Remembering Bill Herz, War of the Worlds Actor

Fourth from right, Bill Herz with cast and crew members of “Too Much Johnson” in 1938 (including Orson Welles, seated). CreditTheater of Orson Welles

Hello America,

Hear Again Radio Project morns the loss of the last surviving cast member from Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater's landmark War Of The Worlds, Bill Herz. Next time you are at Sardi's in New York, look for Mr Herz at table 4.

Read about Bill and his role in with Mercury Theater here

Spring is in Bloom, and we're back on the air!

 This weekend at our home for special events we will present our Spring-in-Bloom program, “Baseball and Taxes”. I have asked Director Frederick Andersen to write a little something for the program to put the performance in the right frame work for the audience. His notes were so lovely, I couldn't help myself and wanted to share them with you a little early.

Welcome to the Hear Again Radio Project’s Spring-in-Bloom program, “Baseball and Taxes”! We’re coming out of the winter doldrums and beginning to look forward to better weather, longer days, even vacations, the perfect opportunity to dust off a little nostalgia and take a few steps back to a simpler time.

This time out we’re doing three episodes, two of which – “Ellery Queen: World Series Crime” and “Nine Striking Beauties” – have large casts with a lot of male roles. But the HARP cast is more than up to the challenge, everyone creating such distinct and clearly-drawn characters that, if you close your eyes, you’ll swear you’re hearing a different actor in each part. We’re also presenting an episode of “The Bickersons”, likely to prompt some of you to wonder who’s been bugging your homes!

We typically provide a musical interlude between acts, and for “Baseball and Taxes” it’s no different. You’ll be hearing “It’s Deductible” from the 1950 movie “My Blue Heaven”, starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey, and performed by our very own Betty and Dan: Kristen Norine and Jared Delaney.

It’s always a pleasure to perform with the Hear Again cast –but it’s been a particular pleasure to handle director duties for “Baseball and Taxes”. Thanks to Old Smoothie and Artistic Director Darin Dunston for trusting me with the job. Our team of pros – including lovely musical director Linda Henderson – made it easy for me.

We always say we enjoy performing these shows as much as the audience does hearing them. If that’s the case we’re all going to have a ball with “Baseball and Taxes”! So sit back and relax: we’re on the air!

--Fred Andersen

Our Spring- in- Bloom Broadcast features Baseball and Taxes

Hello America,

We are less than one week away from the Hear Again Radio Project's final performances of the 2011-12 season. The team has been hard at work creating radio magic for you and your whole family. This time, we're featuring two annual rites of Spring that each April brings: The return of Baseball and the revenge of the Tax Man. To ease your burden, we have put together a really terrific program, under the sly direction of Mr. Frederick Andersen.

Performances are at our home for special events, Plays and Players for one weekend only. Please join us live in studio for some good old fashioned radio goodness on Saturday April 14 at 7pm and Sunday April 15 at 4pm & 7pm.

Event and ticket details can be found here: Hear Again Baseball and Taxes Event 

We hope to see you there!

 

More on It's A Wonderful Life

Hello Hear Again Fans!

Just four more days until the Hear Again Holiday Hullabaloo! Join us all at Plays and Players this weekend to see Lux Radio Theater's It's A Wonderful Life!

Did you know that this radio episode was adapted from the classic holiday film? The film was adapted four different times into radio episodes, and every adaptation featured Jimmy Stewart, the star of the film. Three out of the four adaptations featured Donna Reed, who played Mary in the film.

Lux Radio Theater was dedicated to using the original stars in their adaptations of popular films and plays. They payed the actors $5,000 an appearance, which would be around $80,000 today!

Here's another fun fact: the radio premier of It's A Wonderful Life aired on March 10, 1947. In fact, only one of the four radio adaptations aired anywhere near the holidays (Screen Guild Theater's version aired on December 29, 1947). What we know today as a holiday classic is a good story any time of the year!

See you all this weekend!

It's a Wonderful Life

In preparation for our own Holiday Hullabaloo, where we will present Lux Radio Theater's It's a Wonderful Life, we found this article from the Washington Post about the actress who played Zuzu in Frank Capra's film. You can find the story HERE.

We hope to see you all at Plays and Players next weekend so we can share the season with you, our friends and family in radio.

Science Fiction Invasion: Notes for the Future

Hello, America! Tomorrow morning we embark on another terrific journey into the past when the Hear Again Radio Project presents, with the support of our friends at Plays and Players, Hear Again Radio Project's Science Fiction Invasion! Here is our new poster:

This production marks our third entry into the Philadelphia Fringe Festival with our brand of old time radio goodness for the whole family. It is also the beginning of our second season at our home for special events, Plays and Players. We thought it would be a good opportunity to share some thoughts to help you prepare for the Invasion as envisioned by Hear Again Director and Producer, Darin J Dunston.

 

Written in the 50’s, these stories are wonderful examples of the hopes and fears of Americans during an uncertain age.  This is an era when new technologies were emerging almost daily, like nuclear power, while invasions threatened from Communist intruders, like Red China and the Soviet Union. To deal with these fears, many people sought out Science Fiction visionaries, like Ray Bradbury, whose work is featured in our programs, who imagined a fantastic future filled with robots, automated houses, and trips to distant planets. 

As producers of radio programs in the 40's and 50's were seeking content for their radio airwaves,  they frequently adapted short stories of great writers. The writers of Science Fiction radio drama may have gotten some things wrong as they imagined a world of tomorrow, for example, I’m still waiting for my flying car, but you’ll be amazed upon listening how many things they got right. Through these original scripts we look to the future through the prism of the past to explore our biggest dreams and worst nightmares.

 

During the Fringe, we have different episodes planned for Saturdays and Sundays. Beyond the Fringe, we are planning our annual Halloween Spooktackular, Holiday Hullabaloo, Valentines' Va-Va Voom, and a new Spring Fling. Dates and details can be found here. 

Visit our blog for the latest on Hear Again: HearAgainRadioProject.blogspot.com. You can also visit us on the face book at http://www.facebook.com/HearAgainRadioProject.

Thank you, and I hope to meet you at the theater. Tell your friends, and get your tickets here.

Another passing of a radio legend. Nat Allbright.

I found this article about legendary Dodgers radio announcer Nat Allbright and thought it might be of interest to our Hear Again friends.  You can read all about Nat and his contributions to the  HERE

Happy Birthday, Gracie.

Hello America,

Today is actress and radio comedienne Gracie Allen's birthday. Happy Birthday, Gracie. Whereever you are!

For more on her work, go HERE