ANNE MANX BEGINNINGS

Before Anne Manx was the toughest detective in the solar system, she was the toughest crime-solving cadet in the Intergalactic Police Academy. Backed by multilayered sound effects, a cast of more than 101 alien and human characters, and lavish musical interludes, sweet-voiced Heather Botts jumps right into two ridiculously silly, pun-ladened tales. The first has to do with a deadly virus and provides a little post-pandemic gallows humor, while the second is about aliens and opera. The goofballs at the Radio Repertory Company of America love opera. So, what do you do with an audio theater group steeped in vaudevillian humor and arias? Let trained voice talent Botts sing, of course. This prequel is a great way to keep the Anne Manx series alive and punning. B.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2023]