Noir Dame Blog

Retro-inspired culture and media – audio drama, classic TV and film

Just finished listening to KUNM’s “Happy ChallaDAY,” a fun parody of the classic film, “White Christmas”.

If you remember, in the original film, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney join Bing Crosby and the ever-delightful Danny Kaye, trying to save the Vermont inn run by Crosby and Kaye’s old major general.

Well, seeing as sunset brings the beginning of Hannukah, the eight-day Jewish holiday, KUNM offered an original musical audio drama, “Happy ChallaDAY!” If the pun isn’t clear, challa or challah is a delicious egg bread that is braided and served on the Jewish Sabbath and on special holidays.

Creator Charles Moster, who has produced three other audio drama musicals, was tickled by the fact that Irving Berlin, who was Jewish, had written “White Christmas,” and other standards commemorating Christian holidays (such as “Easter Parade”).

Some casual listeners are surprised to find out that Irving Berlin was Jewish, but then so was Jack Benny, whose Christmas radio specials were beloved by millions. And there was something else about Irving Berlin – beyond being a superlative songwriter, who could easily empathize with all walks of life through song…

When the song was first written for the film “Holiday Inn,” Berlin had been in an interfaith marriage for over fifteen years, marrying writer Ellin MacKay in 1926. MacKay was more than a decade younger and Roman Catholic. They were widely ostracized by society, as well as by kin – MacKay was disinherited by her father. As far as I understand, they still practiced their individual faiths … and they stayed happily married for another 62 years, until her death in 1988.

So, even if you don’t celebrate Hannukah, I suggest you take a leaf from Berlin’s book, and download the podcast of “Happy ChallaDAY” from the KUNM website. With some excellent singing and songs, and a story that parodies the 1954 film (the General here is named Waverlystein, and he’s opened a B&B on the Red Sea) it’s a light, fun, way to pass a chilly evening.

Whatever you have planned for Saturday, March 15th, make the time to squeeze in a listen for the Quicksilver Radio Theater’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Adapted from Shakespeare, and originally premiering on New York’s WBAI-FM, this story seems even more relevant in an election year full of messianic language, a controversial war, and the taut switching of allegiances.

“Julius Caesar” has long been considered one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays, and this adaptation lives up to that tradition. Listeners who are new to the rhythms of iambic pentameter will not need to struggle along with the written text. Nor will this shortened audio play upset regular visitors of Stratford. The audio setting manages to widen the claustrophobic chambers where Casca and the conspirators plot, and also convey the luxury and arrogance of Imperial Rome … without multi-million dollar sets or costumes.

The cast is uniformly strong, led by Craig Wichman as the conflicted Brutus. James Prendergast, as Caesar, is able to move seamlessly between a politician’s oily, careful charm and a dangerous megalomania. Yet we can also hear, and believe, his love for wife Calpurna, and more importantly, for Brutus.

After recently reading Elizabeth Schafer’s “Ms-Directing Shakespeare”, about women’s role in producing and staging the Bard — I appreciated all the more, the strong roles for women in this adaptation. Katie Nutt is both loving and wise as Portia, who, in traditional staging, is the only female role of consequence.

But in the rendering by director Jay Stern and producer Wichman, the soothsayer also gains a pivotal role, more in keeping with the ancient honor given to “sibyls”, women who foretold the future, like the oracle at Delphi who advised pilgrims of their fates.

As the wizened seer, Emma Palzere – who also doubles effectively as Calpurna – helps us move from scene to scene, and acts as the audience’s stand-in, sadly aware of the events which will transpire.

If you’re in the Houston area, or just wish you could be, check out what the Continental Club (sister to the classic club in Austin) has on tap – the fascinating, scintillating sounds of not one, but two excitingly retro acts! This free event is held at 3700 Main St in Houston, doors open at 7:00 PM, band starts at 7:30 PM.

* The solid sixties thump of the Allen Oldies Band. I recommend you check out their website, including the MP3s that let you get a taste of their tunes; or the Houston Chronicle video showing their annual SXSW jalapeno pancake breakfast at the Austin Continental Club, last March.

* The “house” band, the El Orbits, who are also well loved thereabouts, offer a mix of rockabilly, pop and lounge. Their website is a lot of fun but doesn’t offer a sample of their sounds (or maybe I just got lost in the Bingo) … so below you can find a Youtubed copy of their “Sleigh Ride” video.

Now if you’re in the mood for a more traditional New Year’s Eve, you might also check out the SSQQ Dance Studio’s big New Year’s Eve dance, featuring the big band sounds of Bayou City Swing. $35 a ticket, with plenty of dancing in multiple rooms (rumors are that some rooms will feature western and Latin dancing).

Or, in Galveston, the gorgeous Balinese Room, which once hosted Jack Benny, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra, will have a buffet with funk-rock by the Fondue Monks playing. Would love to see this beautiful club, which overlooks the beach, return to its roots with a more traditional band and dancing… the kind ol’ Blue Eyes could approve of. (Apologies to the Fondue Monks, who have a great downbeat). Let’s hope this venue doesn’t go the way of the Seabrook Beach Club, another great-looking venue that didn’t take advantage of its retro-looking (in this case, a Tiki Bar) roots.

Producer Vince Hancock and Lardoon Radio created a short new series worth hearing, based on the written works of 19th century satirist William Hone – featuring his stories, customs, and observations of his time. The first episode centers on – what else? the New Year.

Here’s hoping everyone has been enjoying their holidays. In my household, which is also preparing for a big move, we’ve been a bit pooped, but are still enjoying the 12 days of Christmas. This Christmas Eve we tried something new – the Feast of the Seven Fishes – a tradition in many Sicilian and Italian-American households on Christmas Eve, commemorating La Vigilia, the nighttime vigil leading up to Christ’s birth. We cooked seven fish or seafood related dishes, as well as some others that could be eaten by a vegetarian guest, and also dug into a Tofurky the next day for Christmas dinner (my report on that later!). Afterwards, we were seriously pooped, but it was also the best dinner, bar none, we’ve ever had.

My family’s culinary traditions center instead on pfferneuse and stollen, so the story of La Vigilia was completely new to me. What’s great is that there’s also a unique combination graphic novel and cookbook celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, collecting an online comic strip from 2004. I highly recommend you check it out, starting with their blog, (currently hosting a New Year’s Eve recipe) and investigate, if you’re within driving distance, the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes hosted by the novel’s writer, Robert Tinnell.

While some people throw out their Christmas trees on the 26th, traditionally, the twelve days of Christmas run through the Epiphany, January 5th, which is also a gift-giving day in some cultures. So I’m happy to continue to share some holiday treats through the blog through New Year’s and into the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. First is a treat for those of you in Chicagoland or midwestern towns, who may have grown up with the delightful stop animation Suzy Snowflake. That’s right – she’s back!