Tony Palermo's Radio Activities for 2007
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News - 2005
(in backwards chronological order)
October 14-21, 2007 - Los Angeles - 5 PERFORMANCES/RECORDING
L.A. Theatre Works' production of
Berthold Brecht/David Hare's "The Life of Galileo"

Tony performed live sound
effects for L.A. Theater Works' 2-hour
"The Life of Galileo" at the
Skirball Cultural Center. Five
performances before a live audience were recorded for broadcast on National Public Radio
and XM Satellite Radio.
This was a radio-on-stage production of a British playwright David Hare's
"intimate version" of Bertold Brecht's tale of science versus the Church set in
Italy in the 1600s. Starring Stacy Keach, Joanne Whalley, Simon Templeman, Jill
Gascoine, Roy Dotrice, Peter Lavin, Darren Richardson, Christopher Neame, Alan
Shearman, Matt Wolf, Moira Quirk, Jeannie Elias, Neil Dickson and Robert Machray.
Directed by Martin Jarvis. Engineering by Mark Holden. Live sound effects
by Tony "Sparx" Palermo.
Unrelenting in his search for “simple truth”, Galileo Galilei
shatters beliefs held sacred for two thousand years. But, under threat of
torture by the Holy Inquisition, his scientific and personal integrity are
put to the test, as he argues for his very life
in a passionate debate over science, politics, religion and ethics that
resonates to this day. London’s Guardian calls it "a
restless, endlessly evolving masterpiece. A play for today.”
Broadcast on
KPCC-89.3 FM Pasadena, and other selected NPR stations and XM Satellite Radio
(10/22/2007)
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For August to December 2007, see Radio Activity
News - Current
July 14-28, 2007 - Florence, ITALY - Vacation, Research

Tony and his family were visiting relatives in Italy and did a side trip through
Tuscany. While strolling through San Croce Church in Florence, Tony found
himself in a kind of Radio Heaven, with the tombs of poet/fantasist Dante,
Galileo, Rossini (composer of the William Tell Overture--a/k/a the "Lone Ranger
Theme" and Marconi, inventor of radio. (7/30/2007)
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June 7-21, 2007 - Owensboro, KY - New Mystery Writers
Festival - 18 PERFORMANCES/RECORDING
New Mystery Writer's Festival - 7 "Screen-Plays"

Tony handled all the sound design and live sound effects for a
live-radio-on-stage presentation of seven full-length screenplays at the first New
Mystery Writer's Festival. The cast included Harry Anderson as well as
David Ossman and Phil Proctor (of the Firesign Theatre),
Melinda Peterson, Deana Duncan (pictured at left), Richard Fish
and a host of talented Kentuckians. The festival, which also included four stage plays, was the brainchild of legendary Broadway producer Zev Buffman.
All productions were in competition--voted on by the audiences. In the
center picture above, Tony tries to get actress Debra Babich's "Angie" statuette--named
for Festival Queen, Angela Lansbury. Tony's sonic collaborators, pictured at right, are
musician Steve Amos and engineer Hugh Whitaker. (5/22/2007)
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May 29-30, 2007 - Modesto, CA - 5 PERFORMANCES
Sparx Audio Adventures - School Assembly
Tony presented five more of his
Sparx - Audio Adventures shows to 500 students at Lakewood
Elementary School, in Modesto. The next day, Sparx did two more shows at nearby Stanislaus
Elementary. (6/01/2007)
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May 18, 2007 - Santa Clarita, CA - WORKSHOP
The Santa Clarita Playhouse -
Radio-On-Stage Workshop

Tony conducted a radio drama production workshop for the Santa Clarita Playhouse, in
preparation for a series of radio plays at their state-of-the-art
theatre. They produced two of Tony's short comedies, Egypped Again! and About
That Ark... (5/18/2007)
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May 2-5, 2007 - Sacramento, CA - 3 DAYS OF PERFORMANCES
California PTA Convention

Tony revved up his "invisible motorcycle" for the California PTA's annual
convention in Sacramento. Thousands of delegates from PTA's statewide were
treated to a variety of routines as Tony touted his popular
Sparx - Audio Adventures school assembly programs. (5/11/2007)
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April 13-14, 2007 - Los Angeles - Native Voices at the
Autry - 3 PERFORMANCES FOR BROADCAST
Native Voices at the Autry's production of "Super Indian"

