Leo Tolstoy story to be featured in 2009 Radio Show

Some of you may not have known but the radio show for 2009 was in jeopardy. It's mostly an issue of how many hands we have to put on the show. Initial surveys did not produce much interest although we were well ahead of schedule for planning. It appeared from the surveys that people enjoyed the show but were not interested in producing it.
Well, today we've just passed our first hurdle. Auditions went well. We have enough actors for the roles. Hopefully other commitments will not diminish the handful we have in mind. Since last year's show we have lost roughly 50% of prospective cast members.
Anyways this year's show will revisit the first year's show. Most will probably not recall that show since only 10 were in attendance. (I never enjoyed performing in the Black Building's Basement.)
The show was influenced by a Leo Tolstoy Christmas story- Where There Is Love, God Will Be There Too. There will be a bit of revision from the original interpretation, but it should be an entertaining retelling.
Tentative performance: 12 December 2009.
Hopefully we'll get over the other hurdles that lie ahead.

Tenative Date for 2009

12 December 2009 could be the date of the "radio" show. At the moment we are still in planning stages. However, it does look like we'll be reviving and revising the show from 2002. About a dozen people saw the show in the lower level of the Black Building. In those days, the show was hardly developed beyond just a script. There were no commercials. No Rinzo. No Riparian Bird Habitats. No Sour Kraut Singer. Yet a few offerings of live music were performed.
No extant photos of the event exist. So you are just going to have to trust me on this memory.

Radio Show 2008 recording

Finally for your listening pleasure the 2008 HCC Radio Show "It's a Wonderful Miracle on Main Street" is now available here.

Sound Effects Artists

Emily and Andrea await the next sound effects cue during the dress rehearsal.

HCC-video

We also do video. See link at bottom of this page.
Still no word on availability of 2008 show recording. In fact I can't even find the 2007 recording.

The Pirate is Right

One the game shows this year was called The Pirate is Right, a parody of the Price is Right. The object of the game is to determine the price of a product in 17th or 18th century coinage. However, the contestant must be aware that the Pirate is right. Always!
Planko, a version of Plinko, was the game of skill the contestant would play to win prizes. If you guess the price correctly (or just appeased the pirate) you would get more chances to play Planko and perhaps win more prizes.

Let the Snow Go On: 2008 Show Recap

It's been a busy month of December. The weather left many in peril. But the radio show still went on. At 2 hours it was the longest show to date. No one complained
The winter weather advisory probably kept many people away. We where expecting upwards of 50-75. I think we may have had around 35 in attendance. Nonetheless it was a great show for those who attended.
A recording will be made available if we can find out what happened to it. The recording device was gone after we cleaned up.
Even while the show was going, I cut lots of parts. Some of those may be recorded for a future feature.

The surprise hit of the night was The Pirate is Right game show. The original pirate could not make it to the show due to the weather so Aric stepped in and did a phenomenal job. Aric is a real veteran trouper. He's been with the show since the original 2003. This year he wrote about half of it, too!

Making their first show appearances that night were Emily and John. Our band was also made up of first timers- Ellie, Amanda, and Lydia.

2008 Show- one week away

It's been a pretty busy 2 weeks thus far with lots of production work and a complete re-write of the script. Thanks to Cindy and Jaime and Ellie quite a few things are not my immediate responsibility. Today, we've begun some official publicity with the postcards and posters having been made. Time is ticking so let me give you a preview of the show.
This year's main feature is entitled "It's a Wonderful Miracle on Main Street." As you may surmise it will be as if "It's a Wonderful Life" got spliced into "A Miracle on 34th Street" and vice versa. It took me a while to get a script I liked. I've been working on it since late October and the script did find its truest expression until last weekend. As always, some of the regular characters from previous years will return.
The other part of the show (which we call pre-show but really is an integral part of the whole these days ) will include the Sour Kraut Singer, a few game shows (with prizes!), and everybody's favorite bird show- "Riparian Bird Habitats." We will also feature a larger band this year and some fine singing.
I am expecting an audience of upwards of 50, but please come and surprise me and the cast and crew. See if we can fit nearly 100 in the performance space this year.

