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FEATURE STORY:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 2000
Contact: Joe Bevilacqua (512) 459-6839

THE MIS-ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES TO AIR IN PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS NATIONWIDE AND IN AUSTRALIA

Austin, TX -- "The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," a radio comedy series about the legendary sleuth will be aired starting in September 2000 by public radio stations across the United States and in Australia. Producer Joe Bevilacqua considers the series his most ambitious project: a tongue-in-cheek series where Holmes is really a bungler, while Watson, his biographer, is the real sleuth and intellectual. The story-line contends that Watson fictionalized the original Holmes tales to make a quick buck.

The new ten-part series of original half-hour radio theater parodies claims to be the "true" story behind Arthur Conan Doyle's "first consulting detective," completely original in plot, but filled with sly references to "mistakes" in the original books. Listeners follow Holmes from his first moving in with Watson in 1882 to his death in 1929, and discover, among other things that Watson was the intellectual and Holmes, the bungler... that Watson shot himself in both the arm and the leg at the same time by the same bullet while practicing yoga... and that "The Five Orange Pips" were merely what Holmes spat out when eating an orange.

The production was partly the brainchild of Daws Butler, the voice-over actor responsible for such cartoon characters as Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw and Yogi Bear. Butler, who died in 1988, was friend and mentor to Bevilacqua and the two devised the series in the early 1980s. Since then Bevilacqua has had a 23 year career in public radio, producing everything from radio theater to music and documentary shows for WNYC, WBAI, and WBGO in the New York area, KUT in Austin, Texas, and NPR and PRI nationally.

Bevilacqua believes radio has a select audience - a sort of different breed - from the TV viewer.

"It's not a mass media anymore. You will never get the kind of following TV has, but there are a lot of people who listen," the 41-year old explains. "For those who want to take the time to get used to using their imagination, radio theater offers special rewards--a world created in your own mind."

"The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" features a cast of professional British and American actors, including: Vernon Morris (Holmes) who is a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company in London; Henry J. Quinn (Watson) who has appeared on Broadway in "The Fantastiks" and was a reoccurring actor on "Late Night with David Letterman", and Jan Meredith (Mrs. Hudson), a veteran of New York theater. Bevilacqua himself uses the comic voice skills he learned from Daws Butler to portray multiple characters in each show.

For further information on "The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," including a list of stations running the series, log on to the web at www.comedyorama.com/holmes .

"The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is also available on CD and cassette. Programs can be purchased by going to www.comedyorama.com/holmes or writing to Joe Bevilacqua, Waterlogg Productions, P.O. Box 10723, Austin, TX 78766."

(Attached is a complete program list.)

"THE MIS-ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES"
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

The high-spirited ten-part radio series parodying the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

A ten-part series of original half-hour radio theater parodies, produced by Joe Bevilacqua. The series claims to be the "true" story behind Arthur Conan Doyle's "first consulting detective," completely original in plot, but filled with sly references to "mistakes" in the original books. Listeners follow Holmes from his first moving in with Watson in 1882 to his death in 1929, and discover, among other things that Watson was the intellectual and Holmes, the bungler... that Watson shot himself in both the arm and the leg at the same time by the same bullet while practicing yoga... and that "The Five Orange Pips" were merely what Holmes spat out when eating an orange.

Program Descriptions:

