Franco Rounds Out Audible’s Vonnegut Reboot
Actor James Franco was behind the mike last month at Audible Studios to record Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The November 3 release is the final installement of Audible’s most recent reissues of the author’s classic works, which began in June with a new recording of Breakfast of Champions narrated by John Malkovich. Twelve additional long-form and three short-form Vonnegut works are also part of this refreshed segment of the author’s catalogue.
L.A. Theatre Works Center Stage with Hamlin, ‘Judgement at Nuremburg’ Cast
Harry Hamlin heads this audio production of Abby Mann’s 2001 stage adaptation of Judgment at Nuremburg, Mann’s 1961 Oscar-winning film about a U.S.-led war crimes tribunal considering the fate of German judges accused of horrific acts under the Nazi regime. The play was recorded before a live audience, September 24–27, at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus in California and is slated for release on January 15. Other performers include Alan Mendel, Shannon Holt, and Nick Toren.
Jackson Scores with Tantor’s NFL Bio
J.D. Jackson, the award-winning narrator, actor, and theater professor at Los Angeles Community College, recently stepped into the booth to record Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race—and Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us, a meditation on race, faith, and family by Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints. Tantor Audio will publish the title on November 17, buoyed by Watson’s broad reach on social media, as well as several planned promotional appearances by the author in connection with Super Bowl 50, which will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Feb. 7, 2016.
Vowell’s Guest Stars Help Make History
Using her signature blend of history and humor, author Sarah Vowell travels to the Revolutionary War to deliver the account of teenage Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette, spotlighting his years as a trusted general in George Washington’s army in Lafayette in the Somewhat United States (S&S Audio, Oct. 20). As she has done for previous audio recordings of her work, Vowell invites special guests to join her in bringing the stories and ideas behind historic events to life. “My initial impulse to use actors on my audiobooks came when it dawned on me how long an audiobook can be—seven hours or more,” Vowell says. “At first, I just wanted other voices to provide the listener with a break from mine. Then I simply enjoyed the process of talking to the actors about their characters and hearing the voices of men and women who had been dead for decades if not centuries.” This time, her cast of compatriots includes actors John Slattery (Mad Men) as Lafayette, Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation) as George Washington, and Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) as Benjamin Franklin. Additional roles are played by John Hodgman (The Daily Show), Fred Armisen (Portlandia, SNL), Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU), Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille). Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up, Jurassic World) provides original music for the program.
