Opera Colorado Returns to the Stage with Puccini's TOSCA
Starting Saturday, November 6, Opera Colorado presents Tosca at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House for four performances only. This lavish production of Puccini's operatic blockbuster is Opera Colorado's first performance at the Ellie Caulkins Opera house since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place in March 2020, causing all mainstage productions for...
“Tre giallisti contemporanei” A look at three Italian Mystery Writers
In the English-speaking world, there has been a long tradition of mystery writers from Edgard Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, P.D. James, and Martha Grimes, just to name a few. However, not many Italian mystery writers, or ‘giallisti’, have reached comparable fame. But this is changing as both the quantity and the quality of Italian mystery nove...
Pueblo's annual Columbus Day Celebration continues, despite protests
Columbus Day might not be recognized as an official holiday in Colorado, but this didn't stop the annual celebration from taking place at the statue of Christopher Columbus in Pueblo. The Pueblo Christopher Columbus Piazza celebration has become a rallying point for Indigenous protestors and those who sympathize with the minorities in this country...
Festa Italiana returns to Frontenac, KS for 22nd year
The city of Frontenac celebrates twenty-two years of bridging cultures, and celebrating their heritage. And they’re doing this at their annual, Festa Italiana. “There’s German food, Italian food, there’s more Italian food than anything, just because that’s the heritage of Frontenac,” said President of the Frontenac Education Foundation, Ann Brown....
POW’s grandson captures in film a story never before told
Rock Springs, Wyo., isn’t normally known for movie premiers. But on Sept. 25, members of the community gathered to hear the story of one of their own. Archie Hays American Legion Post 24 hosted a documentary film screening that details the horrifying journey of a World War II POW. It wasn’t until 10 years after his grandfather's passing that Mark P...
Monday is Colorado's second Mother Cabrini Day
As Catholics mark on Monday the 75th anniversary of Frances Xavier Cabrini becoming the first naturalized American saint, Colorado is celebrating the second Mother Cabrini Day, a state holiday that closes most government offices. Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1031 last year to replace the controversial Columbus Day for the patron saint of immi...
Open Window Theatre’s ‘Frassati’ explores life of blessed who loved outdoors, politics, the poor
Beatified in 1990, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is the subject of a play opening Oct. 1 at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights. Written and directed by Jeremy Stanbary and starring Jeromy Darling, the play is the first professional theater production that aims to capture the life of this modern saint, Stanbary said. Stanbary, who founded Op...
DANTE 700: a series of events celebrating Dante Alighieri on the 700th anniversary of his death
DANTE 700 is a series of online events, presented by The Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis / St. Paul, celebrating Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) on the 700th anniversary of his death. Everyone is encouraged to register for all the three events. However, each event will be independent and will be accessible even without attending the others. From...
Renowned Italian artist to encapsulate Aspen Art Museum’s façade with inflated installation
The entire façade of the front side of the Aspen Art Museum will be covered next summer with an inflated vinyl and nylon wrap and LED lights to illuminate the imagery of a mountain landscape. Aspen City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the museum’s application for a temporary use permit for the art installation for as many as 180 days. The i...
Omaha, Sicilian town plan to tighten bond of friendship as sister cities
A century-old connection between Omaha and Carlentini will become tighter when the two sign on a Sister City Friendship Agreement in late September. According to the release by the City of Omaha on Friday, “a friendship agreement provides opportunities for cultural, educational, and business partnerships and exchanges and is an initial step that ca...
City Of Omaha: Carlentini, Sicily And Om ...
The Mayors of Omaha and Carlentini, Sicily will sign a Sister City Friendship Agreement this month, recognizing the century-old connection between the two cities and a history of family, faith, culture, and tradition. Carlentini is an Italian city in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily; population approximately 17,000. Over the past year, three Italia...
Artist adds fresh take on tradition in fresco series of women for Italian church
As an artist, Mark Balma is up to big things, but that’s also how he got started, after all: on large pieces of paper from the religious sisters who taught him at Ascension Catholic School in Minneapolis. They knew the grade-schooler had a talent for art, so sometimes they’d ask him to create something for special occasions, like St. Joseph’s feast...