Would you like to act in an old-time radio show, working side-by-side with stars who actually appeared in the original programs?
Here’s your chance! Every spring in Cincinnati, old-time radio fans gather in Cincinnati for a weekend of meeting and greeting other fans. You can buy treasures from the Dealers’ Room (tapes and CDs of old radio shows, videos, posters, magazines, etc). And you will enjoy watching (and perhaps acting in) newly-produced radio shows from those golden days when radio was king.
This year’s convention, on April 24-25, will be held at the Atrium Hotel, and there is a special convention reservation price ($79 for a double). Call 1-513-771-7171.
Admission to the convention is quite reasonable—just $8.00 per day (Friday and Saturday). Everyone is invited to audition for parts in the radio shows, which are rehearsed Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, then presented on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and night.
The stars who will be there:
- Bob Hastings starred in radio as Archie Andrews (as in Archie and Jughead). You may know him from television as Lt. Elroy Carpenter, the prissy aide to Captain Binghamton on McHale’s Navy, or later as Captain Burt Ramsey for several years on General Hospital. He did guest appearances on nearly a hundred television shows, and he was the voice of Commissioner Gordon in the Batman cartoons.
- Rosemary Rice played Betty on the same Archie Andrews radio show, and she starred as the title character Katrin on the Emmy-winning early TV series I Remember Mama. In the 1970’s, she appeared in several episodes of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
- Esther Geddes starred in Talk of the Town, and she appeared in many stage plays.
- Eddie Carroll is a comedian famous for his Jack Benny impersonation.
These four stars will appear alongside fans chosen in auditions, presenting several radio programs live for the convention attendees.
My daughter won a starring role in a Lone Ranger episode the first year we attended. She was just 11 years old, and we have gone every year since (she’s 24 now). It is a wonderful experience, the high point of the year for us, and we encourage you to attend if you like old-time radio and would enjoy meeting other fans.
Here’s a flyer about the convention:
http://tinyurl.com/cyhnch. If you want more information, call me! I’m at 217-351-1680. Or buzz me at danhughes@juno.com.
See you in Cincinnati!
Dan Hughes and his wife Kathy own the Kaleidoscope Art Studio in Rantoul, which offers classes and self-directed workshops for both children and adults. Please visit their website at http://room200.com. Dan is a Parkland College retiree. He was the general manager of the college radio station and an instructor in broadcasting. He also wrote, produced, and hosted The Parkland Challenge, a popular local television quiz program for high school academic bowl teams. He has written books on metal detecting and adult softball, and he does weekly podcasts (internet radio shows that can be listened to anytime). Email Dan at danhughes@juno.com, and check out his website at http://danhughes.net.