WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING WICKED?

Auditions today at 2 for the new Bradbury project, and more on Monday, as we cast our 2 lead actors. We record at the end of the month, so time is short (as it always seems to be).
What IS the new Bradbury project you ask?
It's none other than SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

After he heard our production of DANDELION WINE, Mr. B asked us if we would be interested in producing this incredibly scary story - of course I said YES right away (its one of my favorite books), and an hour later he sent me the script via email. I cleared the schedule and put it into immediate production (once the agents and publishers worked out the details)!

I spoke with Mr. B on the phone the other day, and he is such a nice man. We discussed an idea that we had for the music in two of the key scenes (well, our Director Nancy Curran Willis had the idea), and he LOVED it! So, as soon as I am done with the POWDER RIVER episodes, I will modify the script he sent me for audio (sound and music cues - not the dialog) and we're on our way. As we were finishing our conversation, I thanked him again for the chance to do these shows, and I mentioned I was very happy he liked Dandelion Wine. He said "On to the future - SOMETHING WICKED!" THAT's Ray Bradbury.

Also new at CRT, we will be producing 15 episodes of a brand new detective series (a female detective no less!) that I am very excited about! I am hoping to get those underway in September.
Lot's going on - and never a dull moment.
ON TO THE FUTURE!
~JR

POWDER RIVER winds down

Had a GREAT recording session yesterday for POWDER RIVER, taping two more episodes (why do I still say tape when we record digital?). Next week are our last three episodes for Season 3, and I am looking forward to getting a break from writing western yarns. I love it, but it's time for a break. Here are the episode titles ~

01-03: WANTED
02-03: BANDIT'S PASS
03-03: JUST LIKE HOME
04-03: JUDGE PARKER
05-03: THE AWFUL TOOTH
06-03: MORGANS TOWN
07-03: MORGANS TOWN, Part 2
08-03: MORGANS TOWN, Part 3
09-03: TILL DEATH DO US PART
10-03: THE WINDS OF THE PRAIRIE
11-03: THE BRIDE FROM THE EAST
12-03: THE INSTANT OF UNEXPECTED
13-03: THE WAGON BOY
14-03: THE NEW OWNER
15-03: MOMENT OF TRUTH
16-03: RETURN OF THE LEGEND, Part 1
17-03: RETURN OF THE LEGEND, Part 2
18-03: THE NITRO GANG
19-03: JACK SHERMAN ESCAPES
20-03: TWILIGHT

I mean, that's a lot of POWDER RIVERS (and I still need to write and record episodes 13,14,15, which we tape next Monday).

I think we have some good episodes, and so far we haven't jumped the shark. Everyone has signed on for Season 4 (with luck, the shark will stay away), which I am hoping to record in Oct. and Nov.

WRITING NEVER SEEMS TO END

Four scripts in a week and a half. Three were recorded last Monday, the fourth will be recorded this coming Monday (July 31), and I have one more to finish for this Monday (umm, taping on the the 31st as well). You might say I am POWDER RIVER crazy. These scripts dive in to what makes certain characters tick, so they have been very difficult to write, especially since I have no idea what makes these characters tick.
I can't think of anything more scary than looking at a screen that says POWDER RIVER - ACT 1 - PAGE 1 on it, and knowing that 27 pages must follow.
ANYWAY, I'm not complaining - just wish they were all finished. Things are really taking off here, and I am THRILLED that we got Chris Snyder on the team to help with the editing. Season 2 episodes for XM are due - like NOW - as well as our weekend XM show with Dibble - then there is the new BRADBURY project to get into production (auditions for the kids roles this week)..... all I want to do is go to a cabin in New Hampshire and listen to the loons. OK, I know I'll go crazy after three days, but what the hell.

it's Sunday

What a week - Recorded 2 POWDER RIVER episodes on Monday, then went to Rex Trailers BOOMTOWN 50th Anniversary show at Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theater in Somerville (You have GOT to check out his amazing theater, and Jimmy is the BEST), AND - I had to write three new POWDER RIVER episodes that tape tomorrow night.

I know that BOOMTOWN started my love of westerns.

Seeing Rex and Sgt. Billy onstage - WOW. that's all I can say. Time stood still. I was 10 again.

All of you who didn't live in Boston in the 60's and 70's - boy, did you miss out.

And you need to check out Michael Bavaro's amazing film on BOOMTOWN (the link is on our site at www.colonialradio.com ). Even if you didn't live here during those years, you will still be amazed. Thanks, Mike - and Jimmy, and Sgt. Billy, and Sam, and of course, Rex!

Adios for tonight, pardner,

~JR

THE HEAT GOES ON

Boston is in the middle of a heat wave. "It's 94 but it feels like 100" the weatherteleprompter readers say. Can one REALLY tell the diff between 94 and 100 degrees??

Anyway, in the middle of all this heat, we recorded two episodes of POWDER RIVER last night with Rex Trailer. What an incredible Gentleman. He had fun, laughed a lot, turned in a great performance, and signed everyone's script! Rex is a true Boston Legend, and what an honor to have had him appear on the show. Without question, the BEST night ever in old Studio G.

~JR

CAPTAIN BLOOD - JULY 28TH!

