MAMMA MIA!

MAMMA MIA!

May 10, 2025 | CULTURE, CULTURE, MUSIC, MUSIC

Mamma Mia!

You will think: movie? No: theatre.

The musical Mamma Mia is back at TAM!

 


Notably, this is the 25th year since the debut of this musical in London’s West End.

25 Super Trouper Years!

A return to Teatro Arcimboldi Milano. 

A return for Mamma Mia! And a return for us too.

I already told you about Cats. 

By now you know: I adore musicals!

By now you know: I receive fantastic birthday presents, and the tickets for Mamma Mia at the Arcimboldi Theatre were another spectacular surprise!!!

Mamma mia!

 

I breathed in the joyful atmosphere even before the curtain went up as I watched the other people, there were all possible generations: from tiny little girls with puppets in their hands and ballet shoes on their feet, to gentlemen who despite the difficulty of walking leaning on their cane reached their seats.


Kids, families, couples, groups, and then them: all wearing a pink t-shirt showing the words the bride’s friends around the bride, wearing a tulle tutu tucked over her jeans, blindfolded with a silk scarf and unaware of what was about to happen.

I found it a really nice way to organise a hen party.

Then came ‘the orchestra’ … a very modern, digital version.

On the two mega screens on either side of the stage the words started to flow and the magic began.

At first I was even moved. Beautiful. Everything was perfect.

Did you also have the chance to see any of the versions of Mamma Mia that took turns on stage?

Do you like Abba songs? Which is your favourite?

How many times have you seen the movie?

Mamma Mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you? 🙂

FLIGHT PLAN

FLIGHT PLAN

Apr 19, 2025 | MUSIC, MUSIC

Flight plan, a title but also a promise.

Flight plan, a gift.

I’ve already told you about these special birthday presents,  I’ve already told you about these concerts with my brother and sister-in-law, with all the heart. 

This time the “flight plan” was to return to Novara, at Teatro Coccia.

Piano di volo

The “pilot”, as always more precise than a Swiss watch, started singing at nine p.m. sharp going on until after midnight, without drinking, without pause, without tiredness.

The Ten Fingers we know, games of light and so much to tell.

Piano di volo

Flight is lightness, and immediately “the little wings that learn to fly” are all those who listen and become glider hearts.

Flight is freedom, the ability to laugh at oneself and consequently also at one’s audience. Blessed irony.

But most of all I want to tell you about the opportunity to be so close that you can unmistakably see the face of a happy artist.

You can’t fake smiles like that: the first to have fun was him, with all his years of music and jewel-like lyrics, amused among the people and fully satisfied with singing, nothing else.

Do you ever feel that way?

George Bernard Show wrote happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.

Difficult?
Very difficult. But not impossible.

These are the words of a slightly lesser-known song:

Never ever be afraid
Of being afraid
This journey is an adventure
The illusion of a mirage
But you swear you have courage
And that you will always care
Of your slightly wild heart
Now and while this blue rain lasts
Blue rain
Blue rain

What’s your flight plan?

THE HOUSE OF SILENCES

THE HOUSE OF SILENCES

Jan 25, 2025 | BOOKS

Have you ever read Donato Carrisi? As usual, I work in reverse and started with the last book that came out: The House of Silences.

This book was a gift, and it was also the ‘container’ for a further gift, so you can imagine how happy I was to receive it.

The House of Silences is the fourth volume in what is so far a quadrilogy and comes to bookshops after the previous books The House of Voices, The House without Memories and The House of Lights.

Do you know any of these books?

Pietro Gerber, the protagonist, is a hypnotist specialising in paediatric therapy.

On the subject of hypnosis, I would love to know Quarc‘s opinion:  in his All true Alessandro Depegi recounts his own direct experiences.

Regarding silence instead, would you like to tell me something?

In the meantime, I would like to quote two sentences from the book that struck me:

Sad people cannot hurt anyone precisely because they know pain well.

Every person has an indelible dream. A dream of which he keeps the memory for the rest of his life. Often there is not even a particular reason for this, often they are not memorable dreams at all.

