New York Times: WVXU and CCM Revive Rare Rod Serling Baseball Comedy

Rod Serling’s comedy about confusion between Russians and the Cincinnati Reds airs at 8 p.m. on March 25 on WVXU 91.7.

CCM and Cincinnati Public Radio station 91.7 WVXU have co-produced a long-lost baseball comedy by The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. Recently featured by the New York Times, the radio play titled O’Toole From Moscow airs on 91.7 WVXU at 8 p.m. this Wednesday, March 25, 2020. 

The New York Times describes the comedy as “a screwball romp, with a side of whimsy.” Read the full article.

O’Toole From Moscow is about confusion between Russians and the Cincinnati Reds at the height of the “Red Scare” over possible Communist infiltration of American institutions during the Cold War. Serling originally wrote the one-hour television play for NBC Matinee Theatre and it was only broadcast once on Dec. 12, 1955. The performance was not filmed or recorded.

O’Toole From Moscow was adapted for radio and produced by WVXU’s John Kiesewetter, who tracked down the original script with the help of Serling historians. He also met with Serling’s daughter, Anne, who is the program host and narrator on the radio play. CCM Acting students recorded the comedy, which was directed by CCM Professor Richard Hess, at Cincinnati Public Radio’s studio. Sammi Grant, a visiting master’s student from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, tutored the cast so they would sound authentically Russian.

Hess hand-picked his lineup of eight student cast members for the radio play: Chandler Bates, Austin James Cleri, Matt Fox, Dustin Parsons, Jack Steiner, Frankie Chuter, Cameron Nalley and Lucas Prizant. The team also recruited Cincinnati Reds organist John Schutte, who provided the ballpark organ music for the broadcast. Read more about the making of this radio play on WVXU.

The “O’Toole From Moscow” team, from left: WVXU engineer Josh Elstro, Frankie Chuter, Matt Fox, Chandler Bates, director Richard Hess, Cameron Nalley, Jack Steiner, Austin James Cleri, Dustin Parsons, Sammi Grant and Lucas Prizant. Photo/John Kiesewetter

Long-time baseball fans will enjoy Serling’s script and hear references to some of baseball’s biggest stars of the 1950s including: Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berri, Stan Musial and Ted Kluszewski.

In O’Toole From Moscow a Russian consulate staffer named Mushnick is being sent back from New York to Moscow for re-education because of his high absences due to attending Brooklyn Dodgers games at Ebbets Field. So Mushnick and a muscular Russian security officer named Joseph Bishofsky hop a train and go as far west as their money will take them — to Cincinnati. Bishofsky panics in Cincinnati and goes to the Reds office to turn himself in, mistaking the baseball team for his Russian comrades. Mushnick bursts in to explain that Joseph – whom he calls “Joseph O’Toole” – is an outfielder wanting a tryout. The Reds give O’Toole a shot, and he ends up being a better slugger than Kluszewski – until the Russians find him.

Tune in to hear the O’Toole From Moscow broadcast on 91.7 WVXU at 8 p.m. this Wednesday, March 25. A live stream of the broadcast will also be available on the WVXU website.

CCM E-Media Welcomes Emmy Winning Newscaster and Media Personality Jerry Springer for Guest Lecture

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Yesterday, Emmy winning newscaster and media personality Jerry Springer discussed his multifaceted broadcasting career and hosted a lively Q&A session for students in CCM’s Division of Electronic Media.

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s John Kiesewetter caught up with Springer and his former co-anchor Norma Rashid (now a CCM E-Media adjunct instructor) before the lecture and asked the two to look back on their time at WLWT-TV together. It was 30 years ago this week that Springer and Rashid anchored their first newscast together on WLWT.

You can watch Kiesewetter’s video, shot at CCM’s Walter and Marilyn Bartlett Television Production Center, here.

CCM Drama Grad Diana Maria Riva Returns to Primetime TV

CCM alumna Diana Maria Riva on television’s ‘Saint George.’ Photo courtesy of FX.

We are thrilled to report that CCM Drama alumna Diana Maria Riva (BFA, ’91; MFA, ’95) returns to primetime television as a series regular in a new comedy starring George Lopez. The half-hour Saint George premieres at 9 p.m. ET tonight (Thursday, March 6) on the FX channel!

Riva plays Lopez’s “tough and sexy” boss, as described in FX press materials. Her character, Concepcion, is the assistant principal at a downtown Los Angeles school, where she supervises Lopez teaching an evening history class — his way to give back to the community.

You can learn more about the program courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer here and courtesy of UC Magazine here.

CCM Alums in NBC’s Live Broadcast of ‘The Sound of Music’

The hills will be alive with the sound of CCM alumnae during this evening’s live television broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC! The Carrie Underwood-starring musical features a number of former CCM students in its cast, including Ashley Brown, Nikki Renee Daniels and Adrienne Danrich!

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand recently spoke with Danrich about her role in the TV event. Read the interview online here.

Read about The Sound of Music‘s other Cincinnati connections courtesy of the Enquirer‘s John Kiesewetter here.

The Sound of Music airs live at 8/7c tonight (Thursday, Dec. 5) on the NBC network. You can learn more about the broadcast by visiting NBC.com and view the complete cast list courtesy of Broadway World.

CCM Professor of E-Media Joins Investigative Team at Cincinnati’s Fox 19

From left to right: Fox 19 General Manager Bill Lanesey and CCM Professor of Electronic Media Hagit Limor welcomed CCM Dean Peter Landgren and E-Media Division Head John Owens for a tour of the WXIX-TV news studio earlier this month. Professor Limor joins Fox 19′s newly expanded investigative team this fall. Photography by Dottie Stover.

We are delighted to report that CCM’s award-winning Professor of Electronic Media Hagit Limor will begin reporting for Cincinnati’s Fox 19 this fall, as she joins the station’s newly expanded investigative team.

Professor Limor will continue to teach media writing, ethics and journalism courses at CCM, taking students from the classroom and newsroom to the studio for taped productions.

Fox 19 General Manager Bill Lanesey joined Professor Limor in welcoming CCM Dean Peter Landgren and CCM E-Media Division Head John Owens to the WXIX-TV news studio for a tour earlier this month.

Learn more about Limor’s new role at Fox 19 courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.