Classic recording from The Online Stage

 

I had the pleasure of playing several small roles as a member of The Online Stage in their production of The Iliad & The Odyssey by Homer. This was a massive undertaking but it was great to be a part of it.

"The Iliad, set 9 years into the Trojan War, tells the story of the wrath of Achilles. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus as he wearily travels home from the war. The two epics provide the basis of Greek education and culture in the classical age. They have long remained among the most significant poems of European tradition. Produced here in full cast arrangement and narrated by Rob Goll, one can experience these age-old stories in a brand new way.

Featuring the voices of Rob Goll, Lance Rasmussen, Josh Innerst, Tyler Hyrchuk, Amanda Friday, Anna Grace, David Stifel, Jeff Moon, John Burlinson, Ted Wenskus, Lee Ann Howlett, Tom Saer, Nik Sliwerski, Marty Krz, Andy Harrington, Trisha Rose, Bob Gonzalez, Sydnee Fullmer, Stephen Indrisano, Lillian Rachel, Tomas Peter, Chris Marcellus, Russell Gold, Merete Mohs, Tim Sailer, Erin Grassie, Linda Barrans, Elizabeth Klett, Grace Keller Scotch, Ron Altman, Max Gallo, Andrew Coleman, Alan Weyman, and Michelle Marie.

This production is based on the prose translation by Samuel Butler."

To listen to the sample and/or purchase the book, head to Audible here.

Another full-cast production of a classic from The Online Stage

I was very happy to be the voice of the narrator in the final book of the Little Women series for The Online Stage.  Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott is a full-cast production. 

"As the curtain falls on the March family's tale, we revisit the Plumfield clan 10 years later, all grown up and finding their way through life's adventures and misadventures.  

Simmering romances blossom for some while the bravery and strength of others are tested. Through it all, Jo and Professor Bhaer desperately hope they have done their duty in raising up good citizens of the world with dreams, passions, empathy, and intelligence. 

Alcott shines once again with her ability to write human emotion through real-world scenarios that are still relevant today."

To listen to the sample and/or purchase the book, head to Audible here.

A New True-Crime Book and a Full-Cast Radio Play

Just had two new books published on Audible.

First up is a true crime story that occurred just after the beginning of the 1900s in New York City.  The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York is by Virginia A. McConnell.

"At the turn of the 20th century, many affluent Brooklyn teens and young adults were bucking the constraints of their immigrant parents and behaving badly: drinking, having sex, staying out all night, stealing, scamming local businesses, and engaging in other more serious activities.

When 20-year-old Walter Brooks was murdered in a seedy Manhattan hotel in 1902, the ensuing court case was front-page news throughout the country. The hearings featured testimonies about these young people’s secret lives that shocked parents and inspired much editorial commentary in the newspapers. From start to finish, the case was viewed as a cautionary tale for parents, for boys who could be led astray, and for girls who risked their reputations to be popular.

Set against the colorful backdrop of Coney Island, roadhouses, forbidden dance halls, and vaudeville, The Belle of Bedford Avenue follows the young woman at the heart of the case from her trial for the murder of Walter Brooks to her adulthood.

The crime itself, interestingly, occurred in the location of Ground Zero and today’s September 11 Memorial. The trial was conducted by William Travers Jerome, who went on to become a legendary New York City prosecutor."

To listen to the sample and/or purchase the book, head to Audible here.

The second book is a full-cast radio play that I participated in as a member of Voices of Today.  Down With My Demons is by Josh Bourne.  I play the character of Jael.


"Ten years after a tragic incident on the lake, an AA meeting in a small, religious town in the deep south of the USA descends into bitterness and chaos when a flood hits. Trapped within the local church, tempers escalate and well-buried secrets begin to emerge. Personalities clash, reputations are dissected and questioned, and everybody's demons are laid bare.  Cast:
Vincent - Andy Harrington
Pastor Talbot - Jeff Moon
Samuel - John Burlinson
Delilah - Amanda Friday
Jael - Lee Ann Howlett
Audio edited by Leanne Yau."

To listen to the sample and/or purchase this one, you can find it on Audible here.

A new charity project from The Online Stage!

