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FIND THIS SHOW PLUS HUNDREDS OF OTHER WONDERFUL AUDIO DRAMAS AT www.mutualaudionetwork.com !

Episode 1 -- "Treasure Island", The Mercury Theatre On the Air

Welcome to Old-Time Radio Essentials, a new podcast wherein a specific episode from a selected OTR series is presented, and then discussed by three co-hosts: Pete Lutz, Jane St. John and Paul Arbisi; to determine whether or not it meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our first installment, the 2nd episode of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre series, "Treasure Island", originally broadcast July 18th, 1938. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

To comment or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com .

"Do you dare to go down into...THE CELLAR?"

Welcome to Episode One of our all-new horror/suspense anthology series! Our stories are either original, or inspired by, or adapted from pulp fiction and classic literature. Season One of THE CELLAR already has 15 episodes written and cast, with more to come. Expect eerie or suspenseful tales from authors such as Ray Bradbury, Paul Witcover, August Derleth, Henry Kuttner and Robert E. Howard! Not only these, but you can expect an audio adaptation of a Eugene O'Neill play, AND Pete Lutz's own adaptation of a Lon Chaney-starred silent film. The possibilities are endless, the thrills are non-stop, and the stories are the best ones possible we could find. 

Our first one is an original tale by our director, inspired by an episode of Arch Oboler's "Lights Out" (but he can't remember which one). George McDingle is a guy who's been under the thumb of the world his entire life. But one morning he awakens with a massive headache...and a strange new power. Will he use it for good...or evil? Listen and find out! 

Our hostess with the mostest, Cadavera Quivry, will be on hand for every installment, introducing the show and opening her big book of weird stories just for you! So sit back and get (un)comfortable, and enjoy our first trip down to...THE CELLAR! 

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Graham Rowat

CADAVERA QUIVRY: Angela Young

GEORGE McDINGLE: Christian Ferris

DOCTOR BANNISTER: Thomas Goodwin

TRUCK DRIVER: Pete Lutz

SHELLEY DORSEY: Angela Young

SURGEON: Steve Blizin

"The Cellar" theme composed and performed by Tom Rory Parsons

Stay tuned til the end, for a preview of Episode Two, AND a promo from one of our fellow creators!

Here it is, at long last: the 12th and final chapter of our original Western serial, entitled "Rescue!" I find it hard to believe that I wrote this in early 2016 and started producing it late that same year, and am only now finishing it. But I hope you will feel that it has been a good journey, and worth the wait.

Our cast for this chapter:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Victoria Fancki as CHRIS

Austin Beach as BUCK

Jeff Niles as SHERIFF CONROY

David Ault as SPICER

Joe Stofko as FRED GREENSLATE

Tommy Gragg as HICKAM

Mark Kalita as JOE

Lothar Tuppan as BRAX and

Nancy Bueler as MOLLY

ANNOUNCERS: Glenn Higbee, Darren Rockhold

JAKE DIMES THEME composed by Pete Lutz, performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Beginning in March, our new series, "The Cellar", will be available thru the all-new MUTUAL AUDIO DRAMA NETWORK! So be sure to look for our offerings, plus all the other new productions from my friends, at mutualaudionetwork dot com!

Music credits: 

1-3: "Rue Britannia" by Arthur Laycock

4: "Lili Marlene" by Willy Schneider

PART 3 OF 4. Another special audio-novelette from the archives, this tale by G. Frederic Pelham, Jr, is taken from the pages of Adventure magazine. It concerns a raiding party of British soldiers in World War I and their commander, all killed under curious circumstances. The story is told through reports and testimony of surviving military personnel. 

Narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded during February, 2014.

Another special audio-novelette from the archives, this tale by G. Frederic Pelham, Jr, is taken from the pages of Adventure magazine. It concerns a raiding party of British soldiers in World War I and their commander, all killed under curious circumstances. The story is told through reports and testimony of surviving military personnel. 

Narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded during February, 2014. Please listen to Part 1, a short introduction, before enjoying Part 2.

