Gianni Schicchi at the Massimo Theatre

Giornale di Sicilia [22 Maggio 2008]

Eight hundred little children all together listening to the Puccini’ s arias yesterday morning within a show specially created for the schools.

PALERMO,

What’s new? 800 little kids singing together with the singers arias like “O mio babbino caro” (ndr: oh my dear dad). These young children, all watching the “W Gianni Schicchi” at the Massimo Theatre were so fully prepared to be able performing the most famous areas of the Opera going from the Madama Butterfly to the “Bohème”.

Such a big success for these small children yesterday morning. The hall was packed with children who have been hosted from other children with the shirts of the sponsor Giglio Piccolo (ndr: Young Giglio). “To be able doing something nice for the children and our town is such a pleasure…” according to Giuseppe Giglio .

Children everywhere, on stage, among the public, waving painted cloths, blue, yellow, green and white, following the rhythm of the show and of the actors, Filippo Luna and Pietro Massaro in the role of Buoso Donati the miserly.

This looks like a real party, happily filled up by the laughs of the young spectators carefully following the “tragedy” of Buoso’s parents looking for the mysterious will.

Giovanni D’ Aquila’s original music based on Puccini’s originals, have been played by some members of the Massimo theatre Orchestra, directed by Bruno Cinquegrani.

On stage Claudia Munda (Nella-Lauretta), Katia Ilardo (La Ciesca) Alessia Sparacio (Zita), Vincenzo Bonomo (Rinuccio), Giovanni Bellavia (Gianni Schicchi), Luciano Miotto (Simone

Betto), Gianfranco Giordano (Mastro Spinelloccio).

The smile of Antonio Cognata, general coordinator witnesses that “We are following the right path to bring children closer to the Opera”.

Francesca Romano, Maria Teresa La Rocca, Giusi Console and Giovanni Pitti, 12 years old wise viewers, explain that they would love to follow an Opera; younger Danilo, Vincenzo and Vito, 8 years old, confess, in fact, their passion for the final “march”, while Chiara, Valeria and Elena, 10 years old are fully in love with Firenze, as beautiful as a fragrant tree in march.

Simonetta Trovato