At Lyric, a ‘La Traviata’ of Great Intimacy Amid the Social Whirl of Paris
In one form or another, most of the great opera classics are about two things: love and death. While some explore these interlocking themes by looking at the lives of the gods and other mythic creatures, the Italian masters most often focused on the fates of ordinary human beings, even if many were royalty and aristocrats. And few did it as powerfu...
RPS Hall of Fame: Jean Cione didn’t know she was a pioneer
High school graduation is a big deal for the vast majority of people, but it wasn’t for Rockford’s Jean Cione. “She skipped it,” Cione’s sister, Linda Gillespie, said of the East High School graduation ceremony in 1946. “She took her finals, and then she left to play ball. It was spring training.” Cione was one of the very youngest of the pioneers...
Commedia maestro Antonio Fava to perform at the Casa
The Italian American Theater of Chicago will present world-renowned commedia dell’arte maestro Antonio Fava in a performance of “Speechless Pulcinella” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the Ballroom of the Community Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park. On his way to claim a lottery jackpot, Pulcinella is struck dumb when a black cat crosses his path....
"Speechless Pulcinella", a commedia by Antonio Fava
Saturday, February 23rd from 6-9pm. Casa Italia Community Center, The Ballroom. 3800 Division Street, Stone Park, IL Presented by the Italian American Theatre of Chicago and Studio Z, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. In this once-in-a-lifetime treat, Antonio Fava, Italy’s world-renowned maestro of Commedia dell’Arte,...
Italian opera 'Giulio Cesare' coming to IU's Musical Arts Center
A seductive love story, political drama and a mix of historical figures will all come together 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1-2 and 8-9 in the Musical Arts Center’s first opera of the semester, “Giulio Cesare.” This Italian opera, set in 48 B.C. ancient Egypt, tells the story of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Caesar is attempting to add Egypt to the Roman Empire....
Joe DiMaggio statue ‘safe’ after removal from Taylor St.—but residents want answers
Play ball! Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? He’s safe, but he’s not where you think. The $150,000 statue of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, which was abruptly removed from a plaza across the street from the closed National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame — leading to an uproar from some Little Italy residents — is now being housed in Elk Grove...
Italian Heritage Group Questions ‘Godfather II’ Legacy
The Pickwick Film Classics series plans to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s film, “The Godfather II,” with special showings on the Pickwick’s new Megatheatre screen on Jan. 19 at 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge. Show times will be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The evening show will include a 6:30 p.m. performance on the Wurlitzer orga...
Theater RED Invites Milwaukee To 'Be Italian' With NINE The Musical
Che bello! Theater RED proudly announces a new addition to the company! Eric Welch joins Theater RED as Artistic Associate following his collaboration with the company in June of 2018 for the Wisconsin premiere of I'LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS. Eric Welch directed this one-woman comedic romp as a co-production with his theater company,...
Italian guitarist and vocalist Beppe Gambetta performs at old town school of music
Wednesday January 30, 8:30pm. Old Town School of Music, 4545 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago (IL). Entrance: Free. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2019/01-30-2019-wmw-beppe-gambetta/ Presented in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute. Beppe Gambetta is a guitarist, vocalist, researcher and composer...
"Pulcinella" by Master of Commedia dell'Aarte Gaspare Nasuto on the occasion of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival 2019 free and open to the public - Family friendly performance
From Friday, January 18, 2019 to Sunday, January 27, 2019. Organized by IIC Chicago. Entrance: Free. From the traditional Italian Commedia dell’Arte comes the very original of the form, hand puppet trickster Pulicinella, who upon migration to England became known to English speakers as Punch. Impeccable timing and hysterical predicaments performed...
Agresta to reprise Mimì at the Lyric
A world-class role like Mimì in “La bohème” deserves a world-class soprano, and the Lyric has found one in Maria Agresta. “One could go a lifetime and never encounter a more moving performance of Mimì than that given by Maria Agresta Saturday night,” Lawrence A. Johnson of Chicago Classical Review wrote of her October run at the Lyric. “The final s...
7 things to know about Aaron Caruso's show at Andiamo Showroom
Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren closes out its 2018 schedule this weekend with holiday shows from two crowd favorites -- Frankie Scinta and Aaron Caruso. Here are seven things to know about the shows. 1) For Frankie Scinta, the show must go on. Scinta's Thursday and Friday shows come one year after the death of his younger brother and bass pla...