“But what happened to Mr. Potter?”

This was the question McHenry native Joel Bennett asked his friend Lake in the Hills native Jeff Cook after watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time.

Having worked together as writers and directors on the web series Upstaged, (which was filmed at The Woodstock Opera House) they decided to try their hand at creating a play which answered this question.

After several years and trials, the show was fully licensed to be performed in 2025.

Woodstock’s Theatre 121 will produce the world premiere of the script, “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol” for several shows in November at the Woodstock Opera House.

The play is set in the world of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but fans of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” will also recognize themes of that story within the play, according to a news release from Theatre 121.

“We wanted to explore the events that might have shaped Mr. Potter into a sort of modern day Ebenezer Scrooge,” Jeff Cook said in the news release. “The result is a complex, emotional tale that retains the charm and humanity that has made ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ a perennial holiday favorite.”

“With the Opera House just having undergone renovations, we wanted to take advantage of all the modern technological upgrades to their fullest and put on a show that will wow audiences with theater magic. From the original music, stunning sets, authentic costumes and so much more, I can’t wait to transport audiences back to Bedford Falls,” Bennett said in the release.

The artists involved in creating the world premiere of “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol” include costume designer Kristi Geggie, hair/wig designer Rachel Cahill-Nedza, set designer Billie Seger, props manager Justin Charles, lighting designer Dan Frank, composer and technical projection artist Steve Firak and so many more.

The cast is led by Frank Gaughan as Henry Potter and includes a cast of eight additional adults and six children.

You can catch “It’s a Wonderful Christmas Carol” at The Woodstock Opera House on:

Nov. 14, 21, 22, 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 at 2 p.m.

Nov. 28 at 8 p.m.

Nov. 30 at 4 p.m.

Tickets are $17 - $35 and are available by calling 815-338-5300 or visiting theatre121.org.