Playhouse Merced and the Merced Theatre are joining together for a special performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”

The show will take the stage for only three nights, from Dec. 15 -17. Friday and Saturday shows will be at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday show will be at 2 p.m.

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is based on Frank Capra’s film about George Bailey, a downcast man who has become tired of life, and the angel who shows him a world in which George was never born.

“As the name suggests, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ is presented as a 1940s radio broadcast with an audience eagerly listening at home,” said Playhouse spokesman Shawn Overton. “With live sound effects and actors performing multiple roles, this adds an extra layer of entertainment and allows the audience to not only see how George’s story affects the characters around him, but also how that story affects the actors who are portraying it. The result is a show that is both heartwarming and genuinely fun. With a cast pulled from some of the most talented performers in the Central Valley, it is the perfect play for Christmas.”

Tickets for the show range from $16 to $22. Tickets are available at The Merced Theatre box office, (209)381-0500, or online at www.mercedtheatre.org.