Band of Bocce Brothers: Local players to compete in Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce
Smiling broadly, Francesco Scavello fixed fresh cups of cappuccino for a few of his teammates Friday afternoon then sat down at his dining room table, next to his wife, Debbie, to talk bocce. On Thursday, Scavello and his teammates — from both the Bocce Club and the Hilltop Social Club — will embark on a journey west to play in the 37th Annual Clev...
Lyric Opera, CSO gear up for new seasons
The Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have been champing at the bit to return to live performances, and the wait is finally over. Both musical institutions will launch their 2021-22 seasons in September. Enrique Mazzola will begin his inaugural season as music director at Lyric, having served in an interim capacity for the l...
Cleveland Cinematheque to spotlight Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini in upcoming series
The Cleveland Cinematheque will celebrate Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini with its upcoming movie series “Fellini 101.” The series, set for much of September and October, is a part of the “Federico Fellini 100 Tour” in the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release. The tour marks what would have been Fellini’s 101st birthday (the filmmaker,...
Rocky Colavito returns for statue unveiling: ‘I am thankful God chose me to play in Cleveland’
You cannot mention “Rocky Colavito” without using the word “beloved” in the same sentence. It just isn’t done. Tuesday, when a statue of the – yes, beloved - Indians slugger was unveiled in Tony Brush Park in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood, the respect fans have long held for Colavito rang out. And it was mutual. “As I’ve said, and I’ll say...
Ponsetto Inducted into NACDA Hall of Fame
Even in retirement, former DePaul athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto remains a vivid, radiant beacon lighting the way for those aspiring to follow in her path making college athletics a way of life. The latest milestone paying tribute to Ponsetto's iconic 42-year career in Lincoln Park came last week when the National Association of Collegiate...
Tribe to unveil Rocky Colavito statue on his 88th birthday in Little Italy
A life-size statue of Tribe legend Rocky Colavito is set to be dedicated on Tuesday in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood at Tony Brush Park. Colavito, a member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame who is also an Italian American icon, will be in attendance for the statue unveiling, which also serves as a celebration of his 88th birthday. “It’...
Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Riders Rally and Ride Rolls in Southern Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Riders have been a force for fans of Italian motorcycles since the group’s formation in 1982. Though the focus is on Moto Guzzi, Ducati is also a favored brand and on the occasion of the club’s annual Rally and Ride, any brand is welcome. For that matter, you can be a member of the group no matter what brand(s) of bike you...
Many Upset That Joe DiMaggio Statue Is Gone From Plaza In Little Italy; Sports Hall Of Fame Says It’s Theirs And Has Moved With Them
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Woo, woo, woo. What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson? Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away. Hey, hey, hey.” Simon & Garfunkel sang those words more than half a century ago, and DiMaggio died in 1999. But the words have taken on a literal meaning again – as a statue of Joltin’ Joe...
A new opera company? Introducing the Opera Festival of Chicago, a team of ambitious Italophiles
Fire has always meant a little more in Chicago than nightmares of lapping flames. Here, it evokes rebirth, reinvention, a certain bootstrap-ism even amid daunting circumstances. How fitting, then, that fire welds together the works headlining the inaugural Opera Festival of Chicago, 150 years after that cataclysm stopped the city in its tracks. You...
Return Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio's statue back to its Piazza in Chicago's Little Italy
What was taken down can be PUT BACK UP. What was destroyed can be REBUILT. We can start the healing process now with our Italian American leaders doing what's right for our Little Italy, by returning the Joe DiMaggio statue to its dedicated Piazza on Taylor and Bishop, that's been desolate for over 2 1/2 years now. The last thing Chicago's Little I...
Dunning’s Piazza Italia Will Host An Outdoor Euro Cup Final Watch Party Sunday To Cheer On Italy
You can watch the final game of the UEFA Euro 2020 Cup final between Italy and England this weekend at a popular Far Northwest Side Italian bar. Italian restaurant BarTucci, 3426 N. Harlem Ave. in Dunning, will host a big watch party for the final game starting 1 p.m. Sunday in the Piazza Italia parking lot, which is home to a variety of Italian sh...
3-day Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce tournament, fest set for August in Wickliffe
The 37th annual Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce is set for Friday through Sunday, Aug. 27-29. The competition-fest, which will be at Wickliffe Italian-American Club, 29717 Euclid Ave. in Wickliffe, will feature 96 teams competing for more than $20,000 in prize money. Teams come from almost a dozen states and Canada. Top 16 finish in the money. In...