By now you know that I have a particular weakness for dreams but as I am not normal, I cannot remember an indelible dream unfortunately.

I can, however, speak of a recurring element: water. 

What about you?

GIFTS, HOW?

GIFTS, HOW?

Dec 28, 2024 | WHO CARES

Gifts, how?

To tell the truth, for me the beauty of presents is the search, the moment when you think of the most suitable thing for the person who will receive it, the instant when you look at the eyes, hoping it will be a surprise, hoping to see joy.

But I also have been so lucky to receive gifts of the kind that

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropiateness rather than in its value.
Charles Dudley Warner 

So here it is:

the illuminated sign

Regali come?

which my husband has already strategically placed in my reading corner.

The bookmark with the cup 

Regali, come?Regali, come?Regali, come?

ready to be with me in reading my next book. 

Il Caffè della Terra coffee produced in Vigevano. 

Regali, come?Regali, come?

How about it?

Would you like to tell me about a gift of yours?

A gift received or given, a guessed gift or an embarrassing gift, a useful or desired gift, a bizarre gift or the gift you will never forget.

I generally always take a long time for presents, some people choose a shop and then find everything quickly.

Do you have a strategy or do you rely on chance?

Do you plan months in advance or do you dedicate yourself to presents in December?

Do you ever follow a common thread?

Do you prefer to request gift wrapping from the retailer or do you take care of it yourself?

Lately, many shopkeepers use the logo shopper bag, which is no longer included in the price.

Do you think the anti-waste concept or the surprise is more important?

What if you receive a gift that for some reason you will definitely not use?

Coffee’s ready, sit down and we’ll talk!

NIRVANA UNPLUGGED

NIRVANA UNPLUGGED

Nov 2, 2024 | BOOKS, MOVIES, BOOKS, MOVIES, MUSIC, MUSIC, ROCK, ROCK

Nirvana unplugged in New York, often known as MTV unplugged is first and foremost a high moment in music history to me.

For our very first chat here on the blog, almost five years ago now, I told you about the cardigan Kurt Cobain wore during the recording of this live show.

Then over time we talked a lot about music but never came back to what is really one of the most important memories for me.

First of all it is the memory of an emotion: the first time I listened to Come as you are without even getting to the end I was convinced that I would never like another song again.

Come as you are is perhaps the only one of Nirvana’s most popular songs, performed even during unplugged, I think precisely because of its characteristic intense intimacy.

But every single song performed during MTV unplugged is beautiful.

The cover of The Man Who Sold the World in my opinion beats even the White Duke.

Where did you sleep last night is poignant to the point of almost materialising Kurt’s suffering.

And then Dumb, About a Girl, Pennyroyal Tea … which is your favourite?

Sadly released posthumously Unplugged in New York with every listen reminds us of the pain and loss of an artist who would now be a grandfather, as his Frances Bean became mother to Ronin at the end of September.

Many tales and anecdotes about 18 November 1993 chase each other all over the place, but what we can all still see is Kurt arriving, and after a simple ‘Good evening’ he introduces About a girl by attacking his guitar ride.

The rest is magic, atmosphere, white flowers, candles, drapes and soft lights, like metaphorical arms that welcome us into an immersion of music and sensations, simplicity and depth at the same time, where everything else is stripped away, the whole world is outside, where all that counts is the lightness of a faint breath destined to fade away but which in reality can only remain engraved in the memory forever.

Extreme vulnerability yet disruptive power.

Nirvana Unplugged is one of the gifts I cherish, it is 30 years old today and yet I’m never tired of listening to it again.

I treasure it along with Kurt Cobain Diaries

Nirvana unplugged

and Montage of Heck, which I saw at the cinema earlier anyway.

Nirvana unplugged

On the off chance that you’ve missed something, I recommend catching up: I find it indispensable to understand the deep torment of a Soul torn between the love of music and the pain of life.

I wish I was like you
Easily amused
Find my nest of salt
Everything is my fault

I’ll take all the blame
Aqua seafoam shame

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