Malvern Theatre Society’s performance of It’s a Wonderful Life stood out in a long line of successful shows.

It really was a Wonderful Life for Malvern Theatre Society’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life.

I had the great opportunity to see the show on opening night and I’ll admit I held it to a high standard based off of last year’s production of The Laramie Project, but I left pleasantly surprised.

A quick synopsis of the show’s plot: George Bailey is a man who is going into heavy debt and is about to commit suicide on Christmas Eve when an Angel named Clarence shows him the positive ways that he has benefited the lives of those around him.

It’s no secret that MTS lost a very strong class with the class of 2015, but It’s a Wonderful Life really showcased the future of the program at Malvern.

Behind memorable performances from junior Nick Gatti and sophomore Pat Sayers, the cast was very strong. However, anyone present would admit that junior RJ Napoli really stole the show playing the wheelchair-bound Mr. Potter.

I’d be remissed if I didn’t mention the girls from Notre Dame and Villa who lent their talents. They are crucial to the shows at Malvern and MTS wouldn’t be the same if it were all guys.

The set, as always, looked spectacular. It was designed as a bridge with the backdrop being a black wall covered with bright stars. The many snow showers were also a nice touch.

MTS has a prominent name around here for many reasons, not the least of which would be the professionalism of all those involved. I’ve been backstage for the musicals, I’ve seen the catwalks and I can truly appreciate the amount of work that goes into one of these shows.

You could really see that hard work, not only by the actors, but also by the stage crew, directors, lighting, and sound. It really is a group effort.

My only regret about the show is that I only saw it once.