Tony--pictured above with assistants Janna Lopez and Michel Tyobgi--performed
sound effects for 10 action packed episodes of "Super Indian"--a comic/adventure
radio drama series for
Native Voices at the Autry. The shows were written by
Arigon Starr (who appeared with Tony in the Peabody Award-nominated radio
adaptation of N. Scott Momaday's The Indolent Boys several years ago). Audio
theatre and audio book veteran William Dufris directed an all-star Native
American cast. The episodes follow a nerdy reservation boy as he gains super
powers--and a talking dog--and battles everything from an anti-heritage
transmogrifying 50
foot tall robot to a ravenous Rave held by a Scottish gangster rapper Indian-wannabee to an
evil history teacher empowered by a shaman's magic belt. Tony added an
especially silly sound effects gag where a stinky sock silenced an entire field
of crickets! The performances were
recorded for broadcast and podcast later this year on Native Reservation radio
stations and servers. Randy Reinholz and Jean Bruce Scott produced the programs at the
Autry Museum of Western Heritage--where Tony was the resident
sound effects artist with the Wells Fargo Radio Theater for years. (4/15/2007)
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April 13-15 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - Virginia Avenue Project - SOUND
DESIGN/PERFORMANCES
Virginia Avenue Project's "What on
Earth?!" -
Youth Theatre Production

Tony did sound design and trained child playwrights to do
their own live on-stage sound effects for the
Virginia Avenue
Project's marvelous
What on Earth production of
short plays at the 24th St. Theatre. Leigh Curran's wonderful
children's collaborations with adult theater artists are a delight for both
their humor and imagination. The shows ranged from a race between a hungry
Cheetah and an obnoxious Ferrari gas guzzler on Planet X, to a lumberjack
learning ballet from a banapple tree, to a polar bear having her ice berg towed
by a duck teen to a bride being prevented from attending her wedding by
water--in the form of hail, steam, and rickshaw-slowing puddles. (3/14/2007)
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March 20th 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - SCHOOL RADIO DRAMA WORKSHOP
L.A. Theatre Works - "The Pirate's Curse!"
- Radio Drama Workshop

Tony conducted one of his
Sparx - Audio Adventures workshops at Cienega Elementary School as part
of
L.A. Theater Works' education programs. A
group of 5th graders performed Tony's swashbuckling horror story, "The Pirate's
Curse," as training for producing their own radio drama dealing with their
history curriculum The children performed all acting roles, as well as
sound effects and even the engineer's duties while Tony directed. (3/20/2007)
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March 8, 2007 - Chula Vista, CA - 4 PERFORMANCES
Sparx Audio Adventures - School Assembly
Tony presented four more of his
Sparx - Audio Adventures shows to 700 students at Lilian
J. Rice
Elementary School, near San Diego. (3/08/2007)
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March 7, 2007 - Los Angeles - California Artists Radio
Theatre - PERFORMANCE FOR BROADCAST
California Artists Radio Theatre's production of "Ruggles of Red Gap"
The
California Artists
Radio Theatre presented a live
radio-on-stage production of the comedy Ruggles of Red Gap starring
Vincent Dowling (pictured left) Richard
Herd, JoAnne Worley, Samantha Eggar and the talented C.A.R.T.
regulars.
Peggy Webber
(pictured with Tony)
adapted the script and directed.
Tony performed live sound effects. Jay Muns provided the live
accompaniment. Jeff Peters engineered. This program was recorded for XM Satellite Radio.
(3/09/2007)
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March 1, 2007 - La Crescenta, CA - 3 PERFORMANCES - "Sparx Audio
Adventures!"
Sparx Audio Adventures - School Assembly
Tony presented three more of his
Sparx - Audio Adventures shows to 760 students at Monte Vista
Elementary School, in the foothills of Los
Angeles. "Family Night" drew 300 attendees--a record crowd. (3/01/2007)
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February-June 2007 - Los Angeles, CA
"Noah's ARK" at the Skirball Cultural Center
- Interactive Museum Exhibit & Program

