Tony Palermo's Radio Activities for 2007

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.”

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)