Podcast series features ‘Orson Welles Commentaries’
A lively podcast series hosted by “Buck Benny” features these 75-year old radio broadcasts and puts them into historical context.
PBS to air ‘Blinding of Isaac Woodard’ documentary
In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in World War II, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. A local police chief savagely beat Woodard, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.
‘Ides of March’ fitting time to revisit Mercury Theatre’s ‘Caesar’
The Orson Welles-directed “Caesar” was described by one critic as “the most exciting, the most imaginative, the most topical, the most awesome and the most absorbing of the season’s new productions.”
‘Around the World’: Orson Welles, Cole Porter musical subject of podcast
Porchlight Music Theatre will utilize the only surviving recording of a portion of “Around the World.’ In addition, Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber will talk with Wellesnet administrator Ray Kelly about the Broadway production’s history.
‘Voodoo Macbeth’ drama to air on BBC Radio 4
Orson Welles’ groundbreaking all-Black stage production of Macbeth is the subject of an upcoming BBC Radio 4 play. “Voodoo Macbeth” will be broadcast on January 28.
2020 in review: New Orson Welles movie, chart-topping rap album appearance
In 2020, fans saw the release of “Hopper/Welles” and Orson Welles’ radio work repurposed in a best-selling hip hop album.
‘Christmas Carol,’ other Orson Welles holiday radio shows online
As we get ready to kick 2020 to the curb, a reminder that streaming audio of four vintage Christmas radio shows featuring Orson Welles can be found on Wellesnet.
‘War of the Worlds’ — 10 links worth checking out by Halloween
With the 82nd anniversary of the infamous radio broadcast fast approaching, here are 10 online links worth checking out.
‘The world needs this’ – Logic on including Orson Welles speech on racism on new album
When rapper Logic decided to sample an Orson Welles radio show for Intro on his album No Pressure, he did not plan on using the late filmmaker’s voice again to close the collection. Logic sampled Welles’ introductory remarks from a 1942 broadcast of The Hitch-Hiker to playfully kick-off his hit album. “On one of the very […]
Rap fans give high marks to Orson Welles appearance on Logic album
If you spend enough time on social media, you will find a number of young people either do not know who Orson Welles was — or know him only from YouTube outtakes of Paul Masson or Findus frozen peas commercials. But the release today of Logic’s album, No Pressure, has sent some fans of the […]
Logic samples Orson Welles radio shows on ‘No Pressure’ album
Classic Orson Welles radio broadcasts are sampled on a forthcoming album by Grammy nominated rapper Logic. Welles can he heard prominently on two tracks on Logic’s album, No Pressure, which is set to arrive on Friday, July 24, via Def Jam Recordings/Visionary Music Group. (Some of the album tracks have already leaked online.) The […]
Screenwriter Devin Lucas talks about ‘Orson’s War’
By RAY KELLY An as-yet-unproduced screenplay by Devin Lucas focusing on the Mercury Theatre on the Air radio production of War of the Worlds is gaining attention on the West Coast. Orson’s War recently won a professional table read through Coverfly — something the Southern California writer hopes will move the 112-page script closer to […]
Help University of Michigan get Orson Welles into classrooms
Update 5/15/2020: In just three days, a group of volunteers from around the world transcribed more than 1,300 letters (almost 2.000 pages), mostly handwritten, sent to Orson Welles and his network CBS in the wake of the infamous 1938 War of Worlds radio broadcast. ______ By RAY KELLY The University of Michigan at Ann […]
Listen to four Orson Welles Christmas radio shows
A cheery holiday reminder that streaming audio of four vintage Christmas radio shows featuring Orson Welles can be found on Wellesnet. First up are two versions of Charles Dicken’s classic A Christmas Carol as heard on the Campbell Playhouse in 1938 and 1939. The first features Welles as Ebenezer Scrooge, while the second has him narrating the story and […]
‘War of the Worlds’ — When Hugo honored Orson
The Mercury Theatre on the Air production of The War of the Worlds became legendary after its broadcast more than eight decades ago on October 30, 1938. Working from a script by Howard Koch and Anne Froelick, which was based on the H.G. Wells novel about a Martian invasion, Orson Welles and company created a […]
Listen to ‘Orson Welles Almanac’ special D-Day broadcast
Today is the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion at Normandy and one of Orson Welles’ finest wartime radio broadcasts. Orson Welles’ Almanac was usually a half-hour variety show, but on June 7, 1944, the day after the D-Day landing in France, Welles presented a special dramatic broadcast. It featured his longtime Mercury Theatre staple […]
Princeton honoring ‘War of the Worlds’ 80th with special events
Given that the character of Professor Richard Pierson of the Observatory at Princeton played a key role in The War of the Worlds broadcast, it seems fitting that the Princeton Public Library host a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the infamous radio broadcast. Hannah Schmidl of the Princeton Public Library and A. Brad Schwartz, […]
Sculptures to mark ‘War of the Worlds’ in New Jersey town
To commemorate The War of the Worlds radio broadcast, the West Windsor Arts Council in New Jersey is gearing up to launch a new public arts project and install at least 10 Martian-themed sculptures around town over the next few years. It hopes to have the first sculpture in place in time for the broadcast’s 80th […]
National Endowment for the Humanities grant will help analyze Orson Welles radio shows
The MacArthur-Verman led team involves a large team of scholars around the world as consultants, advisers and user-testers.
Season’s greetings: 5 Orson Welles’ Christmas performances to enjoy
Streaming audio of four vintage Christmas radio show can be found on Wellesnet.