Will Hutchins, star of the 1950s television western Sugarfoot, and Rosemary Rice, star of the 1940s radio program I Remember Mama, will be the featured guest performers in Elmira Little Theatre's production of A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio on Friday, March 31st, at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 1st, at 2pm and 7:30pm in Mandeville Hall at the Clemens Center. It's not often that people in the Southern Tier have the opportunity to see stars from the golden age of radio and television perform live on a local stage, and for the area actors also participating in the production, it is a thrill to work with these legends.

"I'm delighted to bring Will Hutchins and Rosemary Rice to Elmira for our show," said director Gary Yoggy, a resident of Corning who has been directing radio re-creations for Elmira Little Theatre since 1988. "I have been a fan of Old Time Radio all my life, and being able to recreate some of my favorite shows with the original actors is something most people can only dream about."

Will Hutchins	Rosemary Rice

Will Hutchins's resume is impressive, having appeared in the feature films Clambake and Spinout with Elvis Presley. He can also be seen in Magnum Force, No Time for Sergeants, The Shooting, and Maverick. He also guest starred in many popular TV shows, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, and 77 Sunset Strip. Rosemary Rice's resume is equally impressive. She starred in twelve Broadway plays, including Mr. Roberts and Junior Miss. On television, she was seen on Studio One, Playhouse 90, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and many other shows. She created the role of Katrin in the original radio production of I Remember Mama, a role she recreated for both Broadway and television. She is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy, three Clio Awards, and three Peabody awards.

This year's A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio will feature four recreations of classic radio shows, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, featuring Hutchins and Rice as Ozzie and Harriet. Hutchins also plays a lead role in an episode of Have Gun, Will Travel and Rice returns to the role of Katrin in an episode of I Remember Mama. The fourth show is an Ellery Queen Adventure featuring actors from our area.

"What's new for this year is that we are doing our first original drama," Gary said. "Jerry Holleran has appeared in several previous radio shows with me and he was a great help by writing original bridging material. His writing was so good that you couldn't tell where the classic scripts left off and his new material began. Finally, I told him he should write an all-new script for me and I'd produce it and allow him to direct it."

Jerry Holleran

The result is Rendezvous with Destiny: The Eddie O'Hare Story, which is based on the real life story of Eddie O'Hare, the World War II flying ace whose name you know, even if you don't know why. "This has been an exciting challenge for me. I've directed shows for Elmira Little Theatre before, but this is the first time I've directed a script that I've written," Holleran said. "I'm so grateful for all the hard work the cast and crew have done. They've brought my story to life."

A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio features actors from Elmira, Corning, and some are traveling from as far as southeast Pennsylvania to participate. "We have a cast of over thirty, our largest ever for the radio show," ELT President Judy Mordue said. "This is always a popular production for both performers and audiences." Mordue is also in the show and is its Stage Manager.

"We're lucky to attract such incredible talent," Yoggy said enthusiastically. "Will Wickham has composed original music for Rendezvous with Destiny: The Eddie O'Hare Story, oversaw all the music for the production, and appears in two of the shows. Our Sound Technician is Bart Curtis and I'm always amazed at his ingenuity and creativity."

Included in the cast are former Elmira Mayor and current City Councilman James Hare, local comic book writer Joe Edkin, and Newschannel 36 anchor/producer Jody Davis. "I love Old Time Radio," Davis admitted, "and performing in Gary's shows allows me to engage in pure fiction, which is a great respite from the reality of my everyday job of reporting the news."

ELT veteran actor and Elmira resident Stu Luther is making his 18th appearance in A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio. "Stu's been in every production except the first," Yoggy explained. "He's our good luck charm." The cast also includes Jim Barrett, Burt Beebe, Bob Boell, Doug Born, Judy Born, Sara Elston-Moore, Crystal Ennis, Carolyn Evert, Tina Eyer, Greg Fusare, Richard Gerard, Alex Gill, Dave Hall, Jerry Holleran, Joshua Holleran, Beverly Kennedy, Denis Kingsley, Carolyn Kruk, Phil Kruk, Julia Lavarnway, Mike Lavarnway, Rob Lavarnway, Cy Leveen, Katie O'Herron, Andy Parker, Roy Reed, David A. Scott, Tammy Seymour, Norm Stull, Karin Wieland, Joyce Winton, and Bill Young.

"I know I say this every year," Yoggy chuckled, "but this year is our best production yet." Elmira Little Theatre's A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio will have only three performances Friday, March 31st, at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 1st, at 2pm and 7:30pm in Mandeville Hall at the Clemens Center. Seating is limited. To reserve tickets, call the Clemens Center Box Office at 607-734-8191.