Interest in Orson Welles’ October 30, 1938 “The War of the Worlds” radio broadcast has been tremendous as the 75th anniversary approaches. There have been numerous reports in newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online recalling its impact.
What follows is by no means a comprehensive listing of programs and special events, but a highlight of some of the more notable celebrations.
Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013
The Grovers Mill Coffee House in West Windsor Township, New Jersey, will host a live recreation at 8 p.m. of the 1938 radio program hosted by Michael Jarmus. Admission is free and people in costume are welcome, but seating is limited.
Great Escape Stage Co. in Marshall, Michigan, is presenting “The War of the Worlds” on stage now through Saturday, November 2. For more information, visit www.greatescapestagecompany.com
Midnight Radio at Bricolage Production Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is also offering a stage version of the broadcast. Performances run now through Saturday, November 9. Ticket information is available online at www.bricolagepgh.org
Gaithersburg Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, Maryland, will present its stage version at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 for general admission, $14 for Gaithersburg residents, and $9 for students
Steven Spielberg’s 2005 movie, “War of the Worlds,” airs today at 6:45 p.m. on Cinemax with rebroadcasts on MoreMax on October 28 and 31.
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013
PBS’ “American Experience” will air “War of the Worlds,” a 60-minute television documentary on the broadcast, which includes interviews with Welles’ oldest daughter, Chris Welles Feder, and longtime Welles’ friend Peter Bogdanovich. The program will air on PBS America in the U.K. on Wednesday.
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013
soundstudiesblog.com and Neil Verma have planned a “War of the Worlds” 75th anniversary listening party. Participants are asked to listen to the broadcast at 8 p.m ET and comment on social media with the hashtag #WOTW75. Those who do not own a recording or receive a station broadcasting the 1938 show, can find it online at Wellesnet.com’s radio page or by clicking the audio icon on the bottom of this page.
Producers John Rabe and R.H. Greene are pleased to announce their documentary, “War of the Welles” hosted by George Takei, has been picked up by a number of National Public Radio stations across the country, which will air it with “The War of the Worlds.” It can also be heard online at http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2013/10/26/6228/
SiriusXM subscribers can hear “The War of the Worlds” at 8 p.m. ET, via satellite on Radio Classics, channel 82. “The War of the Worlds” will also be rebroadcast on Halloween at 10 p.m. ET and Friday, November 1, at 12 a.m. ET. Following “The War of the Worlds” broadcast, SiriusXM listeners will also hear “War of the Welles” by Greene and Rabe.
The Grovers Mill Coffee House in West Windsor Township, New Jersey, will offer another live performance at 7 p.m. followed by a panel of historians discussing the broadcast. Admission is free. Again, people in costume are welcome, but seating is limited.
The Gift Theatre in Chicago will present “War of the Worlds” from October 30 through November 9. For times and ticket information, visit gifttheatre.org
The Seabrook Old-time Radio Players will re-enact “The War of the Worlds” live on stage at the Seabrook, New Hampshire, Library at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Fulton Community Theatre in Fulton, New York, presents “The War of the Worlds” at 8 p.m. on the Jubilee Hall stage of Holy Trinity Church at 309 Buffalo St. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $8 for students and seniors.
Houston, Texas’ Stark Naked Theatre Company is re-enacting the broadcast live onstage at 7:30 p.m. at Spring Street Studios. Tickets are $10 online or at the door.
The Grand Radio Players will be performing the original radio broadcast live on the stage of the Grand Theatre in Grand Island, Nebraska, at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchase in advance for $12.50 or at the door for $15.
Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013
The Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts, will commemorate the 75th anniversary with a live theater event. The performance at 7:30 p.m. will raise funds for “The Orson Welles Complex,” a new documentary produced and directed by Garen Daly about the legendary Cambridge art house. More information may be found online at www.facebook.com/OrsonWellesCinema
Halloween visitors to the ElectricSky Theater at the Clay Center in Charleston, West Virginia can listen to Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” at 10:30 p.m. Admission is $2 per person and includes a pre-show star talk.
Sweet Briar College’s Performing Arts Division is celebrating the 75th anniversary with a dramatic reading of the broadcast at 7:30 p.m. in Murchison Lane Auditorium in Sweet Briar, Virginia. Admission is free and tickets are not required. The performance is sign-interpreted.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013
Last, but certainly not least, RG Productions, a popular Kenosha radio theatre company, will present Welles’ radio play in his birthplace of Kenosha, Wisconsin, at 7 p.m. at the Kemper Center. For more information about RG Productions, visit their website at www.rgaudioproductions.com
Welles’ recollection of the broadcast can be found in a 1955 episode of “Orson Welles Sketch Book” available here. A transcript of the October 30, 1938 CBS broadcast by the Mercury Theatre on the Air can be read here and audio of the original program can be streamed at Wellesnet.com’s radio page or by clicking the audio icon below.
By RAY KELLY