Meredith Willson's Musical Revue

I wanted to tell you how very pleased I have been with your outstanding selection and the high caliber of your service. My most recent order arrived far more quickly than expected, and although it is not a Christmas gift (other than to myself) I am delighted that it has arrived in time for me to relish in the Holidays stories of yesteryear. Although I am too young (55) to have grown up with radio programming (TV was my entertainment of choice) I discovered OTR when my mother gave me a couple of cassette tapes of The Green Hornet and The Shadow. I found them interesting but did not truly get hooked until a fellow teenage friend told me about the CBS Radio Mystery Theater hosted by EG Marshall. Fast forward 20 years and I am listening to old time radio on Wisconsin Public Radio when I heard what has become my all-time single favorite “serial”, Adventures by Morse City of the Dead. As I was destined to miss a couple of those episodes as the aired over several weeks I went online looking for it, hoping it was something that I could buy somewhere, somehow. That is when I discovered OTRCAT and the wonderful world of radio drama. I now have a large collection and several favorites (Jack Benny, Gunsmoke, Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly), and have slowly increased my collection over time. Thank you for maintaining such a wonderful medium and sharing it with generations most of which are utterly unaware of this marvelous and extensive compilation of audio-only enjoyment.

I was shocked when I discovered Meredith Wilson on OTR. I knew him as the composer, writer, and lyricist for The Music Man, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Here's Love. An amazing talent.

He was so funny on the Burns and Allen show!

Willson (note correct surname spelling) grew up in Mason City, Iowa, setting for his famous "Music Man" musical which took the Tony Award in I believe 1957 over West Side Story. There's a museum there that notes his many accomplishments, including this radio show. Mason City was the real life "River City" in the play, and as an ex-pat Iowan and former Mason City resident, I can attest to the wry accuracy of the portrayal. He has the distinction of having the Beatles sing one of his tunes, "'Til There was You" in their Ed Sullivan debut, warbled by one Paul MacCartney, dead-on solo by George Harrison. If one visits, 10 miles north of Mason City lies Clear Lake, site of Buddy Holly's last concert and ill-fated plane ride. Great to be able to hear these programs.