We’re so excited to announce that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a Cinematic Audio serial we produced in partnership with Starrynight Productions and WFIU Radio, won NINE Communicator Awards. Adapted and directed by our good friend, Russell McGee, and featuring a stacked cast of SBT voices as well as many well-known outside talents, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz aired on WFIU over the winter. Didn’t get to hear it live? Fear not! Oz will be available to SBT fans sooner rather than later… In the meantime, check out the press release that WFIU made to announce this epic award sweep.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Wins 9 Communicator Awards
Bloomington, Ind., May 8, 2023 — Episodes 1 and 2 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz audio play, which aired on WFIU Public Radio this past February, received nine Communicator Awards on May 2.
WFIU partnered with Starrynight Productions and Soundbooth Theater on this four-part series adapted from L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Writer/director Russell McGee (Big Finish Doctor Who plays) and producer/actor Michael Brainard (All My Children) collaborated with Soundbooth’s Jeff Hays to produce The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as both a radio series and audio serial. Previously, McGee and Brainard worked with WFIU on the radio series The Ernie Pyle Experiment!, released in 2020.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz received two Communicator Awards of distinction for general production and craft original music and seven awards of excellence for craft writing, craft original music, craft sound design, craft on-air talent, and general production.
The Communicator Awards is an international awards program recognizing excellence in communication across a spectrum of industries, championing effective and meaningful work. The Communicator Awards receives almost 5,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards shows of its kind globally.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto. After their Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here Dorothy meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all-powerful Wizard of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy and her friends must fend off the Wicked Witch of the West.
The audio series features the talents of actors Franc Ross (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Deadwood), P.J. Ochlan (Emmy nominee for Young Sheldon, Little Man Tate, Police Academy: The TV Series), Greta Lind (Rudy, All My Children), Bert Rotundo (Silicon Valley, Marvel’s Agent Carter), and Leraldo Anzaldua (Gatchaman, Highschool of the Dead, Starship Troopers: Invasion), among others.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is made possible with support from Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations.
A complete list of Communicator Awards, episode descriptions, cast member lists, and bios follow on pages 2-10 of this release.
About WFIU
WFIU is an NPR member station and south-central Indiana’s source for news and classical and jazz music, broadcasting from the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington. WFIU is available at 103.7 FM in Bloomington and Seymour, 100.7 FM in Columbus, 101.7 FM in French Lick/West Baden, 98.9 FM in Greensburg, 106.1 FM in Kokomo, and 95.1 FM in Terre Haute. WFIU2 is available at 101.9 FM in Bloomington and 100.1 FM in Seymour. Both stations also stream online at wfiu.org.
About Starrynight Productions
Starrynight Productions, LLC. is a small, independent film, television, audio theater, and theater production company dedicated to providing quality entertainment and professional work for area artists. More information is available at starrynight-productions.com.
About Soundbooth Theater
Founded by Jeff Hays, narrator of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Soundbooth Theater produces multi-cast audiobooks and Cinematic Audio, which are dramatizations that are enhanced with sound effects and music. In addition to its extensive catalogue on Audible, Soundbooth Theater publishes content directly to its website and apps. Learn more at soundbooththeater.com.
WFIU Media contact:
Laura Baich
Marketing Director
WFIU
lbaich@indiana.edu
Soundbooth Theater Media contact:
Emily Labes
Director, Marketing & Communications
Soundbooth Theater
emily@soundbooththeater.com