Radio Drama Revival!

Well, pull out that classic British idiom “And now for something completely different” for the latest from the Wireless Theatre Company. The thing is Davis & McQuillan, and it’s a musical comedy of an extraordinary absurdity that can only be achieved in audio.

Um. I’m not really sure if words can explain it. It’s bizarre, extravagant, strange, and even a bit weird. And yes it is funny. Is it traffic accident funny or truly funny?

Listen to it, only you can decide…

This week, we talk to the creators of Jack’s Last Call, audio veteran Sue Zizza (producer) and Pat Fenton (playwright).  Learn about the origins of this tale, Jack’s transition to the audio form, and the dark alleyways of one famous American writer’s life that came together to create this one staggeringly good play.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 84

Xander Davis of Dreamseed, and now Echo Fiction, is a hell of an ambitious guy, a great producer, and now is responsible for yet another great addition to audio theater — the first (as I see it) truly 21st century clearinghouse for audio drama… An online store featuring streams of a diverse group of audio dramatists and the ability to buy.

Wow, is this thing a long time coming.

I first decried the lack of such a thing in an article well over a year ago, now that Lodestone is gone, Audible sound quality is dreadful, and ZBS features only a small selection of the breadth of audio producers out there.

Despite the title of this post, the store launches on September 2nd, and I’ll review the user experience then.

For now, check out an interview with the cast of Soul Rift, a new sci-fi series Xander has been working on for some time, and by the sounds of it, one that is well worth the wait.

10 out of 10

This week Malleus kicks off a 3-part look at ballads that blur the boundaries between song, storytelling, and the spoken word. First up is the bad man, Black folk anti-hero Stagolee, in what I guarantee is the best and most wildly imaginative retelling of his legend that you are ever going to hear.

Julius Lester’s “Stagolee” is lightning in a bottle: drink deep, and be electrified.

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Hi folks -

Just a quick note.

I intended to write a single column this week about three ballads: Julius Lester’s blistering “Stagolee”, Gordon Bok’s gentle cante-fable “Peter Kagan and the Wind”, and the Tuft’s Beelzebubs long lost “Major Tom / Space Oddity”. But as I got going, I realized this wasn’t going to do any of them justice. So instead of addressing all of them at once I’ll be devoting a single column to each, spread out over three weeks. First up is Julius Lester’s “Stagolee”, to be posted later today.

My apologies to those waiting for the Tuft’s Beelzebubs “Major Tom / Space Oddity” mp3 - that will go up, with the review, next week.

This week, the tap keeps flowing at Gunther’s Tap Room where Jack Kerouac is rambling stories about his days on the road, while realizing that a whole new generation has arrived that he doesn’t like the looks of. Soak up the oozing jazz, fiery bourbon and faint smell of cigar smoke in the melancholy conclusion of “Jack’s Last Call” by Sue Media Productions.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 83

Note: Due to licensing restrictions, this podcast is only up for two weeks, going down August 29th. Listen now!

Jack Kerouac hardly needs an introduction, nor does Sue Media, the professional production company operated by Sue Zizza, accomplished producer and former executive director of the National Audio Theater Festivals.  But unlike the free-roaming, sprawling unkempt prose of Kerouac fame, today’s tale, penned by Pat Fenton, shows the darker side of this American icon, enjoying his last night in New York leaning on a barstool in Northport, New York.

This remarkable piece is available for purchase at ZBS, and you can learn a lot more about it at the “Jack’s Last Call” official website.

This episode has been commited to the archives and is no longer available on the show.  Check out the ZBS link above to buy a CD!

8 out of 10

Hollywood has decreed that summertime is superhero time, so today we don our spandex and take to the skies with this historical release. Superman may not pack the same box office punch he once did, but this super-delicious old time radio serial still packs plenty of P-E-P: Pep! With its clean bubble-gum flavor and cartoon verve, “Superman vs. Atom Man” leaves this comic book afficionado asking “why weren’t more OTR superhero shows this much fun?”

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Gosh, I wanted to dig into my behind-the-scenes coverage for “Slasher” but didn’t get beyond an amazing interview with Scott Hickey and Brian Price, the two men most responsible for the thrilling (and chilling) new tale by The Grist Mill.

As you’ll here again and again in this show, it’s available for a $3 download on CD Baby.

“Slasher” is just a startlingly awesome piece of audio, the best of the best out there.  If my opinion’s not enough to convince you, take a listen to the comments and snippets as part of this week’s podcast.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 81

Well, the death toll for diversity has already been sounding for some time, but it still didn’t make it great news to hear that the XM and Sirius merger has been approved. I can’t applaud either company for making an exceptional effort at redefining the radio medium, but given that satellite seems destined to be “FM without commercials” I suppose the way things have gone is the only inevitable path.

Let’s just hope that Sonic Theater makes the transition and that there remains a place for full-cast audio production… but I’m not holding my breath.