The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Brown, one of the most beloved and best-selling children's books of all times, has been translated into a concert piece for violin, narrator and orchestra by
Glen Roven. A CD, narrated by
Brooke Shields (
Wonderful Town) will be released by Sony/BMG this fall. The piece will also be shown on the "Jerry Lewis Telethon."
The Runaway Bunny "is a classical music adaptation of the book told in the style of 'Peter and the Wolf.'. A narrator tells the story as the solo violin and the orchestra take the audience through the journeys of the wayward bunny. The piece is 20 minutes in duration and the music, while contemporary in feel, is totally accessible," according to notes on the book.
The piece was performed and recorded in London by the Royal
Philharmonic Hall.
The Runaway Bunny was written expressly for internationally renowned
Israeli violinist
Ittai Shapira, who
performed the violin solo.
The Runaway Bunny has been in print for 60 years, and last year alone sold 900,000 copies. It has also been translated into 23 languages, including Japanese, Chinese and Hebrew.
The piece will also have its debut on the "Jerry Lewis Telethon," which starts on Sunday at 9 PM and lasts through Monday at 4 PM.
The Runaway Bunny will be featured on Monday at 11 AM. It will be performed in its Violin/Piano version. It will be introduced by Larry King. His wife, Shawn Southwick King, will do the narration.
"Peter and the Wolf is programmed every year by virtually every orchestra in the world
. The Runaway Bunny will fill a much-needed gap in the symphonic repertoire for family audiences. As the star part is written for an actress, virtually any woman who has ever been a mother or had a mother can perform this piece."
Visit
www.runawaybunnymusic.com,
www.glenroven.com or
www.ittaishapira.com for more information.
