It’s the Christmas classic families know and love, but instead of George Bailey and Bedford Falls, it’s Georgia Brathwaite, the fields and forests of the North Okanagan countryside and eight horse-drawn sleighs.
Tickets are now on sale to experience The Wonderful, Luke Reece’s modern retelling of It’s a Wonderful Life, at Caravan Farm Theatre Dec. 6-31. Created with the winter sleigh ride premiere in mind, The Wonderful transports Frank Capra’s iconic 1946 film into modern-day small-town Canada and puts a young black woman—brought to life by Ethiopian-Canadian actor Helen Belay—in the role of Bailey.
“The Wonderful to take this classic story a step further and explores what happens when some of the pressures that the lead character experiences come from being a racial minority in their community,” said Estelle Shook, Caravan’s artistic director. “Throughout the story, Georgia takes stock of her life and her impact on the lives around her, and as she does, the story of the black experience in a small town unfolds.”
And while it’s an important story that sparks meaningful conversations, Reece says The Wonderful is about finding the joy in everyone.
“It’s a timeless tale, and for me it became about community – and what happens when you put a younger black woman at the centre of the story. What does she mean to this community and how does her kindness open others up to new worlds, experiences, and perspectives?” said Reece, an award-winning playwright, poet, producer and educator from Toronto. “The joy and the magic of the holiday season is the time to have the conversations about the values we want to have and carry into the new year. It’s an important time to reflect on the impact we have on the people around us and all that we can do to make everyone’s lives a little more wonderful.”
After seeing The Nutcracker at Caravan Farm Theatre in 2019, Reece started to imagine what was possible with the winter sleigh ride show. He spoke with audience members about why they loved the winter show and what keeps them coming back year after year. And, after three years of writing and countless visits to Spallumcheen, Reece is ready to share The Wonderful with the community.
“When creating a production for Caravan Farm Theatre, you have to be aware that the audience is going to be distracted by the horses,” said Reece. “So much of the winter sleigh ride show is catching up with people, having a cider by the fire, and I wanted to highlight that and lean into the wonder of this place that draws so many people together.”
The Wonderful features an original score (including a remix of Auld Lange Syne) by Juno award winning producer David Ariza and Khadijah Salawu, guaranteed to get you into the groove. With the sets and route curated by renowned designer Jackie Chau, The Wonderful brings audience members on a journey though the forests of Caravan Farm Theatre. Along the way, beautiful scenes with lighting design by Jillian White set the stage for the professional cast, featuring Belay, Oliver Dennis as Danny, Douglas Ennenberg as Patrick, Marcia Johnson as Jasmine, Sarah May Redmond as Alice and Kano Mac as Terence, The Stranger. Rounding out the design are the beautiful costumes, designed by multi-media artist Jay Havens.
As the cast and crew prepare to bring this future holiday favourite to the Caravan stage, Reece says the team has already experienced the magic of this classic story together.
“We read the novella together, and people got emotional because the lessons do ring true,” said Reece. “It’s the feeling of wanting to have an impact on the world around us, that we’re not just walking through living our lives without any consequence. This story is a reminder that everything you do matters.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit caravanfarmtheatre.com.
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