L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 4 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS I talian cinema icon Monica Bellucci will star in the show M a r i a C a l l a s : L e t t e r s a n d M e m o i r s a t t h e B e a c o n Theatre in New York for one n i g h t o n l y o n F r i d a y , January 27, 2023, at 8:00 PM. To celebrate the publica- t i o n o f t h e h o m o n y m o u s book Maria Callas Lettres & Me ´moires by T o m V o l f , M o n i c a B e l l u c c i s t a r t e d performing on stage for the first time at Studio Marigny for a series of exceptional readings at the end of 2019. Bellucci made her debut as C a l l a s a t P a r i s ' T h é â t r e Marigny in the same year a n d h a s c o n t i n u e d t o perform around the world, including in Athens, Rome, Milan and London. Bellucci channels Greek opera legend Maria Callas i n t h i s o n e - w o m a n s h o w with text and stage direction by the author of the book, Tom Volf. Her performance i s a c c o m p a n i e d b y t h e Wordless Music Orchestra. T h e b o o k , a s t h e s h o w , gathers Callas' previously unpublished letters and wri- tings and tells the opera sin- ger's full story in her own words. C a l l a s ' L e t t e r s a n d M e m o i r s i s a t r o v e o f unearthed material telling the singer's life story enti- rely in her own words. Bel- lucci interprets the writings of Callas, from her modest childhood in New York to t h e w a r y e a r s i n A t h e n s ; f r o m h e r d i s c r e e t b e g i n - nings at the Opera, to the p i n n a c l e o f a p l a n e t a r y career marred by scandals and personal tribulations; from an idealized love for her husband to her inflamed passion for Onassis. This unique account reveals, for the first time, the real story behind the legend. Someti- mes she is Maria, a vulnera- ble woman torn between her life on stage and her perso- nal life, sometimes she is Callas, the artist, victim of h e r o w n d e m a n d s a n d e m b r o i l e d i n a p e r p e t u a l battle with her voice. Callas, an artist that, despite her loneliness in Paris in the last years of her life, continued to work relentlessly, until her very last breath at the age of 53. The stage, which has a couch in the center, repro- duces Maria Callas' Paris apartment where she spent the last 15 years of her life. At the end of the sofa, a gra- mophone, on which Maria used to listen to her own recordings and to the Bel C a n t o m u s i c , w h i c h s h e loved so much. This music and her recordings are heard on several occasions during Continued to page 6 Monica Bellucci brings Maria Callas' life on stage in New York Italian diva Monica Bellucci says she feels the presence of Callas beside her when performing (Photo: Olga Zinovskaya/Dreamstime) SILVIA GIUDICI the show, as a hyphen from one letter to another, sym- bolizing time flowing by: a voice that, initially, is filled with all the power of youth, but that, little by little, starts t o f a d e a w a y , l e a v i n g nothing else behind but a p i a n o p l a y i n g l o n g - l o s t melodies on its own. Monica Bellucci wears a dress that belonged to Cal- las, lent by the Italian collec- t i o n M y p r i v a t e C a l l a s , which remained secluded in secrecy for more than 60 years. The dress has never been worn by anyone else. Photographer and film- maker Tom Volf, 36, is not only the director of the show but also the curator of the eponymous exhibition and the author of an unpubli- shed iconography dedicated to the artist. As a director, h e w o r k s i n o p e r a a n d fashion advertising, all the way to institutional docu- m e n t a r i e s f o r t e l e v i s i o n broadcast and international communication. Today, Volf is considered one of the world's greatest experts in Maria Callas' life. He also launched the Maria C a l l a s E n d o w m e n t Fund, dedicated to the pre- servation of the artist's per- sonal archives. Maria Cal- las: Letters and Memoirs is the result of five years of research, carried out all over the world. L'Italo-Americano had the pleasure to interview Monica Bellucci and talk about the upcoming show in New York that marks her first time performing on a stage in the USA. Monica, how did you g e t i n v o l v e d i n t h i s project, and what made you accept the role? Tom Volf thought of this p r o j e c t a f t e r r e s e a r c h i n g

• Cover