"It's A Wonderful Miracle on Main Street"
a night of radio theater

Saturday, December 13th 2008

7:00 PM

608 Main Ave, Fargo, ND

Do your own radio show

Ruyasonic site has plenty of stuff about how to create radio theater. It's author and compiler, Tony Palermo, a modern day old time sound man. Sounds ironic, but Tony has resurrected what many thought had died in the 50s. Maybe no single handedly but his talents have definitely caught the attention of some folks on the west coast. Just look at his schedule the past few years. He's even working with Erc Idle on a kind of radio show with live sound effects. Goes to show you that sound will be with us even if things go virtual reality. I've learned much from his site.

First Creative Planning Meeting

Just had the first writers meeting for the show last week. We want to get a jump on the show this year; make it better and funnier. I have a general framework for the main part (i.e. Frostbite Falls story.) and we have in the works a gameshow again and perhaps a type of talent contest a la American idol.
I also suggested having an art showing in the lobby to involve more visual artists.
My goal is to have a majority of the script done by mid October.

Date set for 2008 show

In a move to improve on planning and making the show a smashing success, a date has been set for the 2008 radio show.
Saturday December 13, 2008
Time: TBD
Location: 608 Main Ave, Fargo, ND

With all this planning happening, I was also pondering whether or not to take the show on the road to Morris. Who knows, I'd need a bit of production help to pull that off.

We want more...

The show may be over but you can listen to it to your hearts desire. Follow this link to the MP3 recording of the complete show. Hopefully we will have a poll up and running for best sketch of the 2007 show.

The tools of a sound effects performer

Here's the SFX table from the show.

Cover the Earth with Sour Kraut

Sponsorship sign from 2007 show for the Sour Kraut Council. Created by Andrea Rooney. Eat Sour Kraut its good food!

It's over...

I hadn't been this stressed out by the Radio Show ever but at last it is over and now I've got time to relax and to think about other things.

With lots of last minute things having to be done, a partial dress rehearsal, and a leak in the ceiling, there still was a great turnout on Saturday night and the cast and crew did a great job.

If you missed the show you can download the MP3 (duration ~1 hour 35 minutes).

Special recognition goes out to James G (that's him on the left). He helped out a lot in the last 24 hours before the show to ensure we had a decent set. He definitely gets a hero award. I would also nominate Matt B. for heroism for coming in on short notice and doing a grand job performing the roles of Annoucer and Glyndon Dilworth. Andrea R. also deserves some credit for doing our live sound effects without ever having a chance to practice them (she also has the best cast picture on the cast board).

Perhaps I should let the readers determine this year's best segment of the show. I'll get to work on that. Look for pictures going up soon.

Less than a week away

Winter has ascended in a major way this past week, but nevertheless the show must go.
The script is complete and we have been through 3 rehearsals. Only 2 left before show time.
Unfortunately we had 2 problems crop up in that time. One I was able to salvage and the other I am still awaiting the solution to be supplied. Basically its for another performer since one of the original cast had to drop out. This just means more time to develop patience and perseverance.
Set building will commence the end of the week.

HCC Christmas Radio Production

A Nutcracker, My Sweet
Saturday 15 December
608 Main Avenue

7:00 PM
Free Admission

Script is finally complete!

Yes, the script is done. I have been slaving over it for weeks. It was partially complete at the kick off but I finished it at a half hour into December at Inspiration Point.
Basically I mashed The Gift of the Magi with The Maltese Falcon. I guarantee you will like it.

2007 Performance date set

Mark your calendars because the HCC Radio Show is less than a month a way
December 15, 7:00 PM @ Harvest Community Church (HCC) [map].

Kick-Off meeting will be November 27, 2007 at the HCC.

No title yet but it will include mystery and intrigue brought to you by Rinzo and a host of other remarkable sponsors you may never have heard. Securing sponsorships is pretty difficult ;)

To get into the spirit of the season why not download some old Christmas radio shows.

Radio Show 2007

We're in pre-production phase for the radio show. Not much else to speak of except to expect some surprises. But who really expects those?

Another set of pictures

Radio ventriloquists at their best.

Jenn in plays the drawling truck driving Mother Hubbard.