It was exactly 71 years ago that the great Orson Welles stunned the world with his live broadcast of what was later to be known as the “War of the Worlds” radio play. At the time of its airing, however, no one knew that it was fiction; everyone thought it was a live account of an actual invasion from Mars. Tonight at 7 PM, you’ll be able to listen to the entirety of that broadcast by pointing your web browser to War of the Worlds Tribute.
If this were just a matter of commemoration, that would be fine, but it’s actually part of a marketing effort on behalf of Richard Linklater’s new film “Me and Orson Welles”, starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes, which opens in theaters on November 25.
We’re all so media-saturated these days, with so much visual stimuli competing for our attention, that it can be a refreshing break to close your eyes and listen for a change. I encourage you to listen to the broadcast tonight with your children. They might hem and haw at first, but after a while, they’ll begin to get the fun of it — those of you who regularly read to your kids will probably have an easier time. There might be a little moment of uneasiness when Welles describes the heat ray incinerating people, but that’s much easier to absorb in the context of the play, and of course you’re not actually seeing it.
There is true power in pure audio; I hope it sparks some excitement in your family tonight.
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