Theatre & Radio Audiobooks | Literature

Waterlogg Classic Literature Pack: Anton Chekhov, O. Henry, Stephen Crane, and William Shakespeare

"This collection provides over five hours of radio dramatizations of some of the greatest literature ever written, as adapted, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua. The Bear: A Classic One-Act Play by Anton Chekhov The Bear, one of the great works of Anton Chekhov, tells about the strange beginnings of love between the recently widowed Mrs. Popov and Grigory Stepanovich Smirnov. In Russian the word for “bear” has two meanings: an animal or a rather rude, clumsy, awkward man. The cast includes Cathi Tully, Bob Miller, and William Duff-Griffin. “Tobin’s Palm” by O. Henry William Sydney Porter, known by his pen name, O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry’s short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.Waterlogg Productions will be releasing the complete works of O. Henry. “The Pace of Youth” by Stephen Crane This adaptation of Crane’s classic short story was produced with wonderful sound effects and music by veteran radio-theater producer Joe Bevilacqua, who is joined in the cast by William Melillo, Cathi Tully, Peter Cummings, and Leslie Spital. Hamlet The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius, who had murdered his own brother, seized the throne, and married his deceased brother’s widow. Joe Bevilacqua produced, directed, and performed in this radio adaptation. The cast includes Margaret Dunn, William Melillo, Jay Snyder, James Cronin, William Evans, Peter Cummings, Christine Solazzi, Rick Ramos, Jayson Ternan, Phil Duffy, Mark Yablonsky, John Fernandez, Thomas Babkowski, Leslie Spital, Keith Lander, Bob O’Connor, Alan Cobb, Andrew Heil, John Alston, William Conrad, Ben Wright, John McIntire, Jannette Nolan, Sammy Hill, and Fred McKie."

Joe Bevilacqua (Author), Lorie Kellogg, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Was Really Very Hungry: A Portrait of M.F.K. Fisher

"A portrait of one of the greatest American food writers of the 20th century, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, whose writing transcended recipes and reviews to probe our deep-seated relationship to our appetites. Assembled from diaries, journalism, and short stories, Kelly Nespor's play creates a vivid tableau of the life of this preeminent and influential gourmet. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production featuring: Anne Archer, Kurt Ehrmann, Jennifer Friedmann, Lily Shaw and David Tierney. Directed by Paul Frellick and recorded before a live audience. Adapted by Kelly Nespor"

M.F.K. Fisher (Author), Anne Archer, David Tierney, Jennifer Friedmann, Kurt Ehrmann, Lily Shaw (Narrator)

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OYAKOSHINJU: DEATHBOND

"A young divorcee named Keiko moves from Hiroshima to America to start a new life with her ambitious husband. But when he takes a mistress and leaves her, Keiko takes drastic and irreversible actions to preserve her dignity and that of her children. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast recording featuring: Shuko Akune, Jusak Bernhard, Takayo Fischer, Robert Ito, Peter Jacobs, Robin Goodrin Nordli, Yuji Okumoto, Randy Tanizawa and Shari Tanizawa. Directed by Peggy Shannon and recorded before a live audience."

Sachi Oyama (Author), Jusak Bernhard, Peter Jacobs, Randy Tanizawa, Robert Ito, Robin Goodrin Nordli, Shari Tanizawa, Shuko Akune, Takayo Fischer, Yuji Okumoto (Narrator)

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You Never Can Tell

"How many plays start in a dentist’s chair and climax with a wild masquerade party? Shaw’s hilarious comedy of errors involves mistaken identity, tangled courtship, and wise advice from “the perfect waiter.” With a nod to Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Shaw’s You Never Can Tell is a lightning-paced satire of romance and Edwardian society. Recorded before a live audience at the UCLA James Bridges Theater in May 2015. Director: Rosalind Ayres Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg An L.A. Theatre Works Full-Cast Performance Featuring: James Callis as Mr. Valentine Siobhán Hewlett as Gloria Nicholas Hormann as Mr. McComas Martin Jarvis as The Waiter Christopher Neame as Mr. Crampton Moira Quirk as Dolly Susan Sullivan as Mrs. Clandon Simon Templeman as Bohun Matthew Wolf as Phillip Associate Producers: Anna Lyse Erikson, Myke Weiskopf Recording Engineer, Sound Designer and Mixer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood Foley Artist: Jeff Gardner"

George Bernard Shaw (Author), Christopher Neame, James Callis, Martin Jarvis, Matthew Wolf, Moira Quirk, Nicholas Hormann, Simon Templeman, Siobhán Hewlett, Susan Sullivan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Laugh Or Die