In yet another venture at Los Angeles' marvelous
Skirball Cultural
Center's Tony put the finishing touches on his part of the
Noah's Ark
interactive museum gallery--a 7,000 square foot hands-on "experience" for
children presenting 500 Flood myths from around the world. The gallery
includes a gigantic ark with Rube Goldberg-style conveyors and motion machines,
boat building and rope climbing opportunities, plus imaginative depictions of
animals using found objects, such as auto springs and paper fans configured as
owls, bicycle handlebars and mop heads fashioned into rams, ropes coiled into
sunglass-wearing snakes, and more.
Tony applied his sound effects wizardry in a Conduct-A-Storm exhibit
(pictured above),
where visitors perform as an ensemble to evoke the wind, thunder, rain, waves
and animal sounds of these mythic flood stories. Both field trips and
drop-in visitors can partake in a variety of lessons that encourage
teamwork and perseverance, exploring the mythic message of the perilous
journey from danger to deliverance. Avant-puppeteer Chris Green brings
his kinetic life-size elephants, coyotes, and crockodiles (pictured at right). and more to provide a visual balance to
Tony's aural illusions. Lexington Scenic Fabricators have fashioned a
delightfully low-tech, high-imagination themed installation unlike anything
you've ever seen. Imagine a toyland created by artists and you're getting on the
gang-plank for a wonderful journey into magic.
(2/02/2007)
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February 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - RECORDING - Aeschylus' Oresteia
trilogy audiobook sound effects
Yuri Rasovsky's production of Aeschylus' Oresteia
trilogy - Audiobook

Tony completed sound effects and production work on the latest
audiobook dramas for award-winning writer/director Yuri Rasovsky--a full cast
production of The Orestia
-- three plays by the ancient Greek master, Aeschylus, detailing the trials
of Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War, his subsequent murder and the revenge-filled peril for his son Orestes and daughter Elektra. This tale of needless war
and the cost of revenge is particularly timely today. For these plays, Tony re-created parts of the Trojan War as well as gods, goddesses and the avenging Furies. The
audiobook
starring Linda Purl, Bo Foxworth, Carolyn Semour,
Rosalind Ayres, Jeannie Hackett, Kirsten Potter and others, was published in April 2007 by Blackstone
Audio. (4/11/2007)
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February 7-11, 2007 - Los Angeles, CA - PERFORMANCE/RECORDING
L.A. Theatre Works' production of
"The Busy World Is Hushed"

Tony performed live sound
effects for L.A. Theater Works' 2-hour
The Busy World is Hushed
at the
Skirball Cultural Center. Five
performances before a live audience were recorded for broadcast on National Public Radio
and XM Satellite Radio.
Golden
Globe, Emmy and Academy Award® nominee Jill Clayburgh and the original New York
cast appeared. The Busy World is Hushed examines
the contradictions we find in our faith, our families and ourselves. Hannah, a
widowed Episcopal minister, is hoping to translate a long-lost gospel when she
is challenged by both her scholarly assistant and her wayward gay son. But when
family secrets are revealed, only the intercession of a stranger can help Hannah
find peace. JoBeth Williams directed. Mark Holden engineered.
Susan Albert Lowenberg is
the executive producer for LATW and Erica Christensen, the able stage manager. (2/12/2007)
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January 26, 2007 - Rancho Cucamonga, CA - 2 PERFORMANCES
Sparx Audio Adventures - School Assembly
Tony presented two more of his
Sparx - Audio Adventures shows to another 550 students at
Doña Merced
Elementary School, just north of Ontario. (1/27/2007)
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January 13, 2007 - South Pasadena, CA - PERFORMANCE
Laurel & Hardy - Three Radio Sketches

The Early to Bed Tent (South Pasadena’s local chapter of the Sons of the
Desert, the international Laurel and Hardy fan organization) hosted several Laurel and Hardy radio recreations and skits featuring
Chuck McCann and
Jim MacGeorge (pictured flanking director Barbara Watkins),
Bobb Lynes rounded out the cast, with Tony providing the live sound effects. One
sketch was a re-creation of a 1932 comedy record the duo made in England, but
here, Tony made the record--and the actors--skip until someone could knock them
back into the groove. Another fine mess of fun! Laurel and
Hardy films were also shown, and cake was served, in honor of Oliver Hardy’s
115th birthday.
(1/07/2007) |
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