Theatres: must to see from January to April 2019

Spettacoli e grande musica. Una selezione dei migliori appuntamenti

Of course, anyone planning a visit to Florence does so with a view to taking in the artworks and archi-tectural gems scattered throughout this city, with its world-famous museums, breathtaking views peeping between the aristocratic palazzi, delightful fashion boutiques, fine food establishments and artisanal workshops. But it is also well worthwhile keeping an eye on theatre billboards and music programmes, because no week goes by without some interesting novelties. The inhabitants of Flor-ence are keen theatre-goers and well versed in music, opera and dance, so the cultural offering has to meet the expectations of a public accustomed to quality productions. Here is a taste of what’s to come.

TEATRO DEL MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO (FLORENTINE MUSICAL MAY)
An appointment with a dou-ble bill consists of Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and the opera Un mari à la porte (Husband at the Door) by Offenbach (12 - 23 February), which provides an ironic and care-free counterpoint to Mascagni’s passionate drama, in this new production with Valerio Galli conducting the orchestra and Luigi di Gangi and Ugo Giacomazzi as co-directors.
Mimmo Paladino returns to Florence as set designer for Mozart’s Clemency of Titus (20-27 March) in which Federico Maria Sardelli conducts the orchestra and the May Chorus, and Roberto Andò directs.
The symphonic music programme is just as rich with Zubin Mehta conducting the 8th Symphony by Bruckner (23 February) and Fabio Luisi who – for the Mahler cycle - conducts Symphony no. 3 (1 March), followed by Symphony no. 8, the so-called Symphony of a Thousand (11 April), the huge sym-phonic-choral visionary fresco which was Mahler’s greatest success during his own time, and Sym-phony no. 5 (14 April) a work belonging to his most mature period which represents a dividing line between his early and later symphonies.

TEATRO DELLA PERGOLA
Among the first titles featured in the new year’s programme, a monologue – performed by Pierfrancesco Favino – probes the issues relating to identity, isolation and love just before humanity’s point of no return in La notte poco prima delle foreste (The Night Just Before the Forests) by Bernard-Marie Koltès (12-17 February). Then, Sergio Rubini directs and performs, together with Luigi Lo Cascio, the new version of Dracula by Bram Stoker, the last great Gothic novel (5-10 March). The dissipation of the old world and the contradictory nature of the present seen as a fantastic transformable matter represents the core of Don Quixote by Cervantes (19-24 March), with Alessio Boni in the role of Don Quixote and Serra Yılmaz as Sancho Panza.

TEATRO VERDI
Choreographer Anthony Heinl has danced for choreographers of international fame, from Taylor to Martha Graham, and has also been a member of Momix. Together with Nadessja Casavecchia, he has elaborated an extremely effective form of entertainment by combining art, dance and the acrobatic skills of the dancers who star in the show titled The Magic of light, staged by the Evolution Dance Theatre (21 February). A tango expressing passion, drama and happiness: this in a nutshell is the Argentine tango show entitled Noches de Buenos Aires, ten dancers accompanied by the Tango Spleen Orchestra (22 February). One of the most popular Italian musical comedies of all times - Aggiungi un posto a tavola by Garinei and Giovannini Torna will soon be back on stage in its full splen-dour with Gianluca Guidi (23 February-3 March). We will rock you is the show based on Queen’s greatest hits and one of the most widely staged musicals in the world. At its first edition of 2009 in Milan, it starred Brian May and Roger Taylor. After 75 repeat performances and over 100.000 specta-tors, the show returns to Italy at the Teatro Verdi, in a new version directed by Tim Luscombe (22-24 March.)
With the international show titled Blue Man Group our attention shifts from the Verdi theatre to the larger Nelson Mandela Forum where the ‘three men in blue’ communicate through gestures and mu-sic alone: accompanied by a band and some unique musical instruments, the trio never miss a chance to share and communicate their thoughts – in their own particular way - with the audience (28-31 March). The first musical based on the eponymous work by Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy) recounts his journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise in search of Love. A series of encounters with some extraordinary characters: the most famous historical personages – damned or blessed - who have become part of our collective imagination, are portrayed in an unforgettable and engaging context of stage design, projections and choreography (31-31 March).