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 Fairestby Gail Levine A fantasy adventure to make your heart sing! Aza is far from beautiful. With pale skin and blood-red lips (not to mention her ungainly size), she is seen as odd, at best. But Aza does have one important trait in her favor: a voice of astonishing beauty. In the world of Ayortha, where singing is the main mode of communication, this gift is no small thing, and soon Aza finds herself rising at court, where her sudden good fortune brings not only unexpected opportunity but also unexpected danger. Funny and moving, wise and uplifting, Fairest represents New York Times bestselling author Gail Carson Levine at her finest. Composer-director Todd Hobin has crafted melodies for all the story’s lyrics and songs, resulting in a unique listening experience—and an audiobook that has as much original music as a Broadway show!
A 2008 BOOKLIST EDITOR'S CHOICE AUDIO BOOK!
A 2009 AMAZING AUDIOBOOKS SELECTION |
| Product Details:
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Availability: In Stock – Ready for Shipping |
| Editions: |
sku |
isbn-13 |
isbn-10 |
count |
| Library Edition |
08004CDB |
978-1-934180-13-6 |
n/a |
Eight CDs |
| Retail |
08004RTL |
978-1-934180-08-2 |
n/a |
Eight CDs |
| Playaway |
08004PLA |
978-1-934180-13-6 |
n/a |
n/a |
| Approximate Running Time: 8¼ hours |
Librarians: click here for a printable product information page
Listen to samples from this audiobook: | Sample 1 | The story of Aza's adoption. (4:56, about 5.7) | | Sample 2 | Ivy shares her song with Aza. (3:00, about 3.4) |
Reviews:| "The Full Cast actors expertly read and sing the story of Aza and Ayortha - a country where beautiful music and singing are prized above everything else." | | A 2009 Amazing Audiobooks Selection | | — Amazing Audiobooks Committee | | | | "What fun! A full-cast audio production is a great vehicle for presenting this fairy tale. Set in a land where writing songs and singing them is a highly admired skill, the story offers a combination of singing and speaking roles for a rich cast of characters. The skilled cast makes the most of their roles and appears to be having great fun." | | Earphones Award | | — Audiofile Dec/Jan 2008-09 | | | | "Composer director Todd Hobin has created melodies for all the story's lyrics and songs, making it a portable Broadway musical. Full Cast Audio uses richly expressive voices with a variety of accents to create a delightful listening experience. ... an excellent choice for family travels or classroom listening." | — KLIATT September, 2008  Starred Review | | | | "The performance by Sarah Naughton and a full cast is excellent. Listeners will be dazzled by this entertaining production." | | — School Library Journal July, 2008 | | | | "A huge cast voices more than 20 characters, who speak and sing music composed by Todd Hobin. The magnificent performers employ different vocal registers and accents. Sarah Naughton plays the part of Aza with versatility and ease, and Alice Morigi is appropriately haughty as the Duchess of Olixo. Occasional touches of humor (the cook’s “Omelette Song” and Ivi’s high-pitched rendition of “Healing Song”) contrast with more serious moments, such as the sweet love song of Prince Ijori (played by Adam Wahlberg). Speaking and singing weave in and out of the production; solos, duets, and choruses comprise many musical numbers, which range from simple lute arrangements to a majestic liturgical church service. This outstanding audio—a magical fairy tale romance—will capture listeners’ hearts." | | — Booklist June 1, 2008 Starred Review | | | | "Levine's enchanting, intelligent fairy tale, set in a kingdom devoted to singing, lends itself well to full-cast production; this one features 32 voices. Composer Todd Hobin has set Levine's lyrics to music; Naughton does a terrific job as maid Aza, the narrator, a demanding role that requires near-operatic talents. Homely Aza, abandoned at birth, not only sings like a lark, she can throw her voice and mimic others, a skill she calls illusing. ...This is a rare case: the book itself is superb, but the audio production surpasses it." | | — Publisher's Weekly Starred Review | | |
Meet the Cast:
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