10.10.09. It's been three weeks since Darien's Rise made its official debut on the radio and we're back to talk about the first three episodes! Have a listen and then let us know what you think! Are you happy with Shane Baumel and Rachel Fox as Kyle and Anna? Has Darien's Rise captured your interest or does it leave you wanting more? Don't forget to check out part four over at the Official Site!
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Running Time: 30:24
09.19.09. After several months of great anticipation, Darien's Rise finally makes its official radio debut today! If you haven't heard it yet, head on over to Whit's End and check out part one of this exciting drama. When you're done, be sure to have a listen to our latest podcast, which features our special guest, Paul McCusker, who joins us to talk about his time with Focus, Passages, his work on various Radio Theatre projects, as well as the upcoming season. You won't want to miss our exclusive interview with this long time writer and director for Adventures in Odyssey!
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Running Time: 50:22
09.05.09. We're finally back after an extended hiatus, just in time to see Odyssey's hiatus come to a close. In this podcast, we address some of the biggest news since sliced bread! Included in our list of topics are Passages: Darien's Rise, Andre Stojka, and Album 51. Leave a comment or email us at aiofanpodcast@hotmail.com.
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Running Time: 23:48
So you think you're the biggest Passages fan? Well, here's your chance to prove it and win a fabulous prize!
How do I enter?
1. Answer each of the 5 questions posted on The Odyssey Scoop, AIO Wiki, and The Unofficial Podcast. You must answer at least 10 of the 15 questions correctly in order to move on with the contest. It may be wise to answer all 15 questions.
2. Next, come up with your very own Passages episode! Of course, we don't expect a full novel. Simply write a 300-500 word plot summary of a hypothetical story involving Marus. You may use characters from the existing books or you may come up with your own characters. Plot summaries will be judged by their creativity, originality, and Biblical integration. Please pay attention to correct grammar usage, though we will make grammatical corrections before publishing the winners' entries.
3. Submit your answers and plot summary by visiting The Ultimate Passages Fan Scavenger Hunt Submission Page.
When is the deadline?
You have until August 31st at 11:59pm eastern time to complete the contest. Winners will be announced Saturday, September 5 at The Odyssey Scoop.
What if I have never read Darien's Rise from the Passages series?
There's no need! This contest was created for anyone to enter, regardless of having read the books or not. Don't tell anyone, but you may want to start at the Passages Website for clues.
What do I win?
The participants who answers at least ten questions correctly and offers what we deem to be the best plot summary will win a free copy of the upcoming radio adaptation of Darien's Rise. We will also choose four runner ups, all of whom will win a poster of the cover artwork signed by the crew! All of these fabulous prizes are compliments of Focus on the Family and the creators of Adventures in Odyssey!
Let's Get Started...
The Odyssey Scoop, AIO Wiki, and The Unofficial Podcast are looking for answers! It may be a good idea to keep your answers in a safe place until you have them all. Any questions you may have throughout the course of this contest should be directed to passagescontest@odysseyscoop.com.
6. Which city is an ally of Marus?
7. What's the name of Kyle and Anna's uncle?
8. Who rescues Anna from being sold as a slave?
9. In which city did Darien's defeat Commander Soren?
10. Who is the author of Passages?
Watch the Trailer!
We now have the final artwork for both the two highly anticipated dramas coming this fall! The first one features virtually the same illustration as the book. It's definitely disappointing not to see much originality in the design, save for the titles. This could have been a really exciting cover.
In my opinion, the cover for The Screwtape Letters is significantly better. It's unique, it's eye-catching, and it's not a replica of a previous book cover.
Darien's Rise
by Paul McCusker
Summary: Rising out of obscurity into a position of prestige and power, a young man remains humble as he demonstrates abiding loyalty to his king. Sound familiar? Maybe that's because it is! Except this tale has a twist involving two siblings from Odyssey. When Kyle and Anna find themselves inside the strange and mystical land of Marus, they are initially incredulous of their surroundings. With swords and pistols being brandished as modern weaponry, the two children seem to have been transported a couple centuries back into the past. However, they aren't just any normal strangers to Marus; it appears they have both been called for a purpose. As the plot unfolds, Kyle and Anna find themselves on two different paths. Yet by the end of it all, they both learn valuable lessons that will stick with them for a lifetime.
