It's a Wonderful Life (opera)

It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
Opera by Jake Heggie
	The opera's composer
Librettist	Gene Scheer
Premiere	December 2, 2016; Houston Grand Opera

Last updated June 23, 2025

It's a Wonderful Life is an opera by Jake Heggie to a libretto by Gene Scheer based on the 1946 film. The opera premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on December 2, 2016.^[1]

Recording

William Burden (George Bailey), Andrea Carroll (Mary Hatch), Zoie Reams (angel); Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, conductor: Patrick Summers, Pentatone

References

↑ "How It's a Wonderful Life Became an Opera", "Composer Jake Heggie has turned the classic Christmas movie, about desperate George Bailey and Clarence the angel, into an opera—inspired by his own father's suicide."

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[1] "How It's a Wonderful Life Became an Opera", "Composer Jake Heggie has turned the classic Christmas movie, about desperate George Bailey and Clarence the angel, into an opera—inspired by his own father's suicide."

[1]

v t e Jake Heggie
List of compositions
Opera	Dead Man Walking (2000) The End of the Affair (2004) Three Decembers (2008) Moby-Dick (2010) Great Scott (2015) It’s a Wonderful Life (2016)
Category

v t e It's a Wonderful Life
"The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern
Characters	George Bailey Mary Hatch Bailey Mr. Potter Clarence Odbody
Setting	Bedford Falls
Related	It Happened One Christmas A Wonderful Life Clarence Merry Christmas, George Bailey It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie The Christmas Spirit It's a Wonderful Life (2016 opera)

It's a Wonderful Life (opera)

Contents

Recording

See also

References