On Sunday, October 13 at 5:00 PM, the first event of Siena in Opera, the music series of the Theatres of Siena under the artistic direction of Vincenzo Bocciarelli, will take place.
The fairy tale by Italo Calvino will be performed at the Rozzi Theatre in an unprecedented show combining prose, opera music, and dance. The challenge is to bring the audience closer to musical theatre and, why not, to opera, a powerful expressive form that requires proper explanation. This is the work that AMAT is doing with the Regeneration Opera project, targeting audiences of all ages, from children to adults. The project, which focuses on musical fairy tales, aims to set an Italian traditional fairy tale to music every year, involving mainly children and families, but not exclusively.
On Sunday, October 13, Il Principe Canarino (The Canary Prince) will be performed, with music by Concetta Anastasi and a libretto by Paola Benocci. Narrative, orchestra, singing, and dance will come together in a show for all ages, young and old alike.
“It’s a matter of perspective,” says Francesca Lazzeroni of AMAT. “In general, to engage with an art form, the audience needs to have the key to access it. We strive to work towards this, thanks to a wide variety of artistic languages that complement each other: music, dance, singing, prose, graphic novels, video art. Additionally, the fact that the subject is a fairy tale should not make one think of a simplified musical content. On the contrary, our goal is to entertain, but also to educate the audience, not to simplify their tastes and expectations. The music of our fairy tales is performed by the orchestra and opera singers, and it is deep, rich in meaning and content. It’s the necessary step to encourage listeners today to perhaps be curious about opera in the future. We are happy that the Theatres of Siena, with Artistic Director Vincenzo Bocciarelli, have chosen to enhance this educational and outreach work, which is fundamental to us.”
AMAT’s work is not only focused on the performance but starts much earlier, with projects carried out in schools across the region. The Sunday theatre event is preceded by the Note fatte a mano workshop, dedicated to primary schools in the Siena province, carried out in collaboration with the Fondazione Antico Spedale S. Maria della Scala. The children were introduced to theatre, singing, and instruments, gaining hands-on experience in staging, discovering the magic of music and theatrical craftsmanship. The result of their work will be visible to the audience in the foyer of the theatre on the day of the performance.
The chamber orchestra and opera cast are from AMAT, conducted by Anastasi. Narrative voice and stage coordination by Paola Benocci. The cast includes Costanza Renai, Mert Can Bulak, Francesca Lazzeroni, Keren Or Davidovitch, and Claudio Mugnaini. Choreography by the Balletto di Siena, curated by Asja Maranotti and Marco Batti, with dancers Alessandro Antinori, Nicole Perfigli, Marida Noviello, and Laura Suma. The theatrical craftsmanship work is by artist Ilaria di Meo and the Balletto di Siena; the projected images, kindly provided by the Siena Awards, complement the lighting design by Samuele Batistoni.
Tickets are available online via TicketOne and at the Theatres of Siena box office.
Ticket prices: €10 full price, €5 reduced.