Review: I had the "advantage" of reading 1 Samuel at the same time, so I was constantly making comparisons as I read Darien's Rise. One of the things which stood out to me was the tale of David and Goliath retold as Darien and Soren. It's one of the most well-known Bible stories and has even morphed into one of the most commonly used themes in film and literature - "overcoming the giants in your life." I'd heard the story so many times I'd never really given it a second thought. Until I read it again in Darien's Rise. David used a pebble and slingshot to kill Goliath. What an incredible demonstration of faith! How it must frustrate our Lord when we gripe and complain about our difficulties. We so quickly forget that us plus Jesus equals a majority! I've heard it said before that we need to stop telling God how big our mountains are and start telling our mountains how big our God is. That's what Darien did. Amidst relentless persecution from the very person he swore to protect, Darien remained steadfast in his faith.
Another person who never wavered was Anna, the one called by the Unseen One to be a prophetic voice. She believed the Unseen One would protect her and Kyle - even when it seemed like the odds were stacked up against them. Much like Darien, Anna gradually grew into spiritual maturity by stepping into and then exercising faith. Kyle, on the other hand, never fully accepted his calling and instead began to allow pride to get in the way. His actions mirrored that of King Lawrence, who glorified himself instead of the Unseen One. In a way, it was fitting that they both met their doom in the Valley of the Rocks. As the Palatian soldiers closed in them, Kyle and Lawrence each recognized that the cause of their impending demise was lack of faith. Furthermore, they both lacked humility. Kyle wanted to be the hero and Lawrence wanted to remain king. But as Luke 14:11 reminds, "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
I especially enjoy how Paul McCusker's Passages series, which is essentially a contemporary version of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, creates an environment in which the Unseen One is so tangibly real and alive. As Christians, we often forget that God is real and alive in our own world. The problem isn't that He isn't doing anything - the problem is that we aren't paying enough attention! Like Kyle and Anna discovered, we too have a specific and unique purpose in life. Our responsibility is to pursue Christ so that he will reveal his good and perfect will to us. Are we up for the challenge?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Unless you've been living under a rock the last couple weeks, you've probably already watched the most recent video podcast. It was a real treat to actually see the Odyssey crew in action and hard at work - proof that they've been keeping busy during the current hiatus. And they shared a lot of inside information. All this time I thought they were just lounging around eating fizzy cola, greasly chips, and jello pudding pops.
As we've known for the last month or so, Darien's Rise will be adapted for an epic 9-part radio dramatization. I'm a huge fan of Paul McCusker's work, so it'll be fun to see this Odyssey classic turned into an audio drama - much like Focus' Radio Theatre has already done with books like The Chronicles of Narnia. Like the beloved series by C.S. Lewis, Passages is built around this idea of normal kids visiting an alternate reality. But the similarities don't end there. Many Biblical parallels are drawn throughout the kids' journeys in the land of Marus. What's particularly special about Passages is that it offers a story simple enough for children and yet deep enough to be enjoyed by adults.
Something that hasn't been brought up much is the casting for Passages. Up until the video podcast was released, we didn't know who would be voicing the two main characters, Anna and Kyle. After hearing the short clip from Jonathan Crowe, we now know that these two roles will be filled by Rachel Fox and Shane Baumel. These two actors are better known for playing Kelly and Everett, so it'll be interesting to see if those two characters will be returning in Album 51. I've already made it clear that I wouldn't mind hearing more from Kelly now that she's a Christian, but what I'd really love is to hear episodes with Everett and his father, Leonard. Either way, I'm looking forward to hearing from both Rachel and Shane in Passages.
Most book adaptions will inevitably involve some sort of change to the script. Darien's Rise is no exception, as it appears Whit will be narrating at least part of the drama. With news leaking out that there will be a new Whit, it would definitely make for an interesting surprise if listeners tuned in on September 12 to hear part one of Darien's Rise and were greeted by a new John Avery.
Speaking of surprises, I really enjoyed getting a look inside the renowned Odyssey vault - otherwise known as Focus' audio library. Among the multitude of audio cases neatly arranged on the shelves sat some real gems, such as Bonhoeffer and Father Gilbert. With thousands of individual episodes and radio broadcast archives sitting on those shelves, it's no wonder they're all stored inside a locked room! Watching the guys recreate the scene from A New Hope was priceless, especially Rudy's "call" for C-3PO. Haha.
It was nice of Paul McCusker to invite the Official Podcast hosts to his home - it took me a moment before I realized that. We hadn't heard much about what's going to happen in Album 51 since the March 11th Q&A with the producers. And, sadly, Paul doesn't divulge too more information, other than the fact that the first episode of the March 2010 season is tentatively called The Inspiration Station and will probably be a two-parter.
