An alien attack is on the way.
Voice artist Christopher H. Baum has produced a modern adaptation of the infamous "War of the Worlds" broadcast that will debut on Halloween night.
The original program, which aired live Oct. 30, 1938, on CBS radio, fooled some listeners, especially those in the vicinity of its faux landing site in Mercer County, who thought it was an actual newscast.
Baum said although a strong reaction to his work "would be fun," his 75th-anniversary version isn't intended or expected to cause public alarm. The new "War of the Worlds" will stream on the website Krypton Radio.com at 10 p.m.
An adaptation of the novel by H.G. Wells, the 1938 broadcast was narrated and directed by Orson Welles, who later found stardom in films. Styled after a traditional radio newscast, it was an episode of the CBS dramatic series "Mercury Theatre on the Air." The program featured a Martian attack that starts in Grover's Mill, a village in West Windsor, and spreads, calling the New Jersey Militia into action. In his version, Baum said, the narrative covers a four-day period and primarily takes place at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where military personnel attempt to take control of the situation.
At the corner of Hartford and Centerton roads, across the street from the Navy installation, a cornfield is used as the fictional location of a secret military base entrance. A grassy hill in the middle of the farmed land marks the spot.
The general area also serves as the location for a major battle. Baum wanted to stay true to the original radio show in keeping the Garden State as the aliens' first target. "I'm a Jersey boy," he said. Born in Camden, the thespian grew up in Millville, hearing stories from an aunt about Welles' historic broadcast. Since starting a voice career several years ago, Baum has worked on re-creating the program with his own spin.
While the original "War of the Worlds" was presented as a live news broadcast, Baum's program is more of a storytelling version. In his role as a survivor, the artist narrates the saga, often relying on audio clips recorded as a devastating war was being waged to provide first-hand accounts.
Baum used his Mount Laurel home recording studio to capture the narration and edit together about 56 tracks of sound to create the program. Although much of it was recorded by actors, the terror in the panic scene is real, culled from recordings of a July Fourth event in Philadelphia.
In forming his roster of voice performers, Baum cast a wide net.
"It's a very diverse cast. It's a microcosm of American society," he said. "None of us are paid for this (project)."
The cast ranges in age from 20 to the 60s. Hailing from across the country, many are accomplished artists.
He brought most of the 15 cast members in with the aid of modern technology. He "met" some players through the online community Spoken Layer, an audio-narration service. The talent includes voice artists Marjorie Kouns, a "Dora the Explorer" performer; Jewel Elizabeth, who appeared on "All My Children" and "Celebrity Apprentice"; and Steve Rimpici, an actor with a long resume of animated films and music videos.
