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Riccardo Muti returns to the Prada Foundation, opening its doors to the public to make us understand the beauty of a work like “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini. Other atmospheres with the Nazi Berlin of “Cabaret”, where the presenter in the famous venue is Arturo Brachetti – we remember Joel Gray in the film; and the American Seventies of “Sister Act”, which is revived after the successes of the previous Seasons.
Roma
From 14 to 26 November at the Brancaccio Theater the musical “Sisters Act”. Based on the ’92 film of the same name with Whoopi Goldberg, music by Oscar winner Alan Menken, mixing soul and funk and 70s disco, the musical received five nominations for the Tony Awards. Deloris Wilson, aka Van Cartier, is the exuberant soloist of a sixties-style female musical trio, The Ronelles (a parody of the Ronettes), who perform at the Moonlight Lounge in Reno, Nevada. Despite herself, she becomes the inconvenient witness to a murder. To protect her, the police put her in safety in a convent. She will struggle a lot to adapt to the rigid rules of behavior imposed by the rigorous Mother Superior, but she will end up conquering everyone, transforming an out-of-tune choir of nuns into a musical phenomenon. After Rome she performed 80 performances on tour.
Milano
From 18 to 29 November at the Fondazione Prada Riccardo Muti in the open rehearsals of Bellini’s “Norma”, with the Cherubini Orchestra and the young singers and conductors of the Accademia dell’Opera Italiana, founded by the Maestro. The 18th opens with a lesson-concert; open rehearsals from 19 to 25 November; on the 26th the final test of the young conductors and on the 29th Muti conducts “Norma”, in concert form. As Riccardo Muti declares, “I chose “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini because I want to draw attention to the Bellini bel canto world that “Norma” represents in the most absolute way. An extremely difficult work that requires great attention to the phrasing and the apparently simple yet extraordinarily effective orchestral fabric in supporting and intertwining with the vocal line.”
Milano
From 15 November to 10 December at the National Theater the musical “Cabaret”, with Arturo Brachetti and Diana Del Bufalo. The music is by John Kander (of whom we remember “Chicago”, among others), the lyricist is Fred Ebb. Based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel “Goodbye to Berlin”, it is set in 1930s Berlin, during the Nazis’ rise to power. He has received numerous awards, including eight Tony Awards; the eight-Oscar winning film was made in 1972, starring Liza Minnelli and choreographed and directed by Bob Fosse. In this show the choreography and direction are by Luciano Cannito (directed together with Brachetti), who also took care of the translation and adaptation.