Tucson, AZ-- The Fox Tucson Theatre is proud to present the second annual Pairings: Music and Morsels event on Friday, November 7th from 6:30pm to 10:00pm. In partnership with the Tucson City of Gastronomy, the Crown Jewel of Downtown™ offers an experience like no other - a perfect blend of world premiere songs and paired cuisine. Each song and dish was commissioned for the event on the theme of "borderland." The participating songwriters are top, award-winning Tucson songwriter/musicians, curated by the Fox. The participating chefs are acclaimed local culinary leaders, curated by Tucson City of Gastronomy from their Chef Ambassador program.
Guests will begin the evening with Fox-crafted Cocktails & Mocktails, including the Prickly Patron Margarita and Sol de Sonora Mango Mule, as they arrive, followed by the presentation of the Music and Morsels.
MUSIC AND MORSELS PAIRINGS
“River of Time”
Music, lyrics, and performed by Sarah Tolar
P A I R E D W I T H
Bluecorn masa empanada stuffed with mushroom duxelles and brie
Crafted by Chef Adolfo “Aris” Cabrera
“Into Thin Air”
Music, lyrics, and performed by John Coinman
P A I R E D W I T H
Green chile tamale pie
Crafted by Chef Jenna Grigalauski
“When We Were (Mars)”
Music, lyrics, and performed by Howe Gelb
P A I R E D W I T H
“Curiosity” — Horchata & desert fruit jam semifreddo
Crafted by Chef Mateo Cancio
Fox Executive and Programs Director Bonnie Schock said, "In our borderland home of Tucson, we know well that seemingly disparate elements often merge and blend, dance and shift, push and pull, and ultimately influence one another - somehow and someway. The evening is a moment of collisions and intersections, wonder and possibilities, as we invite creative people into relationship with one another, and then see what happens!"
The commissioned artists have already made new discoveries in their creative process.
Jazz singer-songwriter, Sarah Tolar noted, "I was very inspired by the theme for the event, borderland. In my song “River of Time” I reflect on the borderland between past and future: the struggle to find peace in the ever-fleeting “now” and the hope for awareness of the little miracles happening all around us in this borderland." Her chef partner Aris Cabrera (Executive Chef, the Grill at Quail Creek Country Club) says he created his morsel "utilizing local ingredients with some European techniques, a blend of two worlds, new world and old world."
Southwestern folk musician and local music icon, John Coinman (Kevin Costner & Modern West), described the process this way: "This project, because of Bonnie's creative approach, has given me the inspiration to write songs that I haven't been able to write up to this point. Years ago I read Wallace Steven's poem "The Idea Of Order At Key West" about the transformative power of creativity and how it interacts with and brings structure and harmony into a world of chaos....and I wanted so badly to be able to tell that story in a song. The "Borderland" theme fit perfectly because I see the two elements of art and nature existing in a borderland tumbling back and forth into each other's world. It might seem a little too presumptuous.... but I thought what the heck I'll do it anyway and thus...."Into Thin Air." The song is paired with Chef Jenna Grigalauski's (Owner, A Culinary Inheritance) morsel, which she says has "traveled the globe" from her home kitchen to Bergamo, Italy and back home again now influenced and changed and "transcending borders."
Green Chile Tamale Pie
Uncategorizable musician Howe Gelb (GIANT SAND) wonders aloud in his song, inspired by the notion of an interstellar borderland. He asks "What’s happening to our planet now? Squabbles over land rights. Who was here first. Who colonized who. What rights linger when borders change. Where did we get this basic human insistence? Why has it always been a thing? Once we were all nomad … now we are just mad. Perhaps if we look to the stars, let’s ponder Mars. Could it be that’s where we once called home? And this Earth was the first borderland to cross into..." Chef Mateo Cancio (Chef de Cuisine, The Grill at Hacienda del Sol) shaped a sweet dessert bite that imagines the colors, textures, and spirit of a Martian landscape interpreted through the flavors of the Sonoran desert.
Following the Music and Morsels presentations, guests will enjoy a variety of small plates from delectable Canape and Entree Buffet Stations plus dessert prepared by Chef Pablo Valencia of Scratching the Plate. Dishes include Burnt Orange Bruschetta, Burnt Orange Mascarpone, Smoked Apple Whiskey Chicken, Calabacitas Chilorio Mole Negro, and Vegetarian Carnitas Mole Negro, and Cornmile Tres Leches. Valencia was one of the three commissioned chefs who participated in the first annual Pairings: Music & Morsels event in 2024.
The fundraising event also features an exclusive live auction with four food lover's delights, including a private dinner with Chef Janos Wilder. The evening culminates with dancing on the Fox stage to tunes by DJ Logan ‘Dirtyverbs’ Phillips.
Tickets are $300/person or $500/pair with a variety of sponsorship packages available. All proceeds benefit the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation. For additional information and to purchase tickets visit: https://foxtucson.com/event/music-morsels/
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