"As a way of moving
out of childhood and entering the world of
women, adolescent girls need to come to know
their mothers in a more realistic fashion than
that which is available to them in childhood.
THE MISSING PEACE is an astute allegorical
description of this discovery process. In it,
Brianna, a girl at the brink of womanhood,
follows her own heart and spirit on a quest
to discover a deeper, truer sense of herself
through a search for her absent mother, despite
danger and the repeated admonitions of those
around her. Judy Malloy's astounding artistic
versatility and Ron Melrose's stunning poetry
and music make this a musical journey that
is not to be missed. It is a pleasure to listen
to, imaginative, wise, and profoundly moving."
Marsha H. Levy-Warren,
Ph.D.
Psychoanalyst
Author, The
Adolescent Journey
"THE
MISSING PEACE is a sonorous coming of age fable that is rich
in both its music and message. Brianna overcomes the pressures
to abide by the rules of the patriarchal world in which she
lives, and learns to follow her own mind in search of the
truth. In this feminist quest tale, Brianna's finding her
own distinctive voice is vividly realized in both Ron Melrose's
poetic images and Judy Malloy's musical artistry."
Carol Gilligan, Ph.D.
Patricia Albjerg Graham Chair in Gender Studies, Harvard University
Author, In
A Different Voice
"Judy
Malloy's voice
is as beautiful and
soulful as the
tale she
tells. Her vocal range and her uncanny ability
to transport listeners to a magical place and
time is extraordinary. THE MISSING PEACE is a
musical
experience not to be missed and to pass along
to others you love."
Jane
Startz, producer of the upcoming Miramax film The
Mighty, and of Scholastic Productions' The
Indian In The Cupboard, The Babysitter's
Club and The Magic Schoolbus.
"I enjoyed
reading the incredible story, and I was
enraptured by Ron Melrose's heart-wrenching
poetry. His presentation of the story
reveals his depth of passion for and knowledge
of the archetypal mythic journey. I was
an instant fan of his storytelling abilities."
Tamara
Gerard,
Cultural Mythologist
Lecturer and Author, The Dragon & The Feminine
"The combination
of Ron Melrose's words and music and
Judy Malloy's voice has a power and magic, a
spiritual wisdom that taps into a deep
collective yearning for the return of
the missing Mother, goddess, and feminine aspect
of divinity."
Jean
Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
author, Crossing
to Avalon and Goddesses
in Everywoman
"Ron Melrose has
created an extraordinary work, transcendent,
buoyant, intelligent, absorbing and richly
lyrical in its poetry and music. This apparently
simple story of a girl's journey to find
her mother and revive her ailing land is embedded
with a deep understanding of folklore, Jungian
psychology and feminine spirituality. The
score
is delightful -- a tuneful combination of
Celtic, folk and show biz music, and the talented
performer-storyteller,
Judy Malloy, who sings 6 distinct parts,
is nothing short of amazing."
Belleruth
Naparstek,
author of Your
Sixth Sense and
creator of the Health Journeys audiotape
series, from The Guided Imagery Resource
Center at http://www.healthjourneys.com
"Judy Malloy's
voice contains multitudes. And here those
multitudes tell a wonderful story. Her ability
to create
a character instantly with her musical instrument
and then transform into a new one even faster
astonishes me. But her astounding technique
wouldn't be nearly as meaningful without
the generous spirit which informs it. This musical
story combines breath-taking talent with
true
feeling, a rare combination which is a treasure
to experience."
Bill Russell,
Lyricist and Book Author of Side
Show
"Bravo! A gift
to all women. I was touched and inspired by
this powerful piece of music and this moving
tale of a woman's search for something missing
from her life. Bravo to the creators of this
beautiful and impressive work! It is a gift
to women everywhere that will enable them to
tap their inner strength."
Karen Page, Chair,
Harvard Business School Network of Women
Alumnae and James Beard Award winning Author
of Dining
Out: Secrets from America's Leading Critics,
Chefs and Restaurateurs
"A tour de force!
I have a predilection for great mother-daughter
stories, but The Missing Peace is
more than that. It's a great mother-daughter
story
and captivating music rolled into one. And
Judy Malloy is a marvel. As she convincingly
sings every role in the album, from ingenue
to crone, she displays a range of style and
emotion that's hard to imagine from any other
singer. She's like a hybrid of Karen Akers,
Bebe Neuwirth and Bernadette Peters --and
Zelig, too."
Melissa
Balmain,
author of Just
Us: Adventures and Travels of a Mother
and Daughter
"Standing outside
of any fixed creed, The Missing Peace uses
its freedom to plait together into one strand
of shimmering beauty the ageless yearnings
of our human experience. Malloy's voice is
as haunting as the lyrics she renders, and
the poignancy of the libretto as a whole is
fully realized within the range of her obviously
accomplished and inspired talent. By blending
traditional theology with the insights of human
mythology, Melrose and Malloy have created
in art a union of dark memory and luminous
hope that, so joined, give voice to our contemporary
longing for a Missing Peace."
Phyllis
Tickle,
Contributing Editor, PublishersWeekly