I was very happy to play a small role in this new production as a member of The Online Stage!  Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett features a full-cast and was just released on Audible:

"Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Presented by the Online Stage.

Frances Hodgson Burnett's heartwarming novel about an idealistic and impoverished American child who unexpectedly finds himself transplanted into the English aristocracy has long been considered a true classic of children's fiction. 

Young Cedric lives with his widowed mother in New York. His late father was a British earl who had been disowned by his father for marrying an American. As all of the earl of Dorincourt's sons have now died, he begrudgingly looks to Cedric as his sole heir. While the earl soon comes to love the endearing little Cedric, conflict arises when a strange woman appears on the scene and insists that her son is the true heir.

Cast:

• Narrator - Christianne Lupher 
• Cedric - Miranda Hodges 
• Mrs. Errol - Maureen Boutilier 
• Mr. Hobbs - Marty Krz 
• Mr. Havisham - Ron Altman 
• Earl of Dorincourt - Denis Daly 
• Dick - Ben Stevens 

Additional voices provided by Sarah Bacaller, Lee Ann Howlett, Susan Iannucci, Nancy German, P J Morgan, Alan Weyman, Danielle Cohen, Jeff Moon, Phil Benson, Sarah Mitchell, Leanne Yau, Andy Harrington, Andrew Coleman, Ken Foster, and Elizabeth Klett.

Audio edited by Amanda Friday, Elizabeth Klett, and Denis Daly.

 

Public Domain (P)2019 The Online Stage."

 

All proceeds from the sale of this audiobook will go to COPS, Concerns of Police Survivors, to help those left behind from police line of duty deaths.

 

To listen to the sample and/or purchase the book, head to Audible here. 

Full-cast production of a children's classic from The Online Stage!

Being a part of this production was so much fun!  Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling was just released on Audible.  Brought to you by The Online Stage -- of which I'm proud to be a member -- and produced in cooperation with Spoken Realms.  I play the role of Teshumai, mother of Taffy.

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling's delightful collection of imaginative tales about natural history has captivated children and adults alike since its publication in 1902. Here the stories are presented in dramatic format by members of The Online Stage:

1. "How the Whale Got His Throat"
2. "How the Camel Got His Hump"
3. "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin"
4. "How the Leopard Got His Spots"
5. "The Elephant's Child"
6. "The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo"
7. "The Beginning of the Armadillos"
8. "How the First Letter Was Written"
9. "How the Alphabet Was Made"
10. "The Crab That Played with the Sea"
11. "The Cat That Walked by Himself"
12. "The Butterfly That Stamped"
13. "The Tabu Tale"

Featuring the voices of Alan Weyman, Amanda Friday, Andy Harrington, Ben Stevens, Christianne Lupher, Chyanne Donnell, Denis Daly, Elizabeth Chambers, Jeff Moon, Jennifer Fournier, John Burlinson, K.G. Cross, Larry Wilson, Leanne Yau, Lee Ann Howlett, Marty Krz, Maureen Boutilier, Michelle Marie, Nancy German, Noel Badrian, P.J. Morgan, Ron Altman, Sarah Bacaller, Susan Iannucci, and Ted Wenskus. Music excerpts from Scenes from Childhood and Novelleten by Robert Schumann. Audio edited by Denis Daly.

To listen to the sample and/or purchase the book, head to Audible here. 

New Full-Cast Production of a Classic from The Online Stage

Another full-cast production of a classic is now available on Audible from The Online Stage.

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll continues the adventures of 7-year old Alice and the many creatures she meets via the looking glass.  I play the parts of Haigha, the Beetle, and the First Daisy.  So much fun!

"Lewis Carroll's delightful sequel to Alice in Wonderland finds seven-year-old Alice off on another exciting adventure into Looking-Glass World. On her journey, she meets life-size chess pieces, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Humpty Dumpty, and a host of fairy-tale creatures.

Performed by a splendid cast, this Online Stage production will charm listeners of all ages.

Narration by Noel Badrian.
Featuring Miranda Hodges as Alice.