"Comedy saved Tobe Hixx's life! A skinny kid who was often teased and ridiculed by his peers, he ultimately turned to a life of crime that included gangs and selling crack. Says Hixx, "People don't realize when you sell drugs, you're just as addicted as the person using the drugs. [I was] addicted to the money and the lifestyle." After stints in both state and federal prison, Hixx chose to return to his first love, Comedy. Overcoming hard times in prison helped him develop the thick skin he would need to survive as a comedian. Hixx started his comedy career in San Diego, CA where he was voted San Diego's Funniest Man. Since then, Hixx has traversed the globe making audiences roar with laughter in over 15 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan where he received the highest medal of recognition for entertaining American soldiers. His humble beginning remains a pertinent part of his story and a reminder to continue propelling forward. "Every time things get tough, shows get cancelled, it makes you think of the past." Hixx, who has a special penchant for being around for funny moments, gets most of his material form real life situations. His style is salted with influences of comedic heavyweights Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Redd Foxx and Louis CK. Taking his audiences on side-splitting journeys, he perfectly combines the honesty of Pryor's personal tragedies, Carlin's disposition for observation and knowledge, Foxx's sharp attitude, and CK's tenacity. The LA Times writes: "Tobe Hixx is a true Comedian. Tobe works the crowd until everyone is laughing and he gets even funnier! Great Show! Tremendous artist worth every penny of admission." He has been seen on "The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno," Fox's "Laughs," LaffMobb's "We Got Next," "Comics Unleashed," "Who Wants to Date a Comedian," "The Doctors-Man Cave Segments", BET's "Comic View," "Operation Repo," and "1000 Ways to Die," in addition to numerous stand-up TV performances."

Tobe Hixx (Author), Tobe Hixx (Narrator)

Audiobook

Glittercheese

"Recorded at the Up Comedy Club in Chicago, Liza Treyger's debut album GLITTERCHEESE is boisterously candid. This "casual feminist" leads her audience down a chaotic path in her signature laid-back style as she reflects on treasured times such as handing out beer from her car after open mic nights to make friends, ruining a Miley Cyrus concert for teenage girls, and going to jail maybe one too many times. You're sure to fall in love with Liza's searing but playful charm... Unless you're a pregnant woman. Or a man with a ponytail."

Liza Treyger (Author), Liza Treyger (Narrator)

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Live at Bimbo's

""Live at Bimbo's" is the second album from Natasha Leggero, star of Comedy Central's Another Period and The Roast of Justin Bieber. Recorded at the historic Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, Natasha elegantly examines the many reasons why having kids is problematic, the absurdities of Burning Man, Mormons, Hipsters and more. From conservative Republicans to her very own diamond pussy, Natasha proves that no one and nothing is off limits. Even J-Lo."

Natasha Leggero (Author), Natasha Leggero (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

"When veteran award-winning radio theater producer Joe Bevilacqua (Joe Bev) was a student in his final semester at Kean College (now Kean University) in 1982, he designed his own course, in which he produced and directed a radio version of Hamlet. Casting Kean faculty and students, and portraying the melancholy Danish prince himself, Bevilacqua not only completed his nearly four-hour radio adaption of Shakespeare’s greatest work, he did so while carrying a double major in speech-theater-media-communication and English; producing, acting in, and sometimes writing radio plays for the WKNJ Radio Theater he founded at the college station; rehearsing and portraying Dr. Martn Dysart in Equus on the Kean Stage; and working twenty hours per week as the assistant manager of Kean’s Writing and Math Lab. After graduating summa cum laude, Bevilacqua saw his production of Hamlet picked up and distributed by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) and aired on public radio stations nationwide. Bevilacqua went on to become one of the most prolific radio drama producers in the United States, as well as an on-camera actor in such films as The Fly Room and The Better Angels and in television shows, including portraying British General Bernard Montgomery in the History Channel’s The Wars and the head of NBC in 1931 for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. The master reels of Joe Bevilacqua’s radio production of Hamlet were lost in the 1980s. On January 6, 2015, while going through some old files, Bevilacqua came across an NFCB newsletter listing a number of his radio dramas, including Hamlet. He then traced the NFCB collection to the University of Maryland Libraries, where it now resides. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius. Claudius had murdered his own brother, Hamlet’s father, and subsequently seized the throne, marrying his deceased brother’s widow, Gertrude. From the NFCB newsletter: This four-hour drama is both faithful to Shakespeare and creative in presentation. The acting is of professional quality. Joe Bev highlights the play as Hamlet by using great change of pace and dynamics, articulation and believability, along with superb vocal range. After hearing a tape of the production, veteran voice-man Daws Butler (Yogi Bear) said, “It is among the best Hamlets I have ever heard.” Other highlights are the ghost’s reverb processed bass and Claudius attempting to pray after murdering the king. Tech is good, the acting is excellent. You will understand every word and get the full range of meaning (from tragic to comic) from the characters! Great use of sound effects and music! BONUS TRACK: “Another Point of View (Hamlet Revisited),” originally aired on the CBS Radio Workshop June 22, 1956. An analytical misrepresentation of Shakespeare’s greatest hero, with William Conrad (narrator, author), Ben Wright (Hamlet, author), and John McIntire."

