Sue Scott and Tim Russell in "Voicematch"

Protocol in playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s romantic comedy,”Voicematch” last Sunday, February 13th, at the Historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. They were joined by Prairie Home Companion’s Minnesota sound effects wizard Tom Keith who played the recording engineer offstage. Greta and Charlie work with each other long distance and develop a relationship that’s put to the test at a national voice over convention and award ceremony. A great crowd showed their appreciation at the very funny script crafted by Mr. Hatcher. This was a one time fully produced event flawlessly executed by The Fitzgerald staff of talented stagehands and sound and lighting designers, directed by Sarah Gioia. Our thanks to all who attended, perhaps we will do an extended theater run of the play somewhere down the road.

Jeffrey Hatcher, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, Tom Keith

Prolific local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s latest work gets a one-night-only production this weekend and features a pair of familiar voices for listeners of A Prairie Home Companion.

In Voice Match, two voice-over artists–you know, the people who warn you that the new wonder drug may cause you to develop telekinetic powers or who let you know that your call is important to the phone company–who have “worked” together for years finally meet face to face for a new beer campaign. Will aural fireworks fly? Well, the piece is referred to as a romantic comedy.

The production stars Sue Scott and Tim Russell, who play oodles of characters each week on A Prairie Home Companion and who also make a living in recording booths. They will be joined for this weekend’s performance by Tom Keith, who provides sound effects for A Prairie Home Companion.

For Hatcher, the idea has kicked around in his head for many years. “I did some voice-over work myself years ago when I first moved to New York to become an actor,” he says. “I made a demo tape and I had some nice gigs. I eventually segued into writing, but the voice work stayed with me.”

Last January, he approached Scott and Russell about crafting a play for them based on their shared voice-over world. Both were thrilled by the chance. The trio talked and Hatcher went to work on a script, which premiered in a one-hour staged-reading version last March on the Prairie Home Companion Cruise.

“We shared stories of voice jobs big and small, as well enlightening him on the process and ‘lingo’ of the voice-over biz,” Scott says.

Hatcher also joined Scott on one of her gigs. “Much of it ended up in the script verbatim,” Hatcher says.

So what’s it like in the business?

“People think that it’s easy money,” Russell says. “The fact is, you are in competition with up to thousands of actors across the country for each spot. The agency has the pick of the litter, so if you book a job you’ve really earned it.”

And, of course, it’s pretty anonymous work as well. “I wonder if folks are aware that the woman you hear prompting you through your voicemail messages is a voice actor who stood in a booth in a sound studio for hours and recorded all of those dates and times,” Scott says.

Both actors relish the chance to do well-written, clever spots. Of course, there’s a downside too. Sometimes, the clients may cause a tense environment that leads to hundreds of takes.

“The worst part is poorly written spots that don’t make sense, or really confusing directions, like, ‘Do it like Orson Wells, only with a hillbilly accent,’” Russell says.

Voice Match will be performed 7 p.m. this Sunday at the Fitzgerald Theater (10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul). Tickets are $28-$32.

Ron Howard directs comedy again with Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly  and Winona Ryder in “The Dilemma”. Ronnie (Vaughn) and Nick (James) are paired as business partners and best friends. Ronnie sees Nick’s wife (Ryder) cheating with another guy ( a sleazy Channing Tatum). The dilemma is whether or not Ronnie should tell his friend. Meanwhile , Ronnie has commitment issues with his girlfriend (Connelly). The comedy is very good since it revolves around Vince Vaughn’s skill as a fast talker. Nobody does this better, although Kevin James hangs right in there. The surprise is that, aside from the silly moments, there are some surprisingly good dramatic turns by all involved. There’s a subplot about the two guys trying to win a big contract with Dodge which gives a few good moments to Queen Latifah as a crass auto executive.

Sue Scott, Vince Vaughn, Tim Russell at the Minnesota State Fair PHC Show

I met Vince Vaughn a couple of times backstage at “A Prairie Home Companion” (he came to the show with his friend Peter Billingsly-that’s right, Ralphie! Now a successful producer/director.) and he couldn’t have been a nicer guy and yes, he talks that fast all the time. Rated  PG-13, my GPA rating is 3.2

Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsly, Martin Sheen at The Greek Theater PHC Show in LA

The hat Tim chose was such a hit with his wife that he had to buy it for his own Birthday present. Tim’s birthday was also on September 25th. He was born on the same day and year as supermodel Cheryl Teigs, (how come she isn’t bald and grizzled?). The show was followed by the annual Street Dance on Exchange street. Several hundred fans from around the country who were part of a packaged pilgrimage to The Fitz joined the thousands who show up every year to enjoy a meatloaf dinner outside. The weather was great and everyone had a good time.

The second show, October 2 2010, was a real treat. Our guest star was new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, Dr. John and he was at the top of his game. Tune in across the country on your favorite Public Radio station for A Prairie Home Companion each Saturday at 5pm Central with repeats at varying times on Sundays.

don’t forget to mark October 21st on your calender for another Live Cinecast  of PHC at movie theaters across the USA and Canada. You’ll be able to see Sue Scott and Tim Russell in High Definition on the big screen. We’ll have both Tom Keith AND Fred Newman on hand for some sound effects magic.

