Season 1 Episode 13

Vivacious Lady is a delightful romantic comedy novel written by Max Shulman, first published in 1942. The book follows the humorous and charming story of Peter Morgan, a young and reserved botany professor from a small-town college, who unexpectedly falls in love with a vivacious nightclub performer named Francey Brent. Their whirlwind romance begins when Peter impulsively marries Francey during a visit to New York City, leaving behind his prim and proper fiancée back home.

The plot takes an amusing turn as Peter returns to his conservative hometown, determined to introduce Francey as his wife to his family and colleagues. The clash between Francey's exuberant personality and the conservative values of the small town creates a series of hilarious situations and misunderstandings. As the story unfolds, Peter and Francey face numerous challenges as they try to navigate their unconventional relationship in a judgmental and traditional society.

The book's lighthearted narrative explores themes of love, compromise, and societal expectations, all while providing readers with witty dialogue and endearing characters. "Vivacious Lady" captures the essence of a screwball comedy, blending comedy, romance, and a touch of slapstick humor.

In 1949, "Vivacious Lady" was adapted into a radio play as part of the popular program "Academy Award Theater." The radio presentation brought the story to life through voice actors, sound effects, and music. It allowed audiences across the nation to enjoy the charm and comedic moments of the novel in an auditory format. The adaptation retained the spirit of the original book, captivating listeners with its entertaining dialogue and hilarious situations. The radio presentation of "Vivacious Lady" through "Academy Award Theater" further solidified the story's popularity and enduring appeal.

Books in Sound is a free podcast series that presents a collection of hundreds of the world’s greatest books through the magic of the performing arts.

Different from audiobooks: Instead of having a single narrator read an audiobook, these performances have a full cast of actors, suitable background music, and special effects that help define the drama.

Most presentations are from old time radio theater broadcasts that have been remastered to remove most of the hissing, clicking and volume fluctuations. Many of the presentations are from the 1930's and 1940's, so a significant amount of work went into the remastering process.

Most presentations are about one hour, some are multiple hours, and some are abbreviated presentation that last about half an hour, making this series wonderful for bedtime stories, self-improvement by learning about literature, or simply as a very imaginative form of entertainment.

The episodes are not sequential, but we do recommend listening to the complete collection starting with the first episode so that you can grow and benefit from the wide assortment of styles and content.

For more information visit https://www.booksinsound.com