Also featuring the voices of Linda Barrans, John Burlinson, Elizabeth Chambers, Denis Daly, Brett Downey, Michele Eaton, Jennifer Fournier, Amanda Friday, KG Cross, Bob Gonzalez, Andy Harrington, Marie Hoffman, Lee Ann Howlett, Kalynda, Elizabeth Klett, Arielle Lipshaw, Ben Stevens, Joseph Tabler, and Alan Weyman."

This is another charity project from The Online Stage.  All proceeds from the sales of this audiobook will be donated to Action Against Hunger, an organization that saves the lives of severely malnourished children while helping vulnerable communities become self-sufficient.

To listen to a sample and/or purchase head to Audible here.

New Full-Cast Farce from The Online Stage!

I had a blast participating in this short series of farcical situations as a member of The Online Stage!  Arcadian Adventures With The Idle Rich by Stephen Leacock has no shortage of silliness from the, well, idle rich.

"Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) may be considered the Canadian counterpart to Mark Twain. For many years he was professor of economics at Magill University and published a number of well-regarded texts on economics and political science. However, he is best known today for his many volumes of humorous fiction. During the 1920s he was one of the most widely read authors in the English-speaking world and was considered by Jack Benny and Groucho Marx to be one of the greatest comic writers of all time.

In Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich, Leacock applies a satirical scalpel to the foibles and pretensions of the wealthy and the powerful. He not only probes the quirks of traditional power structures like corporations (public and private), political parties, universities, and churches but also finds time to poke fun at one of his favorite targets - the world of psychic phenomena.

A Little Dinner with Mr Lucullus Fyshe
The Wizard of Finance
The Arrested Philanthropy of Mr. Tomlinson
The Yahi-Bahi Oriental Society of Mrs. Rasselyer-Brown
The Love Story of Mr. Peter Spillikins
The Rival Churches of St. Asaph and St. Osoph
The Ministrations of the Rev. Uttermust Dumfarthing
The Great Fight for Clean Government

Narrated by Cate Barratt.
Cast: Lucullus Fyshe - Jeff Moon; Dr Boomer - Ron Altman; Fareforth Furlong - Richard Andrews; Mrs. Rasselyer-Brown - Lee Ann Howlett.
Additional voices supplied by Bob Neufeld, Ben Stevens, P. J. Morgan, Brett Downey, Denis Daly, Andy Harrington, David Prickett, John Burlinson, Alan Weyman, Joseph Tabler, Susan Iannucci, Becca Maggie, Jennifer Fournier, Ted Wenskus, Leanne Yau, Arielle Lipshaw, and Marty Kris.
Audio edited by Denis Daly."

To listen to a sample and/or purchase head to Audible here.

New Full-Cast Production from The Online Stage on Audible!

A new full-cast production of a classic Greek tragedy has just been released on Audible.  Hippolytus by Euripides and translated by Bob Gonzalez features cast members from The Online Stage.  I play the nurse in this and I loved the chance to sink my teeth into that character.

Euripides (c. 480-406 BCE) is the author of 18 extant plays and many more only surviving in fragments. He is the youngest of the three great Athenian tragedians with Aeschylus and Sophocles.
Hippolytus, bastard son of Theseus and the Amazon Hippolyta, has sworn chaste allegiance to the goddess Artemis, thus severely offending the goddess Aphrodite by failing to revere her. Aphrodite swears revenge and promises that he will die before the day is done, taking with him Queen Phaedra, wife of Theseus. Aphrodite sickens Phaedra with uncontrollable lust for Hippolytus, and when he vehemently spurns her, he sets in motion the events that will seal his doom.

Cast
Aphrodite - PJ Morgan
Artemis - Linda Barrans
Hippolytus - Russell Gold
Phaidra -Erin Louttit
Nurse - Lee Ann Howlett
Theseus - John Burlinson
An Old Huntsman - Ron Altman
First huntsman/Messenger - Andy Harrington
Second huntsman - Alan Weyman
Third huntsman - Alan Weyman
Chorus leader - Jennifer Fournier
Chorus One - Leanne Yau
Chorus Two - Elizabeth Chambers
Narrator - Alan Weyman

Audio edited by Alan Weyman. Freely adapted by Bob Gonzalez from the translation by Ian Johnston.

To listen to a sample and/or purchase, please visit Audible here.