Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) will open its 2024-25 season with Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” Nov. 8 and 10 at the Lobero Theatre. Based on a true story, Pagliacci “Clowns” tells the tale of Canio, leader of a commedia dell’arte troupe, who murders his wife and her lover on stage during a performance. The opera is emblematic of the style known as “verismo,...

Society Invites was invited by Natalie Olivas Sanchez, owner of the Helena Mason Art Gallery, to meet with their newest artist, Luca Barberini (b. 1981, Ravenna, Italy) and view his works before he returned to Italy. His exhibition, titled Inner Landscapes, is on view through October. It was fab to reconnect with Sanchez; its #beenaminute, as we sa...

Italy's Sicily is an iconic European destination, offering a combination of natural beauty, scenic beaches, mouth-watering cuisine, exquisite wines, and fascinating history. Not to mention that Sicily offers lots of stylish hotels for an unforgettable summer vacation. However, what if you don't want to travel overseas to experience Sicily? Believe...

This Tuesday, a luncheon organized by Associate Professor of Italian Studies at UCSB Claudio Fogu to host the Italian Consulate of Los Angeles was supposed to feature one of the world’s top acrobatic air force squadrons: the Frecce Tricolori (the Tricolor Arrows). Leading up to the event, however, the show over East Beach was canceled, which we hav...

The colorful 38th I Madonnari Italian street painting festival is appearing in the form of numerous handcrafted chalk art works on the asphalt at the Santa Barbara Mission. It takes place Saturday through Monday on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. It is a benefit for the Children's Creative project bringing arts education to county schools.  Annu...

One day before the opening of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America National Conference Peter Jordano, CEO of Jordano’s Foodservice Division and a member of a proud Italian American family who opened their local Santa Barbara business 108 years ago, was the special guest speaker at the Montecito Rotary Club luncheon meeting at the Music Academy...

The 37th I Madonnari Italian street painting festival is coming alive at the Santa Barbara Mission. It's referred to as a romantic Italian festival in line with a sister festival in Grazie di Curtatone, Italy. The event takes place for three days beginning Saturday and through the end of the Memorial Day weekend. Some of the artists have already be...

The voices that have endured from the Classical period describe what life was like in ancient Rome for their authors, who were literate and educated elites. But what about everyone else? One way to learn about life outside the privileged classes is to examine how people engaged with laws and politics, particularly voting. Finding the evidence howev...

Former Team Italy catcher Tyler LaTorre was recently named 2023 Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach of the Year. In his first year as head coach at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, he has led the 10th-ranked National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Warriors to an impressive 39-8 overall record. The Westmont C...

In celebration of their 40 years operating in Santa Barbara, the Italian Pottery Outlet will have an open house with live music on April 1 at its downtown location at 929 State St. Antipasti and prosecco will be served to the public. To add to the occasion, the IPO is offering a 25% storewide sale and a gift-with-purchase giveaway. “We’re really th...