The great singer/songwriter, John Prine joined us and performed some of his best songs including the powerful “Hello In There”. Another Chicagoan, Howard Levy added his harmonica virtuosity to the proceedings.

We had some fun scripts to work with as noted in the “Evanston Review” this week. Reviewer Dorothy Andries wrote:

“The show included not only music, but dramas, vividly enacted by The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, two men and a woman who are a trio of a million sounds and voices. Tim Russell did a spot-on imitation of Chicago radio legend Studs Terkel and was a pretty good Ira (“This American Life”) Glass. He even mastered President Obama’s measured cadences, while Fred Newman did zany sound effects. Sue Scott played everyone from a sweet encouraging Montessori mother to a hard-boiled seller of Chicago hot dogs — and no, she would never serve ketchup on a Chicago dog.”Guy Noir-Chicago

A great end to a great season. Fred Newman will  join Garrison and “The Guys All Star Show Band” and singer/songwriter Sara Watkins for a late summer tour of over 20 cities across the country. Check out the schedule on the Prairie Home website.

Sue and Tim will hopefully rejoin the cast and crew for the annual Minnesota State Fair Grandstand performance on the Labor Day Weekend Show.

Kristin Chenowith joins us between performances of "Promises, Promises"

Kristin Chenowith, Debra Monk, Rob Fisher, Heather Masse, and a young star to be, Kate Beahen. Friday night  we wrapped rehearsal at 7pm, so I went to the TKTS Booth on 47th to get a half price seat for Christopher Walken’s play ” A Behanding in Spokane” by Micheal McDonagh. I met Micheal when I introduced a sneak screening of his Oscar nominated film, “In Brugge”, a lovely guy and amazing writer. Christopher Walken is off the charts with his “Walkeness” in this hysterically dark dramedy about a man in search of his missing hand for some 45 years. A couple of erstwhile drug dealers try to rip him off, and a hotel receptionist brilliantly played by Sam Rockwell adds to the grisly humor. If you are in New York and have a hankering for the quirky by all means see ” A Behanding in Spokane”.

After the show we found ourselves right in the middle of the car bomb threat in Times Square. A little more excitement than the City should really have. Thanks goodness the phrase “See something, Say something” meant something.

Tim Russell and the MS Ryndam

We visited the Western Caribbean with another Prairie Home Companion Cruise, a chance to commune with some amazing fans of Garrison Keillor and the show, we debuted a workshop of a play “Voicematch”, written for us by famed playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (“Complete Stage Beauty”) and we spent two weekends in Seattle and the days in between enjoying Washington State.

The Prairie Home Companion Cruise is always a special treat and this one had amazing talent. Robin and Linda Williams, Heather Masse, Jerlyn Steele, Connie Evinson, Beausoliel, Andra Suchy, the amazing Fred Newman, The Guys All Star Shoe Band, and Salsa Del Sol all kept the ship rockin’. and Garrison was seemingly everywhere.

We did our play three times to appreciative audiences. “Voicematch” is about the voice over business. Jeffrey Hatcher was intrigued that the business today knows no geographical bounds, two voice talents can and do record Ad Campaigns together in two different cities and never meet each other face to face.

“Voicematch” brings these two disparate actors , the pro and the newbie, together in more ways than one.

Opera singer Vern Sutton played the voice of several recording engineers. Jeffrey has plans to develop this into a fully produced stage play this summer or next fall, stay tuned!

Our Seattle experience allowed us to see the beautiful state of Washington, Tim and Judy visited Bellingham , Sue spent some time with her sister Nancy on a visit to lovely Whidby Island.

Thanks to computers we are always able to send mp3 auditions to our agents virtually anywhere. Next stop Nashville and the Historic Ryman Auditorium, then a series of shows from New York City. April beckons, like l said before, stay tuned.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdNiXidfLcc

My day job is Entertainment Editor for CBS owned WCCO Radio (am830) in Minneapolis, which means I see over 120 films a year and talk about them on “The Morning News With Dave Lee”, every  Monday through Friday, twice an hour, from 5 to 9 am Central, you can stream us live at wccoradio.com. I review TV shows and theatrical productions, but my passion is the Cinema.

I think it’s impossible to list the top 10 films when you see that many movies in any given year: so many great foreign films, so many fine documentaries, so many brilliant small independent films that people will never get a chance to see without a DVD release, but nevertheless, I’ve put together a top 10 list with the addition of some Honorable Mentions.

All things considered, I would have to put “Up in The Air” as the best film of the year, for timeliness; the story of an agent of downsizing, George Clooney, a road warrior, has it all, humor, great acting from Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick.

