L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 Maria's personal letters for his documentary Maria by Callas. He asked me to be part of the show and, even if t h e t h o u g h t o f g o i n g o n stage for the first time inti- midated me, I agreed. These letters and memories seem to be touching her soul, and I wanted to share that with an audience. H o w i s t h e s h o w structured? The show is a collection of Maria's letters from three significant periods of her life: the youthful excitement of a budding career, balan- cing artistic accomplish- ments and her relationshi- p s , a n d , i n t h e l a s t p a r t , h a n d l i n g s a d n e s s w i t h extreme elegance. My inter- pretation of Maria's words is beautifully interlaced with the Orchestra's interludes. I t a l l c o m e s t o g e t h e r t o create an emotional expe- rience. What was the hardest part of the show for you and why? The hardest part is most definitely being on stage for almost an hour and a half because it is totally new for m e . T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p y o u have with the audience is dif- f e r e n t f r o m t h e o n e y o u e x p e r i e n c e w i t h m o v i e s . Every show is unique, it's like answering directly to the people in the theater. It's all very sincere, very "artisa- nal." I had never experien- ced anything like that before. I read you are wearing on stage one of Callas' dresses. How did it feel to wear something that belonged to her? Yes, what a privilege! It actually really helped me to " g e t i n t o h e r s k i n , " s o t o speak. The first time I tried it on, I was so moved to be w e a r i n g s o m e t h i n g t h a t belonged to her. It gives me the strength to be on stage, I f e e l l i k e s h e ' s w i t h m e somehow. How did you prepare f o r t h i s r o l e ? D i d y o u read or study a lot about Callas? A few years ago, I played an opera singer in Mozart in the Jungle. To prepare for the role, I researched the attitude of different singers, including Maria Callas. So when this role was offered to me, I was already acquainted with Callas the artist, the on- stage persona, but I had to dig into Maria the human. The letters gave me access to the part of her that was not in the public eye. What idea did you get a b o u t h e r , b o t h a s a n artist and as a woman? I ' m f a s c i n a t e d b y h e r duality. Of course, I have so much respect for the artist that she was: talented, meti- culous, hardworking, strong and uncompromising. But I grew very attached to the woman that she was in pri- vate, in all her complexity, fragility, and sensitivity. What do you find dif- ferent about performing in the US, when compa- red to other places? Well, it will be my first time performing on stage in the US, so we'll see! I'm exci- t e d a n d a l i t t l e n e r v o u s . Actually, Maria was born in New York in 1923, so I will perform the last show there 100 years later. I find that quite magical and poetic. I'm looking forward to meeting the American audience for that special moment. What do you like to do w h e n y o u a r e i n N e w York, if you manage to have some free time? H o n e s t l y , I j u s t e n j o y walking around because the e n e r g y o f N e w Y o r k i s s o strong. In Europe, we usual- ly have a more relaxed pace. Here, everything and everyo- ne is faster, I enjoy obser- ving that shift. And, hopeful- ly, I'll have time to visit a museum or two, the MoMA or the Guggenheim. Bellucci says of Callas: " I have so much respect for the artist that she was: talented, hardworking, strong and uncompromising. But I grew very attached to the woman that she was in private, in all her complexity, and fragility" Bellucci at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 (Photo: Denis Makarenko/Dreamstime) Bellucci (above) reads on stage the letters and memoirs of Maria Callas (Photo: Featureflash/Dreamstime)

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