River City Radio Hour begins new venture

The River City Radio Hour opened it seventh season in August.  Now comes a new wrinkle in the popular Wayne Theatre Alliance program.  Besides presenting its hour-long performances on the third Friday of the month, WTA will broadcast its monthly offering on Harrisonburg’s WSVA on the last Sunday of the month.

“This is something we have been aiming to do since the Radio Hour started seven years ago.  We will have an opportunity to share the show and its talent across Virginia and into West Virginia,” said Dr. Clair Myers, producer of the Radio Hour.   “We hope to build an audience and to encourage them to come see and hear a live performance of the River City Radio Hour.”

The September show is an ideal introduction for those who will hear the Radio Hour for the first time.

The regulars will be in full force.  The Boogie Kings with Richard Adams, William Hayes, and J. T. Fauber will be back together after the summer hiatus.  Marsha Howard will join them and bring a new roster of jokes.  She is also ready to challenge the announcer for the best or worst joke of the month award.

Dr. Stephen Levine and The Dreaded Blues Lady Lorie Strother will be the Radio Hour’s guest musicians. The energetic duo has been traveling widely, presenting a diverse selection of acoustic blues music styles from the 20s and 30s with a sprinkling of contemporary blues. Lorie Strother was awarded a Virginia Humanities Foundation fellowship which coupled her with the internationally known blues singer Gayle Adegbalola of the Uppity Blues Women.  Radio Hour audiences, live and delayed, will hear the results of that mentorship.

The River City Players will star in new radio comedy by award-winning playwright Jim Gustafson.  It will invite the audience to “Set a spell an’ eat your fill/At the ‘Flattened Fauna. . . Bar & Grill.”

The September Radio Hour is Friday, September 20, 2013 at 6:30 and 8 pm at WTA’s Gateway.  The theatre is located at 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboro.  The doors open at 6 pm.

Tickets for the September performances are $10 in advance and $12 on the day of performance.  Tickets may be purchased online atwww.wtagateway.com or by calling (540) 943-9999.