The Cleveland Opera plans rare local production of Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut’
The Cleveland Opera is doing it again. Setting aside mainstream repertoire, it’s producing an opera largely unknown in Northeast Ohio. This Friday and Sunday, at the Tudor Arms Hotel in Cleveland, the company led by Dorota Sobieska will stage Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut,” in collaboration with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra. The chamber-style perform...
My 'Bronx Tale'
As I have mentioned on many occasions, the REAL reason I am in this business is mainly because I am a huge fan of this stuff! Artists and bands from my youthful years of the '60s, '70s, and a bit of the '80s (even though I LOVE the stuff from the '20s, '40s and '50s), television and movie stars from pretty much the same era, and culinary experience...
Pompeii to celebrate season with song
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will host its annual Mary and Christmas celebration on Dec. 7. Maestro Paul French will once again lead the incomparable William Ferris Chorale in a program of Christmas favorites. Musical echoes of Christmases past in Venice, Rome and Palermo, timeless yuletide melodies and selections from “A Charlie Brown Christm...
The American Friends Of The Donizetti Opera Festival Has Been Formed
THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE DONIZETTI OPERA FESTIVAL (AFDOF) has been formed to support the efforts of the Donizetti Opera Festival, an international celebration held each November in Bergamo, Italy, the birthplace of Gaetano Donizetti. AFDOF is charged with encouraging the collaboration of scholars, artists, and Donizetti devotees in the United St...
Vinatieri is lucky to be in NFL
NFL’s Adam Vinatieri, placekicker for football’s Indianapolis Colts, is quite the guy. First, Vinatieri is the oldest player (age 46) currently playing in the NFL. In pigskin land, this is old. Naturally, this gives folks pause to wonder if “he’s still got it.” And for a while, there was good reason to doubt. Vinatieri missed five of eight kicks...
Andrea Bocelli to perform with the Columbus Symphony at the Schottenstein Center
For the first time in nearly a decade, Andrea Bocelli will perform in Columbus. Bocelli's December 14 concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm at the Schottenstein Center. He'll perform along with the Columbus Symphony. Recently, Bocelli announced a new PBS Special celebrating his 60th birthday, along with his annual tour of the United States. Boce...
Dante Alighieri Society Presents “Natale in Casa Cupiello”
The Dante Alighieri Society of Michigan is always striving to develop new programs to inspire, educate and engage the community. Please join us on December 17, 2019 at The Village Players of Birmingham for the performance of “The Nativity Scene” (Natale in Casa Cupiello) by Eduardo De Filippo. The cast is formed by a wonderful group of volunteers c...
After founder's passing, Italian sports museum faces uncertain future
A little more than three months after the passing of founder George Randazzo of Bloomingdale, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame will hold its annual awards gala in his honor Saturday night in Rosemont. But the organization faces an uncertain future as volunteers try to fill the void left by Randazzo, the group's chief cheerleader an...
Revel in Opera Modo’s ‘La Gioconda’ at The War Memorial
Sometimes you leave a theater thinking to yourself: “Wow. I just saw something very special that I will never forget.” Such was the case watching Opera Modo perform La Gioconda at the The War Memorial in Gross Pointe Farms. This opera company, which has been surprising and delighting audiences big and small for a few years now, has blown the doors...
The Italian American Human Relations Foundation presents 'A Tribute to Musical Genius, Songwriter Harry Warren'
"I am honorary chair of 'A Musical Tribute Showcasing the Songwriting & Musical Genius of Harry Warren'… because I so believe in the mission of the sponsoring Italian American Human Relations Foundation (IAHRF) … the idea of highlighting the contributions of, in this case, African-American and Italian performing artists is something that I fully su...
Rising stars to shine at opera concert
Some of Chicago’s best young singers will perform arias and art songs by iconic Italian composers at the Italian Cultural Center at Casa Italia’s Vocal Scholarship Awards Dinner and Concert. The event will start at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the Mentesana Weber Chandelier Room of the Community Center at Casa Italia and feature a wine-and-cheese reception...
Sports Hall to present top honor to Andretti
The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to auto racing legend Mario Andretti at a Nov. 9 induction and awards gala at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont. A 1981 inductee of the hall of fame, Andretti earned victories in 111 races during a career that spanned five decades and six continents. Along the...