"The Abyss-Dancer" and "Gifting Day"

to Debut at Herberger Theater on May 29

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World premiere of performance pieces from

SONGS FROM THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING

Two excerpts from Minstrel Press's forthcoming book Songs from the Edge of Everything, by Marilyn M. Boess, will debut as multi-media performance pieces at a gala benefit concert on May 29, 2002, at the Herberger Theater in downtown Phoenix.

The gala concert, called "Face the Music," is being presented by Keys to Music, a Phoenix-based production studio, as a showcase for Arizona artistic talent and a benefit for the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation.

Among the featured performances will be the world stage premiere of "The Abyss-Dancer" and "Gifting Day," two of eight original fantasy/fables in the new illustrated collection Songs from the Edge of Everything.

The Abyss-Dancer. A fantasy-fable set in a nameless time and place in which a young girl -- chosen by her people to protect them from the treacherous Abyss that has trapped them on their journey home -- discovers the power of dreams to conquer the deepest fears and soar toward joy and freedom. Story by Marilyn M. Boess. Original music composed and performed by Valerie Thomas. Dramatic reading by Jami McFerrin-Beams. Interpretive dance choreographed and performed by Sally Gebler.

Gifting Day. A parable of the lavish, unceasing abundance of the Great Mother, which parallels the ebb and flow of lifetimes across creation: "That night the children slept deeply, and well, and, sleeping, remembered. And in the morning when they awoke it was with a shiver of excitement: Gifting Day had come at last!" Story by Marilyn M. Boess. Music by Chopin performed by Dr. Lynne Haeseler. Dramatic reading by Renee Morgan Brooks.

Excerpts from Songs

Click here for larger view of concert showcard

Proceeds from ticket sales will provide music scholarships for Arizona children in foster care. Tickets are $25 and are available through the Herberger Theater Box Office at (602) 252-8497. For more details on the concert or how you can support Arizona Friends of Foster Children, please visit: www.azkeystomusic.com/facethemusic.