After more than a year of performances across Italy's most prestigious stages and unanimous critical and public acclaim, "Actor Dei – God's Actor" returns to Naples, to the historic Trianon Viviani Theater (Piazza Vincenzo Calenda, 9), for the Christmas holidays. The musical, running from December 25th to January 6th, starting at 9:00 PM, is dedicated to the life of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina and was conceived by actor and singer-songwriter Attilio Fontana, who, in addition to co-writing the lyrics, also served as musical director.
Directed by Bruno Garofalo and written by Attilio Fontana, Mariagrazia Fontana, Francesco Ventura, Antonio Carluccio, Michela Andreozzi and Federico Capranica, the show, produced by Rosario Imparato and Mario Minopoli for “Pragma srl” and “Immaginando”, is a chronicle, albeit atypical and in artistic guise, of the life of the most beloved and discussed saint of the modern era. In the role of protagonist of “L'attore di Dio”, Fontana confirms his versatility and completeness as an artist who, with a long and varied career, fresh from television and theatrical successes, is not satisfied with just one language and continues his path of tireless human and artistic research.
The almost pop-rock work, with Mediterranean flavours and a lively rhythm that for this reason reaches more types of audiences, has at its core the content of universal love and enjoys a very large cast of about forty artists including actors, singers and dancers who dance the choreographies of Orazio Caiti.
Francesco Forgione, from a simple and courageous man continually tested by physical and spiritual pain, driven by the will to lift humanity from its suffering and to aggregate the vast community around a great goal, becomes Padre Pio, or the symbol of positive humanity capable of redeeming itself from pain and loneliness to give life to a great dream.
The work is divided into three major moments: youth (from childhood to the miracle of the Stigmata), spiritual maturation (his life in San Giovanni Rotondo until his mother's death) and the hospital (the thousand hardships from the birth of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza to its complete realization). The show opens with a dream that Padre Pio had when he was young: a duel that he engages in with the devil, his alter ego, represented by a black and white chessboard in which the two armies of good and evil face each other. After the dreamlike frame, which with a circular movement opens and closes the story of the work, we return to a plane of reality by retracing some salient events in the life of the saint.
For reservations (081 2258285) – www.actordei.com
Loretta Goggi writes about “Actor Dei”:
“I can't resist the urge to immediately comment on one of my rare social outings, even if it was in the afternoon, linked to a theatrical preview that gave me, Daniela and all the audience present wonderful emotions: the musical “Actor Dei” dedicated to Padre Pio. Music composed by Attilio and Maria Grazia Fontana and Franco Ventura. Direction and scenography (projections on movable panels) by Bruno Garofalo.
Choreography by Orazio Caiti (intense, classical and modern style). The music, truly engaging, ranges from sacred, to pizzica, to pop and the vocal blends are perfect.
A separate mention deserves Attilio Fontana – Padre Pio, a flexible and sensitive interpreter who passes with ease from sweetness, to torment, from humble obedience to strength and impetuosity with which the Saint of Pietrelcina fought evil, vexations, hypocrisy throughout his earthly life. Attilio lives everything by moving on musical structures that are apparently simple to listen to, but in reality very difficult to perform.
The arrangements, in which Franco Ventura's magical guitar stands out elegantly in some songs, explode in full and captivating sounds.
Well, I repeat, I was happy to be there.
I admit, not without embarrassment, that it is the first time that a musical entirely built on songs (American style, to be clear), totally unpublished, where not even a single line is spoken and that unfolds without interruption between one song and another, manages to involve me to the point of not feeling moments of impatience for the lack of dialogue (an entirely Italian necessity, I admit!). I believe the merit is not only in the story of Padre Pio that for better or for worse, lay people or not, we all know, but in the ability of the authors to compose songs of a level like a tailor-made suit for each role that the color and vocality of each interpreter then enrich with their notable added value!”
EDITORIAL TEAM
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