Another special audio-novelette from the archives, this tale by G. Frederic Pelham, Jr, is taken from the pages of Adventure magazine. It concerns a raiding party of British soldiers in World War I and their commander, all killed under curious circumstances. The story is told through reports and testimony of surviving military personnel. 

Narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded during February, 2014. 

Part 1 is a short introduction, so part 2 is also being released today. Enjoy this treat from five years ago!

A special "audio-novelette" from the archives, this is the fourth and final chapter of a story by Edith and Ejler Jacobson, taken from a 1938 issue of DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE, narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded in January 2014. 

Can one man stop a diabolical plot to turn the wealthiest inhabitants of New York -- including the girl he loves -- into the living dead?

NEXT WEEK -- ANOTHER AUDIO-NOVELETTE!

A special "audio-novelette" from the archives, this is the third of four chapters of a story by Edith and Ejler Jacobson, taken from a 1938 issue of DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE, narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded in January 2014. 

Can one man stop a diabolical plot to turn the wealthiest inhabitants of New York -- including the girl he loves -- into the living dead?

A special "audio-novelette" from the archives, this is the second of four chapters of a story by Edith and Ejler Jacobson, taken from a 1938 issue of DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE, narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded in January 2014. 

Can one man stop a diabolical plot to turn the wealthiest inhabitants of New York -- including the girl he loves -- into the living dead?

A special "audio-novelette" from the archives, this is the first of four chapters of a story by Edith and Ejler Jacobson, taken from a 1938 issue of DIME MYSTERY MAGAZINE, narrated by Pete Lutz, recorded in January 2014. 

Can one man stop a diabolical plot to turn the wealthiest inhabitants of New York -- including the girl he loves -- into the living dead?

CHAPTER TWO TOMORROW!

Happy Christmas Eve! As promised, the Narada Radio Co. proudly presents a recording of a recent live performance -- a remake of the 1947 broadcast of "The Lux Radio Theatre: 'It's a Wonderful Life'"! We performed at the Rialto Theater in Aransas Pass, Texas, over two weekends in December 2018, to small, yet appreciative audiences. (Some lines from a 1947 "Camel Screen Players" radio broadcast were added to this production.)

Please do your best to overlook the technical and sound anomalies present in this recording. They couldn't be helped, and couldn't be removed fully in post-production. 

As I indicated in yesterday's post, we really had a wonderful year! We created new audio dramas in 2018 for Pulp-Pourri Theatre, for Jake Dimes Range Detective, for Sonic Summerstock, and for 11th Hour Audio, and we brought live audio drama to three venues in South Texas. What will 2019 bring? Tune in and find out!

CAST OF "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE":

Pete Lutz as GEORGE BAILEY and MR GOWER 
Jessica Mathews as MARY BAILEY, UNCLE BILLY and ZUZU 
Michele Barnett as CLARENCE 
Gene Giggy as JOSEPH and THE SMOKER
Jason D. Johnson as POP BAILEY, MR. POTTER, MR MARTINI and NICK
Tamara Merson Wren as DR. CAMPBELL, TOM, MR WELCH and COUSIN TILLY 
Teddy Giggy as THE OLD MAN, MRS. HATCH and BERT THE COP
Russ Walker as ANNOUNCER 1, HARRY BAILEY, EUSTACE and the ANGRY MAN
Geneva Aubrey as YOUNG GEORGE, MRS THOMPSON, and JANIE and PETER BAILEY
Chuck Wilson as ERNIE THE TAXI DRIVER, A. DAWG, and ED
Lisa Espinoza as MRS. BAILEY, THE BRIDGEKEEPER, and THE WORRIED WOMAN
Royce Harrell as ANNOUNCER 2, SAM WAINWRIGHT, RANDALL, and the SHERIFF 
Ross Bernhardt as HORACE and MR. CARTER

JINGLE SINGERS: Ross Bernhardt, Chuck Wilson, Teddi Giggy, Geneva Aubrey

MUSIC BY: Dr. Ross Bernhardt

SOUND EFFECTS BY: Various members of the Cast

DROMEDARY CIGARETTES commercials and jingles written by Pete Lutz

The Narada Radio Co. proudly presents a recording of a recent live performance -- The Christmas Eve 1948 broadcast of "The Jimmy Durante Show"! We performed at the Rialto Theater in Aransas Pass, Texas, over two weekends in December 2018, to small, yet appreciative audiences. 

