wings.

When the English National Opera decided to mount the UK premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s 2016 operatic adaptation of the Capra classic movie, it’s feasible they may have partly anticipated the harsh economic times that many would be facing and chose It’s A Wonderful Life as a reminder of hope when all is lost.

What they could not have foretold was the cruel irony that an opera where the hero’s very existence is being consider would be the first production after hearing the Arts Council England’s decision to slash the ENO’s funding to zero unless they move out of London. Parallels to George’s redemption arc, where all the ways he enriches his community and the darker place it would be without him, were not lost on the opening night audience.

The opera itself begins spectacularly. Andreas Fuchs‘ dazzling projections of stars transport us into the cosmic depths of the heavens where we find Clara, an Angel Second Class, on a swing, counting aloud all the prayers coming from Bedford Falls, New York. No longer the elderly, bumbly, old Clarence of the film, the opera has switched George’s ethereal guardian to a young, over-enthusiastic Clara. Played by the stunning Danielle de Niese, her mesmerising stage presence and sublime voice make it immediately clear why she’s known as “opera’s coolest soprano”.

Seeing George standing on the edge of the bridge, ready to jump, Clara is sent earthward to help. Finding herself in a grand space with many doors, she quickly realises that behind every doorway is one day of George’s life. She begins exploring his past to find the key to unlocking his present crisis.

Jake Heggie is a bit of a musical magpie. The American composer infuses his works with smatterings of gospel, jazz and even pop to make his opera more accessible. In It’s A Wonderful Life, there are moments of barbershop, hints of Irving Berlin and even the majestic lushness of Gershwin. Whilst his music here is melodic, it is also fragmented so the performers have to work hard to get any emotional momentum going.

Narratively the piece has something of a dilemma. As Clara explores George’s past, the brilliant dramatic tension of the start dissipates as we move slowly through George’s back history, seeing how each of George’s dreams and ambitions are dropped one by one for the benefit of others. Frederick Ballentine‘s solid tenor voice is smooth and powerful but his acting requires more nuance so we feel George’s emotional cost to himself with every act of generosity. As such, we lose the sense of jeopardy needed to drive the story forward and to keep the protagonist’s fate firmly in our mind.

That George and Mary are only married at the start of Act 2 shows quite how long we linger in the backstory. Recurring musical refrains match the repetition of plot elements. Hearing the introductory strains of the Mekee-Mekee for the umpteenth time, we were as desperate to get out of Bedford Falls as George.

The second act opens with George and Mary’s wedding. Can you guess which dance they do? Yes – the Mekee-Mekee, which despite numerous tutorials earlier, ends up as the Messy-Messy. The ensemble’s singing is heavenly, but their dancing is more earthbound.

Thankfully the sense of growing peril is introduced immediately with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 resulting in a run on George’s Building and Loan company. A crisis is averted by only just when Mary offers their honeymoon fund to give George’s customers the cash the need. This ratcheting up of the drama is reflected by the welcome introduction of darker undertones in Heggie’s score.

The malevolent presence of Henry F. Potter, the town’s callous and uncaring landlord (a timely personification of the Arts Council of England’s decisionmakers) adds a darker tone to the show’s palate. Michael Mayes refuses to make Potter a histrionic moustache-twirling villain. There is something much more sinister and threatening in his quiet, cold calculations. That Mayes manages to make his Potter more hateful than the Lionel Barrymore original portrayal is quite the feat.

In a surprise move for an opera, when George is shown by Clara what the world would be like if he never existed, is played entirely as spoken, not sung. It’s as if the music has disappeared from the world with George. It’s a remarkably powerful conceit. When Ballentine sings his character back into existence, it hits like a punch – the rush of feeling over sentiment we had been waiting for.

The finale, be warned, is sweeter than a Candy Cane factory. Director Aletta Collins presses the big red button marked CHRISTMAS and every Festive fever dream hits the stage of the Coliseum. It’s ridiculous, cheesy…and we loved every sparkling moment of it. Right down to the sing-along (aka The Recs’ Opera debut)!