William Shakespeare (Author), A Full Cast (Narrator)

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Perfect Touch: A Novel

"The New York Times bestselling queen of romantic suspense returns with a heart-racing tale in which a former soldier turned rancher and a beautiful designer race to stop a vicious killer—a battle for survival that threatens to explode in an intense and irresistible passion. An art dealer and owner of her own design studio, Perfect Touch, Sara Medina travels the world to find the ideal artwork for her clients. Her sophisticated, comfortable life in San Francisco is light years away from the poverty of her family’s dairy farm, and Sara will do whatever it takes to keep her business strong. A dedicated urban career woman focused on her work, she doesn’t have time or energy for a family or distracting romantic entanglements. Jay Vermillion recently inherited Vermillion Sky, a working ranch near Wyoming’s breathtaking Grand Teton Mountains—and the estates of the rich and restless. While he was fighting in two wars, his father tried to keep the homestead running, until illness stole his fight and then his life. Jay’s determined to restore Vermillion Sky, but first he’s got to settle a vicious battle with his former stepmother over some of his late father’s paintings. The last thing on his mind is a finding a wife and creating a seventh generation of Vermillions. When Jay hires Sara to handle his father’s artwork, it’s love at first sight—a mutually inconvenient attraction that is soon complicated by a double murder at the edge of the ranch and a potential betrayal even closer to home. Working together to unmask a murderer, Sara and Jay try to fight the intense heat between them. Then the killer targets Sara. And suddenly, Jay, the war-weary soldier, finds something he’s once again willing to die for . . ."

Elizabeth Lowell (Author), Nicol Zanzarella (Narrator)

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The Truth Hurts

"Travis Simmons aka The Big Funny is working to change the world one joke at a time. Some people hug trees, others run for political office. Travis Simmons is dedicated to comedy for the sake of people. He makes them laugh by being honest, telling the truth, and sprinkling in an impression or two. "If you have reason not to share on this planet, when we're really just stuck here together, I'm making fun of you. If you think someone else should be limited in their rights because of their ethnicity, gender, or sexuality, then I'm going to make fun of you AND your ideas." He takes his time and works meticulously on the construction of each joke he writes ensuring that his material is crisp, compelling and authentic. He is highly regarded and widely applauded for his brilliant observations, amazing impressions and astute political commentary. He has performed up and down the west coast as well as some of the flyover states. He won 2nd place at the 2013 Big Sky Comedy Competition and 2nd runner up in the Seattle International Comedy Competition. He is currently in post-production on his first documentary "Weed is Safer Than Alcohol". He has over 3 million video plays on YouTube; he teaches a comedy class; and he runs a marathon daily podcast where he digs deep with other comics on anti-racist and progressive ideas. Travis Simmons is always performing. "I tell jokes in grocery stores and gas stations. Sometimes I pop into a karaoke bar...where I'll sing "What a Wonderful World". While the audience is stunned by my Louis Armstrong impression I'm able to tell like 5-10 minutes of jokes. Once I see what worked there, I'll take off, stop at Dicks and do another 10 minutes for everyone waiting in line." Travis Simmons, a big man with veteran chops and a booming voice that he uses to tame even the wildest road crowds is truly a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world."

Travis "The Big Funny" Simmons (Author), Travis "The Big Funny" Simmons (Narrator)

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Gynecological Wonder

Bridget Everett (Author), Bridget Everett (Narrator)

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Twelfth Night: A BBC Radio 3 full-cast drama

"David Tennant stars as Malvolio in Shakespeare's comedy of disguise, madness and love. One of Shakespeare's happiest plays, Twelfth Night is both a comedy of misrule and a trenchant attack on puritanism. Disguise and deceit leads to misadventure, madness and mistaken love. Orsino loves Olivia, but she loves Cesario, who really does love Orsino (for Cesario is actually Viola). But Malvolio believes his mistress, Olivia, loves him, as he is a victim of a trick played on him by those who would make him mad. Naomi Frederick and Paul Ready are Viola and Orsino in his sparkling BBC Radio 3 production."

William Shakespeare (Author), David Tennant, Full Cast, Naomi Frederick (Narrator)

Audiobook

Theatre & Radio Audiobooks in Literature