At Number 2 it’s the Coen Brothers very personal remembrance of St. Louis Park’s Jewish Community circa 1967, “A Serious Man”. It’s entertaining, darkly humorous, and provocative, in the way it will have you discussing the meaning of it all, and well acted by a brilliant cast of character actors. I say this in spite of the fact that my appearance as “Detective 1″ could have sabotaged the whole project.

Number 3 on my list would be the latest from Pixar, “Up”. It’s a touching , entertaining film for the whole family, with an animated four minute segment at the beginning of the film that illustrates the love story between the Balloons Salesman, voiced by Ed Asner, and his life long love, that moved me more than any other movie moment this year.

Number 4 is “Precious”, not the feel-good movie of the year, but a reminder of the power of the human spirit in overcoming monumental obstacles. Gaborey Sidibe is amazing as Precious, an possible Oscar winning performance from a novice actor. Monique, the comedian, is anything but comedic in her turn as Precious’ disturbingly evil mother, another sure to be Oscar nominee.

Number 5 goes to a comedy, “The Hangover”, a very funny “R” rated; bad things can happen in Vegas story, with brilliant timing from a talented cast including “The Office’s” Ed Helms, Zach Galifianikis, and Bradley Cooper.

Number 6 is a little seen British film called “In the Loop”, a brilliant script involving backroom shenanigans between the Brits and the U.S. in the run up to the Iraqi invasion. It’s an acid tongued mashup of TV’s “The Office” and “The West Wing”.

“Star Trek”, from J.J. Abrams, is my number 7 pick. It’s a great “re-imagining” of the “Star Trek” franchise with a clever story line and fine special effects. It says a lot that you don’t have to be a Trekkie to enjoy this one, a credit to the talented cast and director.

At number 8, “The Hurt Locker” from director Katherine Bigelow. This is perhaps the best war movie I’ve ever seen. Jeremy Renner is a revelation as an IED bomb detonation expert. He’s fearless and unpredictable, and the combat footage is amazingly effective.

Number 9 goes to “Avatar”, not because of the storyline which has been done before; a mighty power trying to eliminate an indigenous population (the Nav’i) in a quest for a rare commodity, but because of the 3-D “performance capture acting” and imaginative world that James Cameron creates. You’ve never seen anything like these visuals before.

My number 10 film of the year is Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog”, a hand drawn 3D animation, in the classic Disney style the captures the sights an sound of New Orleans and the Cajun Bayou backwaters in a funny, raucous, toe-tapping fairytale that all ages will appreciate.

Honorable mentions go to:

“Julie and Julia”. Meryl Streep should get an Oscar nod for bringing Julia Child back to life. Her stunning portrayal, and touching love story with her acting partner Stanley Tucci, as Julia’s husband, makes this film a delight for foodies and non-foodies alike. On a personal note, I bumped into Meryl as she was getting into her limo outside of the ABC “Good Morning America” studios. I was coming out of the Deli across from the hotel where we were stranded after the big Northeast Blizzard of ’09. She had just entered the back passenger seat, so I walked up and waved at the tinted window. I could see a had waving back, she lowered the window,  having remembered, evidently, the time we spent together on the 2006 Robert Altman film, “A Prairie Home Companion”. She was aware that we had just finished our New York run of Garrison Keillor’s  show at The Town Hall, and I complimented her on her latest acting triumph, “It’s Complicated”, and her amazing turn as Julia Child in “Julie and Julia”, giving the latter nod with my own impression of the late , very imitable, “French Chef”, and with a buoyant laugh, shw was of to her next interview.

“This is It”, the documentary of Michael Jackson’s preparation for what was to be his final tour, is a thrilling reminder of what and amazing talent, personal issues aside, Jackson was. He’s in charge, in command, and totally  engaged in what would have been the concert of the decade. We see, in the rehearsal footage, that as a live performer, he’s was gracious, generous, and in fine form, even just days before his death.

I really enjoyed the documentary “It Might Get Loud” from Oscar winning film maker ( “An Inconvenient Truth”) Davis Guggenheim. This is a story about three legendary guitarists and their love affair with the guitar. Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, The Edge from U2, and Jack White from The White Stripes are all featured in archival footage, and together, jamming with their beloved guitars.

“Paranormal Activity” deserves credit for moving the Horror Genre back from torture porn (the Saw franchise) to a very real fear of the unknown. The hyper-realistic home video style, with two unknown actors, gives you a visceral reaction to things that go bump in the night.

For a similar reason I think “District 9″ was one of the most effective movies of the year. An unknown South African cast and great special effects give this reminder of the dangers of Segregation a power that stays with you long after leaving the theater. Hats off to first time director Neill Blomkamp.

And finally, a nod to local filmmaker Patrick Coyle whose award winning “Into Temptation” did sold out Box Office business in the Twin Cities, where it was filmed last year. Great script and performances by Jeremy Sisto as a priest in crisis mode, and Kristin Chenowith as a troubled prostitute. It’s well worth a look on DVD.

Thanks for tuning into “The Morning News with Dave Lee” for my entertainment reports, I look forward to your next visit in 2010.