Please do your best to overlook the technical and sound anomalies present in this recording. They couldn't be helped, and couldn't be removed fully in post-production.

Thanks for a wonderful year, listeners! We are proud to have created more than one dozen audio dramas for you to enjoy in 2018, and to have performed live in three local venues. The new year promises to be just as successful, so stay tuned!

CAST OF "THE JIMMY DURANTE SHOW"

VERNE SMITH (Announcer): Royce Harrell

JIMMY DURANTE: Pete Lutz

ALAN YOUNG: Geneva Aubrey

CANDY CANDIDO: Ross Bernhardt

ROSE MARIE/RUBY DANDRIDGE: Jessica Mathews

ARTHUR Q. BRYAN: Chuck Wilson

ALAN REED: Jason D. Johnson

FLORENCE HALOP: Lisa Espinoza

NARADA QUARTET: Teddi Giggy, Ross Bernhardt, Geneva Aubrey, Chuck Wilson

MUSIC: Dr. Ross Bernhardt

SOUND EFFECTS: Various members of the cast

NEW COMMERCIALS AND JINGLES by Pete Lutz, from a suggestion by Todd Faulkner and additional assistance from Steve Blizin

**DON'T MISS PART 2 OF OUR CHRISTMAS OFFERING, COMING TOMORROW (12/24/18)! "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE"!**

*ptoo* Waal, howdy thar, ya li'l ol' owl-hoots! I reckon yuh didn't expect another excitin' chapter of "Jake Dimes" so quick-like, did yuh?

In this penultimate chapter, our hero is on trial for his life in the makeshift courthouse in Prickly Pear, Arizona! Who will testify in his defense? And who will be against him? Will the scales of Justice weigh in his favor...or is he lost? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT!

CAST:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Austin Beach as BRIAR BUCK

Victoria Fancki as CHRIS GREENSLATE

Nancy Bueler as MOLLY SUTCLIFFE

Jeff Niles as SHERIFF CONROY

Glenn Hascall as SLIM SUTCLIFFE

Joe Stofko as FRED GREENSLATE

Kristy Glick as BETTY JO

David Ault as SPICER

Mark Hacala as THE JUDGE

Jordan J. Scavone as THE PROSECUTOR

Jack Ward as THE DEFENSE

Glenn Higbee as U.S. AGENT

Viktor Aurelius as THE BAILIFF

ADDITIONAL VOICES: Teddi Giggy, Gene Giggy, Lisa Michaud and various members of the Narada Radio Company

Your announcers were Glenn Higbee and Darren Rockhold

"Jake Dimes Theme" composed by Pete Lutz, arranged and performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Our 12th and final chapter will be issued this month, hopefully before Christmas! 

 Coming up next: Chapter 11 of Jake Dimes!

Here's another re-release from our recent 11th Hour Audio line-up for World Audio Drama Day 2018: "A Little Bedtime Gory", written by yours truly. Directed by Karim Kronfli. Recorded by Christopher Jarvis at the Radio Theatre Workshop (Hinckley, UK) and edited/mixed by me. Music by Dayn Russell Leonardson. Originally released 10/30/18.

CAST:

Holly Golding as Tiffany
Karim C. Kronfli as Daddy
Layla Katib as Princess Peppercorn

Announcer: Pete Lutz

COMING NEXT: Chapter 10 of "Jake Dimes"!

Here's a re-release from our recent 11th Hour Audio line-up for World Audio Drama Day 2018, one which the Narada Radio Company and I helped to make: "The Opportunist", written especially for 2018 11th Hour by Steve Schneider. Directed and recorded by yours truly, and edited/mixed by MJ Cogburn of Darker Projects. Music by Ross Bernhardt. The folk song "Knoxville Girl", sung with very little skill by the director, is in the public domain. 

