OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Theatre students ring in the holiday season
\nTuesday (Nov. 18) with their first of eight performances of “1940s
\nRadio Hour.”<\/p>\n
The popular show-within-a-show takes the audience behind the scenes of
\na classic 1940s radio show and features timeless songs such as “Boogie
\nWoogie Bugle Boy,” “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Blue Moon.”
\n
The show is scheduled in Meek Hall Auditorium at 8 p.m. Nov. 18-23, as well as 2 p.m. performances Nov. 22 and 23. Tickets are $10.50 for general admission, $8.50 for children and seniors, and $7 for UM students with valid IDs. They are available at the UM Box Office in the Ole Miss Student Union or by calling 662-915-7411.<\/p>\n
The play, set during Christmastime, tells the story of WOV, a small New York radio station that broadcasts overseas during World War II. The audience becomes the radio show’s live studio audience and gets a glimpse behind the scenes. The audience members even get a chance to participate in the show.<\/p>\n
“Normally when you come into a theatre, the ushers are just ushers, but in this play the ushers are actually members of the cast. They teach the audience to do certain sound effects for the play,” said Dex Edwards, associate professor and the show’s director. “The whole audience works along with the cast to produce this radio show.”<\/p>\n
Edwards said that directing this production has been more challenging than usual. One of the most challenging things is that the orchestra is on stage.<\/p>\n
“In most musicals, the cast is on stage singing and the orchestra is in the orchestra pit. In this show, the orchestra is on stage and they actually act. So there’s a complete blurring of the lines between what is a cast member and what is an orchestra member.”<\/p>\n
Even members of the stage crew have roles in the show. Sarah Garrett, senior theatre major from Columbus, is the actual stage manager for the play but also has an acting role as the stage manager for the radio show.<\/p>\n
“Working on this play is completely different from any other play that I’ve ever worked on,” Garrett said. “For me, it’s very different because I’m used to running the show offstage, whereas now, I’m running the show onstage in front of everyone. It’s a completely different experience.”<\/p>\n
Adebanke Alabi of Kingston, Jamaica, a sophomore computer science major, plays Geneva Lee Browne, the Harlem nightclub singer. “This is my first play ever, and I am having a lot of fun,” Alabi said. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people – I love the cast members. You can just tell that acting is something that they love, not just a hobby.”<\/p>\n
“1940s Radio Hour” has been a popular show in many major cities. In Atlanta, it has been running for years every holiday season. Edwards believes that the show is fun for all members of the family. “It’s incredibly funny. The music is incredibly memorable. It’s a family event, and one reason it’s been so successful in other cities is because it is just that – an absolutely fun evening of theatre,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It’s only an hour-and-a-half show, so it won’t take up your whole night, but you’ll feel like it ended too soon once it’s over,” Garrett said. “The show is fast-paced and hilarious, and I’d recommend everyone to come.”<\/p>\n
For more information about the Department of Theatre Arts and the production, visit http:\/\/www.olemiss.edu\/depts\/theatre?arts\/<\/a> .\u00a0 For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5816<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"