‘Festa Italiana’ at the Manoel Theatre

Italian operetta singers from Laboratorio Lirico Europeo of Milan will perform a concert entitled 'Festa Italiana' on  December 1 at 19:30.

'Festa Italiana' is a tribute to Italy's romantic repertoire of immortal melodies, songs, selections from musicals and ever-green operettas so much loved by a strong section of the local public.

By general request the following artists will take part - operetta comedian and 'cantattore' Walter Rubboli; soprano/soubrette Tiziana Scaciga della Silva; tenor Andrea Bragiotto; soprano Barbara Fasol and pianist/musical director Mro Debora Mori from Milan's Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi. All of them have already performed at the Manoel Theatre in last year's concert 'Serata all'Operetta'.

The programme's first part is dedicated to the traditional and typical Italian and Neapolitan songs, including Cesare Andrea Bixio's 'La strada nel bosco' of 1943; 'Violino Tzigano' of 1934; 'Torna' of 1930; 'Solo per te Lucia' of 1930; 'Ma cos'e' questa crisi' of 1933, and also 'Ciriciribin' of 1898; 'I' te vurria vasa'' of 1900; 'Ti voglio tanto bene' of 1938.

Tenor Andrea Bragiotto and Soprano Barbara Fasol will sing as duetto 'Fiorin Fiorello' of 1930; Soprano Tiziana Scaciga della Silva joins forces with Walter Rubboli in performing 'Roma non fa la stupida stasera' from the musical 'Rugantino' of 1962 composed by Armando Trovajoli, lyrics by Garinei and Giovannini; the other

songs are Giorgio Gaber's 'Barbera e Champagne' of 1969; 'Il bacio' of 1840; 'E spingole francese' of 1868; 'Un'ora sola ti vorrei' of 1938; 'Ti voglio tanto bene' of 1938; 'Ti parlero' d'amor' of 1945.

The first part will come to an end with a lively medley of Neapolitan songs ranging from 'Maria Mari'' to 'Malafemmina' (Toto's famous song), from 'Funiculi' Funicula'' to 'O surdato nnamurato'.

Operetta selections will be performed in the second part of the 'Festa Italiana' concert.  Comedian Walter Rubboli's  curtain-raiser is dedicated to the comic interpretation of 'Gastone' first performed in 1924 by the famous comedian Ettore

Petrolini. The operetta selections are 'Salome', una rondine non fa primavera' and 'Veder Napoli e poi morir' from Mario Costa's

'Scugnizza'; 'Canzone della Margherita' from the popular 'Cin ci La', 'Sigismondo' and 'Mi pare un sogno' from 'Al Cavallino Bianco'; 'Toujour l'amour' from 'Ballo al Savoj'; 'O rosa di Stambul' from 'La Rosa di Stambul', and by general request the lively and highly entertaining duetto 'Luna tu' with related dialogues from 'Il paese dei campanelli'. The gran finale includes 'Hurra', Hurra' from Emmerich Kalman's 'La principessa della Czarda'; 'Oh Cin ci La'; 'E' scabroso le donne studiar' from The Merry Widow and others.

Mro Debora Mori will perform a medley entitled 'Romantica' including Summertime in Venice (1955); Domenico Modugno's landmark 'Nel blu' dipinto di blu' (1958) and 'Al di la' del bene piu' prezioso' performed in the 1961 San Remo Festival  by Luciano Tajoli and Betty Curtis.

Presentations will be rendered by Albert G Storace. 'Festa Italiana' is presented by Fiesole Artistic Productions in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute.

For more information and ticket booking contact 21 246389, email [email protected] or log on to www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.