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode One
"The Mystery of the Creepy Hack Writer" (28:52)
When Sherlock Holmes moves in with Dr. John H. Watson, Watson plots with Arthur Conan Doyle to get rich off of Holmes withuot his knowledge.
Cast : Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Sherlock Holmes: Vernon Morris; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; and Arthur Conan Doyle: Joe Bevilacqua.
Written, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Two
"My Dinner at Baker Street" (27:24)
Holmes invites his old mathematics teacher over for a friendly dinner, unaware that the teacher is, in fact, his arch-adversary Professor James Moriarty.
Cast : Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Holmes: Vernon Morris; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Professor Moriarty: Ed Hyland; Inspector Lestrade: William Melillo; fight cooregraphy: Ed Easton.
Written, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Special Episode
"Holmes's Creepy Christmas" (28:34)
On Christmas holiday in Scotland, Holmes and Watson stumble into a bizarre mystery involving three witches, a duel personality, and the ghost of MacBeth.
Cast: Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Holmes: Vernon Morris; Tavis MacMillian: B.H. Barry; Mary/Ariel Watson: Gwendolyn Lewis; Scotty MacMelillo: Vernon Morris; Three Witches: Jan Meredith, Gwendolyn Lewis, and Joe Bevilacqua.
Written, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Three
"Sherlock Holmes in Trouble" (27:23)
Holmes must solve the murder of poor Theresa, who was knocked off the London Bridge. "What a coincidence!" exclaims Holmes. "I tripped over a cat on London Bridge this morning." Was the cat's name Theresa?
Cast: Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Holmes: Vernon Morris; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Bert Stover: Joe Bevilacqua.
Written by Daws Butler; produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Four
"A Study in Lavender" (28:52)
Two cases collide: the accidental death of Professor Moriarty and the murder of Irene Adler's husband. Will Holmes's secret love for Irene get in the way?
Cast: Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Holmes: Vernon Morris; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Irene Adler: Terri Price.
Written by Joe Bevilacqua and Daws Butler; produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Five
"The Death of Mr. Sherlock Holmes" (28:13)
Watson sends Holmes off on an extended holiday abroad in order to fabricate Holmes's death and "make a bundle at the bookstalls."
Cast: Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Holmes: Vernon Morris; Billy the Page Boy: Terri Price; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Customs Officer: Joseph Cattalano, Irene Adler Terri Price; Prison Guard: William Melillo; Lester and Hester Brindley: Joe Bevilacqua; Gandhi: Gary Beery.
Written by Joe Bevilacqua and Daws Butler; produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Six
"The Giant Rat of Sumatra" (28:13)
"The story for which the world is not yet prepared" is finally told! But is it true or just one of Holmes's drug-induced hallucinations?
Cast: Holmes: Vernon Morris; Sinbad the rat: Henry J. Quinn; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Jack-the-ripper: Joe Bevilacqua; Stradie the violin: Joe Bevilacqua; Inspector Lestrade: William Melillo, Sgt. Frederick: Vernon Morris; and the Cheese Shop Owner: Gary Beery.
Written by Joe Bevilacqua and Daws Butler; produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Seven
"Tales from the Vienna Wards" (28:53)
Holmes's drug-mania finally lands him in the "loony bin" of Dr. Sigmund Freud, but can ol' "Siggy" save him?
Cast: Holmes: Vernon Morris; Sigmund Freud: Joe Bevilacqua; Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Irene Adler: Gwendolyn Lewis.
Written by Joe Bevilacqua and Robert Cirasa; produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Eight
"His Second to Last Bow" (29:00)
Retired beekeeper Holmes follows William Gillette to America, thinking the actor is a "Sherlock Holmes impostor" and winds up starring in a musical version of his own life.
Cast: Holmes: Vernon Morris; Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; William Gillette: Joe Bevilacqua; Hotel Clerk: Joe Bevilacqua.
Written, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua, with original songs by Joe Bevilacqua

The Mis-Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Episode Nine
"Revenge of the Beekeeper" (BONUS: Outtakes at the end of this show!) (28:55)
Someone is out to kill Holmes, someone or perhaps everyone! In this last case of the detective's life, he has his revenge on them all.
Cast: Holmes: Vernon Morris; Dr. Watson: Henry J. Quinn; Mrs. Hudson: Jan Meredith; Bert Stover, Lemuel Sturgis, William Gillette, Inspector Lestrade, and Professor Moriarty: Joe Bevilacqua.
Written, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.