For nearly ten years, The Orpheum Theatre has produced holiday radio plays that have told classic tales from It’s a Wonderful Life to Miracle on 34th Street to A Christmas Carol. The radio play has transported audiences back in time to a 1940s radio studio broadcasting live on Christmas Eve. Stories would come to life as a small cast of actors perform at an array of old-fashioned microphones, accompanied by live sound effects, musical underscoring, vintage commercials and more. The applause sign flashed, the actors squabbled in the background, and familiar holiday tunes were heard all the while. This season is no different, as the Radio Play returns for its ninth season on Saturday, December 16 at 7pm! The production is sponsored by Knox Community Health Center.
Christmas on the Air: a Live Radio Play features a collection of holiday episodes written by Tim Holmes. Set in a radio studio, patrons take on the role of the live studio audience during a Christmas Eve broadcast. Many of the beloved members of the Playhouse on the Air ensemble will perform stories and sketches based on such popular radio shows as “My Favorite Husband”, “Our Miss Brooks”, “The Lone Ranger”, and LUX Radio Theatre.
This year’s beloved cast of characters will return to the studio, reprised by local performers that bring them to life:
KATHERINE BRENT……………………………………………………….Mandy Balser
LANA SHERWIN………………………………………………………….Erin Glasnovich
BEAU BELLOWS………………………………………………………………Eric Hanson
BJ BROLIN……………………………………………………………………….Tim Holmes
TEDDY DRISCOLL………………………………………………………….Hunter Karns
DICKIE PORTMAN…………………………………………………………Ross McIntire
CRYSTAL BELLE………………………………………………………….Tiffany Springer
TEX HEYWOOD…………………………………………………………………. Joe Winbigler
Christmas on the Air: A Live Radio Play is sponsored by Knox Community Health Center, and will show one-night-only: Saturday December 16 at 7pm at The Orpheum Theatre. This is a fun show for the entire family and runs approximately 75 minutes without intermission. General admission tickets are only $15; The Orpheum Box Office is open 10am-2pm, Tuesday thru Friday or purchase tickets online 24/7 at www.galesburgorpheum.org/tickets.
***Courtesy of The Orpheum Theatre***
