ZORRO The Legend Begins

Zorro The Legend Begins

Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, comes a horseman known as Zorro. ZORRO IS BACK!!! There's only one word to describe this new full-cast audio drama from American Radio Theater and that word is FUN! Zorro The Legend Begins is without a doubt the most fun of all the Zorro radio dramas. It has a strong basis on the Disney Zorro and New World Zorro television series concepts while cleverly acknowledging many other Zorro incarnations. It's loaded with swashbuckling, In fact, there may be more swordfights in this production than any other swashbuckler out there. It's filled with adventure. The story is absolutely enjoyable from start to finish. It offers everything a Zorro story should: action, adventure, drama, comedy, romance, swordfights. The acting ranges from good to great and the sound design is quite good. Even the cover photo featuring San Diego comic con legend Scott Sebring is amazing. Yes, without a doubt when tyrants ride high and govern with fear and the forces of evil conspire.. then from out of the night a hero must rise... a hero who's name is ZORRO! Zorro The Legend begins is based on characters and situations created by Johnston McCulley, written by Daryl McCullough and Joy Jackson. It's published by Bearmanor Media and available from Amazon and a variety of bookstores and media outlets.

Alta California - 1820
The Pueblo de Los Angeles is under the heel of a dictatorial Alcalde. Luis Miguel Montero is squeezing the life of out the people. No class is exempt. Peons are being beaten and thrown into prison. Indians are being forced into slave labor. And Rancheros are being taxed out of existence. Conditions are intolerable! California’s largest landowner, Don Alejandro de la Vega, has grown weary of the situation and has summoned his son Diego home from the University of Madrid to aid him in overthrowing Montero’s oppressive regime. But to his surprise, when Diego arrives, he finds his son uninterested the community’s problems and unwilling to take up arms. However, Diego's pretense of pacifism is just a ploy to protect his quick-tempered firebrand of a father from the certain destructive retribution challenging the Alcalde's rule would bring. Rather than face the King's representative in open rebellion, Diego has devised a plan to rid the pueblo of this tyrant. By day he is a man of books - interested only in painting, poetry, music and science. But at night, Diego rides as the masked hero Zorro fighting cruelty and injustice. For Zorro to end this reign of terror, he must outwit the scheming Montero and avoid being captured by Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes and the rest of the pueblo’s Lancers.

Zorro: The Legend Begins is a fun action packed swashbuckling adventure dramatized from an original story and based on characters and situations created by Johnston McCulley. American Radio Theater brings to life a delightfully enjoyable tale that every Zorro fan is sure to enjoy.

Jim French Productions Imagination Theatre Closes

In show business it's said "The show must go on" but alas this time it's not to be. Jim French's Imagination Theater takes its final bow as the curtain comes down on what some consider the last truly great radio drama production group in the United States. Citing age and health issues Jim French announced via the group's Facebook page that Imagination Theater would close and officially go off line effective March 19, 2017.

Imagination Theater produced a variety of original content: movies for your mind, single episode features, a one hour mystery playhouse, and several exceptional long running radio drama series. Among them The Hillary Kane Mysteries, Kincaid The Strange Seeker, Mr. Darnborough Investigates, Raffles The Gentleman Thief, The Adventures of Harry Nile, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes may have been the pinnacle achievement for Jim French productions. This series is one of the finest Sherlock Holmes productions ever created during any time period. The group regularly recorded live before a 500 seat studio audience in a local theater using live foley sound effects and music. The live shows brought back shades of the glory days of radio drama. Their consistent and wide spread presence on the radio proved that radio drama, when done right, can still draw a large scale listening audience. Their shows were classic in nature, a throwback to the golden age of radio drama and a hit with listeners.

For 20 years Imagination Theater was America's premiere radio drama group being heard Coast to Coast, in Canada and in Australia. It featured award winning scripts and sported a talented pool of regular actors. Among them were Larry Albert, Pat French, John Patrick Lowrie, Terry Rose, John Armstrong, Kathryn Shield, Dennis Bateman, Gary Schwartz, Ellen McLain, Mary Anne Dorward,  Lee Paasch, Rick May, John Gilbert, and Phil Harper. Many big name Hollywood guests graced the productions as well, including Patty Duke, Russell Johnson, Tom Smothers, Keenan Wynn, Roddy MacDowall, Ruta Lee, John Astin, Harry Anderson and Richard Sanders.

Imagination was the beacon in the night; the star that shined the brightest. Their success was the goal to which many a radio dramatist aspired. Sadly we say goodbye to Imagination Theatre. This wonderfully talented group will be sorely missed. They leave a giant hole not only in the air waves but in the hearts and minds of many, many listeners.

ALIENS Now A Radio Drama

Riply (Sigourney Weaver) and Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) started it all in 1979 when the cast of the Nostromo unwittingly brought an alien creature aboard their ship, a creature that began hunting and killing them. The legendary Alien is back! No one is safe in Christopher Golden's "Alien River of Pain."

Producer's Summary:
When Ellen Ripley finally returns to Earth, she learns that the planet LV-426 — now called Acheron — has been colonized. But LV-426 is where Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo found the original Xenomorph — the killing machine known as the Alien.
Protected by the Colonial Marines, the colonists seek to terraform the storm-swept planet. Two such residents are Anne and Russell Jorden, seeking a fortune that eluded them on Earth. On Acheron, Anne gives birth to the colony's first newborn, Rebecca Jorden, also known as Newt. The wildcatters discover a vast, decaying spaceship. The horseshoe-shaped vessel is of particular interest to Weyland-Yutani, and may be the answer to their dreams. But what Anne and Russ find on board proves to be the stuff, not of dreams, but of nightmares.

