L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 3 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS pleted his studies at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, and during his Broadway debut in the revival of Sweeney Todd, he is noticed by Francis F. Coppola, who at that time was completing the casting of The Godfather Part III. " A fter res earching 2000 actors for three or more long years", he continues, "I was cho- sen by Coppola and by five tal- ent scouts to play the role of Anthony Corleone, the opera s inger w ho w as the s on of M ichael Corleone and K ay Adams". What was a highlight of your role in The Godfather III? First of all, it was very emotion- al to be able to work with big artists like Al Pacino and Diane Keaton. They were looking for a good actor that could be capable of singing the role of Mascagni's Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana and resembling, in some way, the protagonists. A unique expe- rience that has positively marked the entire course of my career. How did the training with L u c i a n o P a v a r o t t i c o m e about? Describe your experi- ence studying with him. Luciano Pavarotti himself invited me to his residence in Pesaro after having listened to my interpretation of Turiddu in The Godfather III. I perfected my technique with him for over three months. An exceptional artist who never stopped study- ing and getting involved. Even when he was on vacation, he was always busy preparing new roles to broaden his repertoire. "You are never too old to contin- ue to learn your craft, it is an outgoing process", he would say. As the world's longest run- ning Phantom of the Opera, could you describe some of the challenges you faced while cast in the production? On Broadway we usually per- form 8 shows in 6 days. The main challenges were to always be absolutely vocally healthy and focused on your work; con- tinuing to be professional and understand that there are certain sacrifices that one must do in order to have a great opening performance every night. Was it difficult to act with half of your face covered by a mask? Wherever it was impossible to communicate with my face, all of the other senses became intensified. A form of commu- nication made for the most part of gestures that accompanied the singing - a very full physical experience. You are currently perform- i n g i n y o u r o w n B r o a d w a y show, what can people expect to see and hear? T h e s h o w i s c a l l e d F r a n c D'Ambrosio's Broadway, and it's an autobiographical tale about an Italian – American kid who goes from a family of bak- ers in the Bronx to Broadway a n d b e y o n d . A o n e m a n Broadway format show during which I perform songs from my entire career and I make some jokes about my Italian American heritage. I r e a d t h a t y o u h a v e a n interest in painting. Describe how you discovered this pas- sion. About 6 years ago, during the p e r i o d o f L e n t , I d e c i d e d t o deepen my Catholic roots and fully devote myself to rediscov- ering my spirituality. I recited the rosary and read the Bible everyday and during prayer I began to see sacred images and soon afterwards I found myself reproducing them in a visual manner, despite the fact of ever having painted before. It was a blessing, a spiritual experience that I truly believe came from God. What non profit organiza- tions are you singing with? Donating my time and my art to help people in need makes me happy. I work with many non- p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n s : T h e American Cancer Society, the Brain Tumor Foundation, The Saint Pio Foundation, the Vocal Academy of Lorenzo Malfatti and many others. What type of legacy would you want to leave behind in the world? I would like to be remem- bered for always giving my best on every occasion that life has granted me with. At times I failed, but at other times I was able to carry out my intentions; either way, it was all worth it. Franc D'ambrosi0 playing in his one man show called "Franc D'ambrosio's Broadway". Credit Archie Carpeter Continued from page 2

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