July 28th sees the release of CRT's first CD (after 11 years of Cassettes) with our 7 hour production of Rafael Sabatini's CAPTAIN BLOOD. Blackstone Audio, our new publisher, is releasing the CD set. It's already on the Blackstone Best Seller List, AND it's doing well with advance sales on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and Borders. How exciting is this?? We worked so hard on this one, and the whole thing was written, recorded, scored, and posted in 3 and 1/2 months (working an average of 20 hour days). I am very proud of this one, and the CRT players nailed it, and with luck, the recording will outlast us all.

Today its more writing for POWDER RIVER, and that as they say, is that. I am also starting to work on the new Bradbury script here and there (adding in music cues and sound FX cues). I'll turn full attention to that when we finish season 3 of PR later this month.

The new Bradbury production records the last week in August! Nancy Curran Willis has signed on to direct once again! Mr. Bradbury is actively involved with the progress of the production! The show is going to scare the HELL out people! This is gonna be GREAT!!!

More updates;

Chris is all caught up on his editing for POWDER RIVER, until next week that is. Oh, some more cool news (unless I mentioned this before, which i could have because my memory is basically shot), thank's to Chris Snyder, episodes 11-20 of POWDER RIVER Season 3 will be in SURROUND SOUND! The gunfights should sound better than ever!

What a week!

Well, Mr. Bradbury loved our production of DANDELION WINE! He liked it so much we are going to be doing another one of his books for him! I'll spill the title when the publishers are finished ironing out the details - but it's a good one (well, they're ALL good, actually)!

Boston TV Icon REX TRAILER http://www.rextrailer.tv/ will be Guest Starring in two episodes of POWDER RIVER. This is amazing. Rex had a weekend TV show called
"Boomtown" that ran on WBZ TV Boston from 1957 to 1974. I think that's where I developed my love for westerns. It's gotta be; I was watching Rex when I was three, and I didnt see my first John Wayne movie till I was 14! The episodes with Rex will air on XM sometime in November.

Meanwhile, Back in Boston

A family illness prevented me from traveling to Minneapolis for the Mark Time Awards; and I canceled my flight at the last minute. Our new producer, Chris Snyder, flew in from Arizonza for the ceremony, and accepted the award for Colonial.

Writing continues. I have a new idea for a brand new series! I'm going to keep it under wraps until I have scripts and dates ready, but I am VERY excited about it! With luck we'll get to it before the year is out.

I RAVE AT CRITICS

Sent off "Dandelion Wine" to Ray Bradbury. Knowing he is going to listen to the production is causing me some serious "opening night jitters!" I hope what we created comes close to the vision he had when he wrote the script. I celebrated with some Mai Tai's, and then wrote another Powder River script for the session on the 17th.

I need to get another script done, but I won't tackle that until tomorrow.

The Captain Blood cover art looks awesome!! Check it out at BlackstoneAudio.com under July releases. It can be ordered from any B&N or Borders come July 28th, and should be on the shelf at Christmas. It's also at B&N and Borders online sites - the $19.95 version.

Is this a blog or an advertising site? It's a blog. But I figure a blog is where you write what is happening in your life, and right now, my life is 100% CRT

Our "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has won the Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Production of 2005! I am VERY excited and happy about that! This production was a bear to produce, and write, and it's nice to see it get some recognition. What would it have been like without Lincoln Clark? He was the BEST Ichabod Crane I've ever heard. I also think it's one of my favorite J. Gage scores.

I have a brand new series for CRT in the planning stages!! Film at 11


OK, some NON CRT blogging

Has anyone seen "Poseidon?" I want to see it. I loved the original, and can't imagine an upside down ship without dear old Shelly Winters screaming "MANNY! MANNY!" but I hear the effects are amazing.

Ty Burr of the Boston Globe slammed "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" This guy hates everything. Remember when critics were REALLY critics (Elliot Norton, anyone?) This guy comes from the "Kevin Kelly Poison Pen School of Critics." You see every other review on this movie gives it 3 1/2 or 3 stars, but old Mr. Burr gives it 1 and a half. AND, a friend of mine who was at the advance screening saw Mr. Burr leave the theatre twice during the film, and then he left before the credits rolled. And then he has the nerve to post his opinion to the Boston Globe???

I guess he reviewed the parts he actually watched. I have seen several Baaawstun Critics in action (names withheld), and every time, I wondered WHY in hell anyone PAYS them for their worthless, biased opinions.

Don't get me going on critics.

Show me a critic and I'll show you an actor who never made it.


~JR

Yea!

FINISHED "Dandelion Wine" tonight!! I celebrated with a few exotic drinks at the pub.

We got the job in January, got the script in March, adapted it with sound and music cues in April, recorded in May, and then from mid-May to June the music was composed and editing started the last week in May. I think we have a winner here. Mr. Bradbury wrote an incredible script, and WHAT an honor to be able to have recorded it for him! It gets released everywhere December 1st! NOW, I plan to take one day off, then I gotta start writing the final 10 Powder River scripts, which we record in July.

Now, I am going to watch Jimmy Stewart in "Spirit of St. Louis," one of my favorite movies!

Off to Minneapolis on Friday!

Cheers
J

Editing Editing Editing

Just a short entry today. Work continues on "Dandelion Wine," AND - we are releasing episode 1 of "Powder River - Season Three" this week! I'll be uploading it to Spoken Network on Thursday and it takes a day or two to go "Live," so look for it this weekend! All the episodes of "Captain Blood" are up on Spoken Network as well.

Back to work now.
cheers
JR