Each day this week I’ll be sharing a story about the Great Northern Radio Show, an original live radio variety show debuting 5-7 p.m. Saturday on 91.7 KAXE from the stage of the Hibbing Community College Theater. You can follow the show on Facebook or find out more at KAXE.org.
Today I’d like to introduce the Great Northern Radio Players, our troupe of northern Minnesota actors who will be performing in a full radio drama and comedy sketches for the show this Saturday. I’ll go with alphabetical ordering:
Josh Anderson: Josh is another former student of mine from the days I coached Hibbing’s speech team. He’s also an actor and singer who wandered off to St. Thomas in the Twin Cities and remains there to this day as an admissions representative. He’s coming back Saturday to perform in our show, including the rather challenging task of the show’s only comedic musical number.
Scott Hanson: Known locally as the lead voice of Radio USA, the Range’s top-rated country station, Scott has made the leap not only into acting, but into public radio. He’ll also be doing some foley work. People who know him from the radio will enjoy seeing a different side of Scott’s talent and we’re glad to have him on board.
Nickolai Koivunen: By far the member with the coolest name, Nickolai is the keyboardist for our sketches, scoring original sound for the radio drama and two of the sketches. He’ll also be doing some foley work. As a tin-eared American, I must admit his work has been a lifesaver for the sound of the show.
Pete Pellinen: Pete’s theater and musical background on the Range goes back decades, directing and conducting countless shows in the region and performing in scads more. He’s an actor (Union Member #3 in “North Country” with Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson), Soudan Underground Mine tour guide, opera singer and one of the people who’s fought to restore the Lyric Opera House in Virginia. For our purposes he’s damn funny and talented, and he’ll also be doing some Finnish music with his son Jack for the show.
Marty Rice: Marty is a veteran of the HCC Theater troupe under directors Mike Ricci and more recently Patty Laine. He’s a versatile performer who now hoses down dust for U.S. Steel’s MinnTac mine. He can sing, but we’re not having him do that. He plays a jilted lover and robot, respectively.
Michelle Rice: Michelle is the only female member of the troupe (Sorry! That wasn’t planned!) and makes the difficult transition from sultry physicist to dispassionate Iron Range TV reporter during the show. She’s another HCC Theater regular who we’re glad to see back on stage.
All together this is a talented group of people and they’ll put on a great show this Saturday evening 5-7 p.m. at the HCC Theater and live online and on the air on 91.7 KAXE. Join us!
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