The Cast:

Jason D. Johnson as GRAVES 
Alan Clower as NORTON
Nick Wommack as HENRY
Dana Gonsalves as DEACON
Pete Lutz as LUCKY
Russ Walker as ROY
Ross Bernhardt as MORTY
Mark Rigsby as MacCLELLAN
Alisha Strand-Mueller, Jessica Mathews and Lisa Ayala as THE WRAITHS
Darren Rockhold as CREDITS ANNOUNCER

Art by Kessi Riliniki

Next week: Another 11th Hour bonus!

Greetings, fellow Wellesians, Wellsians, OTR-lovers, Mars-lovers (not Bruno), historians, and seekers! Today, in honor of World Audio Drama Day (observed annually, every October 30th) 2018, 63audio is proud to present a special panel discussion featuring the following friends and fellow audio drama makers (in alphabetical order):

Ed Champion of "The Gray Area" podcast

Joe Griffin and Ele Matelan of Wildclaw Theatre Chicago

Jeff Niles of 4077th Productions

Aimee Pavy of "12 Chimes, It's Midnight" podcast

We're discussing the historic and fateful "War of the Worlds" radio program from the Mercury Theatre on the Air, first broadcast on CBS on 10/30/38. Then we're playing the 50th anniversary tribute-remake first broadcast on NPR on 10/30/88. Then we come back and talk about that, comparing it to the original. Fun, freewheeling discussion abounds! So what are you waiting for? Start listening, eh? And enjoy!

Welcome back! If you've been here for the three previous weeks, you know that we're re-releasing our four 2018 "Sonic Summerstock Playhouse" festival offerings. We hope you enjoyed last week's presentation "ESCAPE: THE ADAPTIVE ULTIMATE". And now it's time to enjoy our fourth and final one, an episode of the "Arch Oboler's Plays" series, entitled "Rocket From Manhattan". Originally broadcast on September 20, 1945, I believe on NBC. 

The play and the point of view was written and cast all-male. I decided to go against type and cast every single role with a woman. I changed the genders in the dialog as well, for the most part (except when they spoke of "mankind"; I left that alone). I believe it works very well this way, and further, that Mr. Oboler would approve. 

CAST:

Announcer 1: Ele Matelan

Announcer 2: Alisha Strand-Mueller

MAJOR RUSSELL: Geri Elliff

DOCTOR CHAMBERLAIN: Lori Bryant

LIEUTENANT REYNOLDS: Victoria Fancki

Produced & directed by Pete Lutz

Welcome back! If you've been here for the two previous weeks, you know that we're re-releasing our four 2018 "Sonic Summerstock Playhouse" festival offerings. We hope you enjoyed last week's presentation "ARSENIC AND OLD LACE". And now it's time to enjoy our third one, an episode of the great radio series "Escape", called THE ADAPTIVE ULTIMATE! Originally broadcast on CBS, March 26, 1949.

Our cast of this radio remake is made up of members of the new Empire Audio Network. All of us are actors and producers in our own right. Here are our players:

VOICE 1 – Mike Janson

ANNOUNCER – Orlando Segarra

DR. DANIEL SCOTT – Gabe Templin

DR. BACH – Pete Lutz

KYRA ZELAS - Rachel Craig

OFFICER – Will Snyder

PROSECUTOR – Austin Beach

SALVATORE – Jack Ward

DEFENSE ATTORNEY – Boyd Barrett

JUDGE – Pete Lutz

MRS. GETZ – MJ Cogburn

1ST COMMENTATOR - Jeremy Hennessy

2ND COMMENTATOR - Drew Profit

JOHN CALLAN – Jack Ward

VOICE 2 - Pete Lutz

MUSIC BY Dr. Ross Bernhardt

For competition consideration, here is the the theme from PPT S4E8, The Eyes of Thar, composed and performed by Tom Rory Parsons.

(Orig. rel. 7/31/18) You may know already that the Narada Radio Co. has participated in Jack Ward's annual "Sonic Summerstock Playhouse" festival since 2015, and has produced at least one Old-Time Radio remake per year in support of same. This year, however, we were quite prolific, creating a total of four remakes (count 'em! FOUR!) for this very worthy event. We hope you enjoyed last week's entry, THE ADVENTURES OF NERO WOLFE: 'STAMPED FOR MURDER', and hope you'll come back over the next two Sundays to hear the last two. These final three, it's been explained, were already released during the summer of '18; but if you're not a Sonic Society subscriber, you might have missed 'em, so here's our next entry: NBC BEST PLAYS: "ARSENIC AND OLD LACE"!