Does this Inspiration Station have anything to do with the red button Connie pushed at the end of The Best Small Town? Quite possibly. Over at the Town of Odyssey, different theories have been floating around. All we know for sure is that it was part of Whit's new invention that looked like a radio. That immediately makes me think is has something to do with story-telling, although I'm not sure in what way. Does it alter the way Adventures in Odyssey is told? Or would that be breaking the third wall too much?
One thing we know with absolute certainty is that several new families will be introduced, including the Parkers. We also know a little bit about one of the Parker kids, Camilla - she's an eight year old athlete who reminds me of a young woman who helped raise seven kids in Austria (hint: she climbs a tree and scrapes her knee). According to the character description we heard from Carol Rusk, Camilla is also "prone to pranks and trouble." Between her boisterous and tomboy-ish personality, Camilla sounds like a cross between a Curt Stevens and Traci Needlemeyer.
While there's still ten months to go before Album 51 episodes air on the radio, there's only three months left until Passages: Darien's Rise hits the airwaves. But if you're the impatient sort, you can always pre-order your copy of the 9-part drama at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. Then let me know your thoughts on the future of Odyssey!
What did you think of the latest video podcast? And which was the best moment?
(a) Jesse high-fiving Whit
(b) Jonathan asking for a sound of a guy being punched in the face
(c) Bob skipping out of Christopher Dehl's studio
(d) The recreation of the garbage compactor scene
(e) Carol Rusk inviting Tom Hanks and George Clooney to a party
(f) Andy Serkis
In case you haven't heard, the latest edition of the Official Podcast was just released. In it, Paul McCusker and Dave Arnold discuss some of the upcoming changes to the show. Click play to listen and then check out my commentary on the highlights.
1. Farewell to the Washingtons
This comes as no surprise, as the actors for Tamika (Courtney Brown) and Marvin (Kendre Barry) have reached the point-of-no-return age. I feel both could have remained for at least one more season, but I don't think most listeners will be shedding too many tears over their departure. It will, however, make for an awkward scenario if Kelly stays. Perhaps she will be returning to her mother? Paul and Dave did not address whether or not Kelly would remain, but at this point it doesn't look good.
2. The Return of ... Clara?
Many listeners, myself included, quickly became fans of actress Aria Curzon when she made her Odyssey debut in the episode, Clara. It's understandable why the writers haven't brought back Clara to this point, since Aria also played Mandy Straussberg. Having both characters existing concurrently would only confuse the audience. But if the Straussberg family is written off as we are expecting, then this would be an excellent way of retaining a talented voice actor in Aria while re-introducing a beloved character.
3. Video Footage on AIO Live! DVD
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Nathan Hoobler mentions an added incentive to purchase this incredibly jam-packed set. Seventeen minutes of live video footage from the live show will be included on the DVD, which will come as a pleasant surprise to those who were not able to attend the show last August. As one who had the privilege of attending all three shows, I'm anxious to see which takes they used for the final cut. Trust me - this is something you won't want to miss.
4. The Return of ... Malachi?
Those who have read the Official Guide already know that Philip Glassborow played the voice of Malachi in Album 32. In many ways, Malachi's Message kick-started a number of changes in Odyssey, not the least of which was the Timothy Center. Of course, the inspiration for the retreat center was Tom's son, Timmy - the co-discoverer of the alternate reality, Marus, in Passages. With all this news about Passages returning to the airwaves, it makes me wonder if Malachi is somehow connected to it all. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. And maybe Philip Glassborow just randomly happened to be visiting when they recorded the Official Podcast. Hmm.
5. Passages
Paul McCusker confirmed Passages will be the newest installment of Odyssey to hit the radio this fall. This time, however, it will be an adaption of his novel, Darien's Rise. No word yet on the length of the dramatization or whether it will be contained within Album 51. I would like to think it'd be included in the next album, but that may not be the case since Dave Arnold stated that episodes for Album 51 won't be out until next year.
6. Album 51 Releases March 2010
In an earlier podcast, the producers had alluded to the possibility of putting the the albums out earlier. It appears they've made their decision as Album 51 is slated to release one year from now and will be available while the episodes are airing. Obviously, the upside to this format is that we won't have to wait for each new weekly show. We can simply order the album and hear them all at once. But the downside is evident - we have to wait six months longer than what was previously announced before we can hear any episodes for the new season.
Assuming Passages ends up being a 3-part series airing at the beginning of September, it means listeners will have to wait an additional five months before getting to hear any new episodes. I'm disappointed it's going to take that long, especially since it'll be nearly two full years between Album 50 and Album 51. But if it provides the writers with the opportunity to fine tune their scripts and the producers a chance to create a better product overall, then I'm all for it.
