The Magic of Radio

Speaking of Emmy winner Tom Bergeron, lately he’s been busy contributing introductions to new productions by the Hollywood Radio Players who bring you “Radio You Can See” to raise funds for MPTF. These delightful hybrid Zoom productions reimagine Golden Age radio shows with today’s actors for a new audience each month. The shows are produced by actors and radio enthusiasts, Emmy nominee Lee Purcell and Michael Carnegie. Hollywood Radio Players was born out of the desire to keep performing when the SAG-AFTRA Radio Plays Committee’s live performances were shut down by the pandemic and the members pivoted to doing productions via Zoom as the Hollywood Radio Players. As Lee explains, “We created this unique hybrid of Zoom and radio with era-specific costumes and props and all kinds of backdrops, special effects, sound effects and music.”

“It is a new medium,” Michael adds, “nothing like we've ever really dealt with prior to now.” Aside from their regular member-editors, the Hollywood Radio Players take turns with directing and other duties to keep things fresh. “It’s not only great entertainment. It's also learning and being respectful of our past, where we've all come from and how we got to where we are now over the decades of entertainment in this industry.” Among their shows so far are the classic thriller The Hitch-hiker, the Thanksgiving charmer The Life of Riley, and Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds-- plus a brand new holiday one you can link to at the bottom of this newsletter. Please tune in monthly for a brand-new episode of these classic radio plays from the Hollywood Radio Players! We hope you enjoy listening, watching, and finding a new way to support our mission.