Dirk Maggs, radio drama producer/director extraordinaire, brings together a cast laden with Hollywood talent for the full-cast radio drama production of Alien: River of Pain. Featuring Golden Globe and Saturn Award nominated actress Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies, Limitless), Colin Salmon (Alien Vs Predator, Arrow, Resident Evil, James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies, James Bond The World is Not Enough) and Philip Glenister (Kingdom of Heaven, Ashes to Ashes) and Alexander Siddig (Star Trek Deep Space 9, Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) this science fiction action-adventure is high octane, pulse pounding, edge of your seat entertainment. Try not to scream when one of the crew gets it!

Alien: River of Pain audio clip
https://soundcloud.com/audible/alien-river-of-pain/s-eoDHO

Zorro and the King's Gold - All Ears Radio Theatre

Radio Drama (Audio Drama) Spotlight has learned that the 2015 program lineup for All Ears Radio Theatre in Kalamazoo, Michigan will include a new and original feature entitled Zorro and the King's Gold. We look forward to learning more about this particular presentation. No air date is yet listed. All Ears Radio Theatre broadcasts on WMUK 102.1 FM in Kalamazoo.

The Lone Ranger - The Return of Butch Cavendish - Radio Drama

Rudy Ramos, Duncan Regehr, Tim Considine, Bob Daniels in The Lone Ranger, The Return of Butch Cavendish

The Lone Ranger Rides again! On the weekend of June 13-15, 2013 several Hollywood actors noted for their work in westerns came together at the Memphis Film Festival to share stories of their experiences in film and television. As part of the festivities a radio drama re-creation was performed. This year's selection was from the old time radio western series - The Lone Ranger. With an excited audience looking on in great expectation the cast ensemble took to the stage and entertained the crowd with an animated and delightful performance of The Return of Butch Cavendish.

If only more modern audio dramas could be produced with this level of acting talent. What a difference professionals make to the quality of a show! The exhibition put on by this talented group of actors was not only an enjoyable trip back down memory lane to the golden age of radio but it was also a vision of what the future of audio drama could be again. What a fabulous treat!

This outstanding performance has been made available on Youtube for your viewing and listening enjoyment. So return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.... and enjoy this wonderfully fun episode of The Lone Ranger as the daring and resourceful masked man takes on a fiendish outlaw in The Return of Butch Cavendish.


Hi-Yo Silver Away!

Featured in the cast:

Bob Daniels (grandson of Brace Beemer – radio’s Lone Ranger) as The Lone Ranger

Duncan Regehr  (Zorro) as Butch Cavendish

Don Collier (The High Chaparal) as Thunder Martin
Rudy Ramos (The High Chaparral) as Tonto
Tim Considine (Spin and Marty) as Dan Reid

David Stollery (Spin and Marty) as Captain Reid

John Buttram (son of western legend Pat Buttram) as Collins

Tommy Nolan (Buckskin ) as Sparks 

Boyd Magers (western movie historian ) as the Narrator/Announcer 

Gary Yoggy – Director-SFX-Music

 

# 145 Perry Mason and the Case of the Sulky Girl (CRT)

Spoiled, young heiress to be Francis Celane wants to get married. But she can't due to a stipulation in her late father's will. If she marries before turning 25 she'll lose an inheritance of over one million dollars. Determined to get her way Francis hires hard-nosed lawyer Perry Mason to convince the trustee Dexter Norton, who just happens to be her uncle, to let her marry and keep the money. But just after Uncle Dexter stubbornly refuses to see things her way he's killed and her boyfriend, Robert Gleason, is fingered for the murder. To make matters worse Francis is being blackmailed. It's a complicated, mixed up mess and Perry must sort things out quickly if he's to solve The Case of the Sulky Girl.

Perry Mason and the Case of the Sulky Girl is a Colonial Radio Theatre presentation offering solid sound design and production value. Erle Stanley Gardner provides an excellent story for dramatization. Acting varies from average to above average. Overall this is an enjoyable audio adaptation. Definitely worth listening to. A plus for any radio drama enthusiasts collection.

From CRT: 
An impetuous niece who demands her trust fund be released comes to Perry Mason for help. But it's her boyfriend who needs defending when he is charged with murdering her controlling uncle.


http://www.brillianceaudio.com/product?i=4015

Hear Now Audio Festival in Kansas City, Missouri

HEAR Now Audio Festival June 20-23, 2013 Kansas City, Missouri

It's THE place to be! IF you are an audio drama lover, radio drama enthusiast, an audiobook aficionado, a voice actor, a narrator, a director, a producer, an editor, a publisher, a distributor or in any way involved in the world of spoken word productions then you need to be in Kansas City, Missouri from June 20th thru June 23rd for the premiere event of the year in the audio world:   HEAR Now - The Audio Fiction & Arts Festival. This four day event will feature live and recorded performances, competition of submitted works and awards, recent developments in audio preservation by showcasing newly restored and archived award-winning audio dramas, moderated discussions and panels for conversations and the exchange of new ideas and much, much more. Some of the greatest names in audio will be on hand for the HEAR Now Audio Festival - so don't miss it!

For more information about HEAR Now and the events scheduled check out their website
http://www.hearnowfestival.org/index.html

HEAR Now the place to be in June for all makers and fans of audio dramas and audiobooks!