Our cast of this radio remake is the same cast used for the stage production of Arsenic and Old Lace, which I directed in 2017 at Harbor Playhouse, Corpus Christi, Texas. We recorded it on that very stage, too! Here are our players:

ABBY BREWSTER - Michele Barnett

THE REV. DR. HARPER - Michael Pierce

TEDDY BREWSTER - Chuck Wilson

OFFICER BROPHY - Leo Longoria

OFFICER KLEIN - Richard Robinson

MARTHA BREWSTER - Aileen Corpos

MORTIMER BREWSTER - Peter M. Howard

ELAINE HARPER - Shannon Bladow

MR. GIBBS - Rick Yellen

JONATHAN BREWSTER - Jason D. Johnson

DR. EINSTEIN - Joe Martinez

OFFICER O'HARA - Bobby Vela

LIEUTENANT ROONEY - Larry Hutchison

MR. WITHERSPOON - Gene Giggy

You may know already that the Narada Radio Co. has participated in Jack Ward's annual "Sonic Summerstock Playhouse" festival since 2015, and has produced at least one Old-Time Radio remake per year in support of same. This year, however, we were quite prolific, creating a total of four remakes (count 'em! FOUR!) for this very worthy event. Now these that you're going to hear over the next four weeks were already released during the summer of '18; but if you're not a Sonic Society subscriber, you might have missed 'em, so here they are, starting with the first of the four: THE ADVENTURES OF NERO WOLFE: 'STAMPED FOR MURDER'!

This is a recording of a live performance in March '18, in Port Aransas, Texas. Here's our Narada Radio Company cast:

ANNOUNCER: Tamara Merson Wren

ARCHIE GOODWIN: Ken Yarbrough

NERO WOLFE, the detective: Pete Lutz

GLORIA, the client: Aileen Corpos

RODMAN: Micah Blain

CROSS, swindler: Nora Gutierrez-Perez

HALLECK, swindler: Lisa Espinoza

SANFORD, document forger: Gene Giggy

INSPECTOR CRAMER: Jason D. Johnson  

With commercials performed by Merilee Robinson, Michele Barnett and Teddi Giggy

Howdy, buckaroos! Welcome back, an' here's the ninth chapter of the Jake Dimes saga, "Suspected of Murder!" After Jake is found unconscious alongside three dead payroll riders, the whole town is clamoring for justice -- but is our hero guilty of this heinous crime? Listen now an' find out!

CAST:

JAKE DIMES: Dana Gonsalves

BRIAR BUCK: Austin Beach

SHERIFF CONROY: Jeff Niles

BETTY JO: Kristy Glick

CHRIS GREENSLATE: Victoria Fancki

FRED GREENSLATE: Joe Stofko

LUPE: Debby Leal-Ramirez

HICKAM: Tommy Gragg

JOE: Mark Kalita

BRAX: Lothar Tuppan

OPENING ANNOUNCER: Glenn Higbee

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

"Jake Dimes, Range Detective" was written, produced and directed by Pete Lutz.

The Jake Dimes Theme was composed by Pete Lutz, and arranged/performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt. 

IN OTHER NEWS: I hope you have subscribed to "The Sonic Society", and have been listening to this year's Sonic Summerstock Playhouse". Some very talented producers have been working hard to bring you a vast selection of Old-Time Radio remakes. The Narada Radio Co.'s first (of four) for this year was "Stamped for Murder", an episode of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe; coming this Tuesday is our production of NBC Best Plays' "Arsenic and Old Lace"; and last week's selection was produced by our very own Lothar Tuppan, "A Comedy of Danger", an historical and important piece, in that it was the first-ever English-language radio drama, from the 1920s! There's lots more in store, so go to iTunes or sonicsociety dot org, and subscribe!