­­­Finding a fast-moving flying saucer forces Fibber to fantastical fantasies in Radio Redux’s hilarious live re-creation of a classic vintage radio show by the famous comedy team of Fibber McGee and Molly at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26-27 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene.

 

Single tickets—adults, $25; seniors (65+), $22; college/youth, $19; groups (5+)—are available through the Radio Redux website (www.radioredux.org), by calling the Hult Center box office (541-682-5000) or by visiting the ticket office in the Hult Center lobby (12-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday).

 

The popular Eugene audio theater company turns on the jets, and the jokes, to zoom Fibber’s excitement sky high when a silver UFO sets down in his yard, unloading a spaceship full of mayhem and mirth. Also on the silly side is a recreation of the Screen Directors Playhouse's romantic romp "Take a Letter, Darling." Based on a popular 1942 film, the inventive satire turns the business world upside down. 

 

Both shows are done in the manner of a live 1940s radio program, using only vocal prowess, live sound effects, period-appropriate music, minimal sets and vintage costumes, but also with new touches.

 

“Our show is a stroll down Memory Lane to visit favorite hit programs of yesteryear that are as viable today as they were back in the day,” says Radio Redux founder/director Fred Crafts.

 

“Podcast and audiobook fans say Radio Redux is like watching a podcast or audiobook production live on stage, able to see in person how the magic is created. That’s why we say that Radio Redux is ‘Radio worth watching.’ ”

 

Featured in “The Flying Saucer” are Sandy Silverthorne (Fibber) and Rebecca Nachison (Molly) who interact with Paul Rhoden (Doc), Jonathan Ward (Sergei), Achilles Massahos (Sonny), Shirley Andress (Betty), Steve Wehmeier (LaTrivia) and Fred Crafts (Wilcox). Here's a sample of the show.

 

The same actors return in “Take A Letter, Darling,” which stars Shirley Andress (MacGregor) and Paul Rhoden (Verney), with Jonathan Ward (Barclay), Rebecca Nachison (Janet), Sandy Silverthorne (French), Steve Wehmeier (Atwater), and Achilles Massahos (Caldwell) in supporting roles. Have a listen!!!

 

The acting team includes Al Villanueva, who provides a dramatic soundscape, and  Judy Sinnott, who creates live sound effects.

 

Pre-show and intermission music is by the troupe’s 1940s-style jazz group The Redux Rhythm-aires, comprised of Michael Anderson (guitar/leader), Matt Treder (piano), Dean Livelybrooks (bass), Rob Neidig (drums), and Kirstin Parmeter (vocals).

 

Besides an entertaining production, suitable for all ages, patrons can experience:

 

• A free, illustrated behind-the-show talk by radio-film historian Patrick Lucanio 60 minutes before show time in the Hult Center’s Soreng Theatre—at 6:00 p.m. Feb. 25 and 12:30 p.m. Feb. 26-27.

 

• A lobby exhibition of radio collectibles by curator Dennis Wright of the Radio Days Theater of the Mind in Sutherlin.

 

• An informal meet-the-cast encounter in the Hult Center lobby after the show.

 

Radio Redux’s curtain times are a half-hour earlier this season—at 7 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Crafts points out that Radio Redux adheres to the Hult Center’s Covid-19 protocols. Hult Center currently requires that all attendees wear a mask inside and show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 48 hours of showtime. “We urge that our patrons be vaccinated,” Crafts said.

 

Following “The Fibber McGee and Molly Show, Radio Redux concludes its 2021-22 “Ain’t We got Fun” season with “The Great Gatsby.”  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel electrifies the airwaves at 7 p.m. April 15 and 1:30 p.m. April 16 and 17.

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