Italian Clubs, Events, Lifestyle; Travel Italy

Artist and builder Dana Pyle has recreated a Little Venice in Wilmington, Delaware.

delawareonline writes: “Visitors will find many of the landmarks of St Mark’s Square in Venice, including Torre dell’Orologio, the clock tower, as well as the Grand Canal, lined with streetside shops made out of painted plywood, complete with doorways that lead nowhere and flower-filled window boxes as well as a life-sized wooden gondola in which passers-by can sit for photos.

When it’s finished, the street scene will measure 150 feet, from the Rialto Bridge to Harry’s Bar, where patrons can rest and buy Bellinis, one of the bar’s famous cocktails. In between, patrons will find a panini shop offering the Italian sandwiches. The street scene will be 50 feet wide and range from 12 feet tall for the smallest shops to 20 feet tall for the clock tower.”

The Dana Pyle’s Venice will anchor the Wilmington’s Italian Festival at St. Anthony of Padua — June 7-14 –, one of the area’s biggest summer festivals, which this year celebrates the theme “City of Water.”

Pyle, who has spent six months designing and building St. Mark’s Square with the help of lots of volunteers, says: “When I heard the theme was Venetian, I was ecstatic. I love Venice. It’s my favorite European city.” (source: delawareonline9

- About 2009 St. Anthony’s Italian Festival
When: June 7th - 14th (Monday - Friday 5:30 - 10:30PM ; Saturday and Sundays 2:00 - 10:30PM)
Where: 901 N. Dupont St - Wilmington, DE 19805
Festival details and programme at St. Anthony’s Italian Festival website.

The Bel Canto Lyric Opera Company will be performing in the second annual Donald & Dorothy Stabler Memorial Concert, in Harrisburg, PA, on May 31, 2009.

The Bel Canto is an organization based in Philadelphia which helps sustain and promote the best in Italian music tradition. The orchestra is made up of Philadelphia Orchestra members and singers who have earned some of the highest awards, such as the International Pavarotti Competition.

This year’s performance will feature a salute to Cole Porter with selections from Kiss Me Kate and Can-Can along with Operatic ensembles and the Powerful Salve Regina Chorus from Boito’s Mefisto, accompanied by both Organ and Orchestra.

When: May 31, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Where: Faith Presbyterian Church - 1801 Colonial Road, Harrisburg, PA.

Tickets may be purchased at the church office weekdays 10am to 2pm or by sending a check for $30 for each ticket along with your name and address to: Faith Presbyterian Church - 1801 Colonial Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17112.

Christina Marracini, 17, of Harrison (Westchester County), New York, has been crowned Miss Italia USA 2009.

Christina, after winning the State competition held January 31, 2009, has represented the New York State in the MISS ITALIA USA 2009 final held March 21-28, 2009 on a MSC Orchestra cruise.
She will travel to Italy on June 2009 to compete against forty-nine young ladies from other nations for the title of “Miss Italia nel Mondo“.

Miss Italia nel Mondo is a contest celebrating annually the beauty of women of Italian heritage from around the world. The final pageant will be held in Jesolo, surroundings of Venice.

(Details of Miss Italia USA contest at missitaliausa.com)

“Notte Futurista” — Futurist Night — is a night of of Italian Futurism with music, painting, sculpture, manifestoes and words unleashed, taking place in Salt Lake City, UT.

Sponsored by The Italian Center of the West and partially funded by the ZAP tax program Salt Lake County, the event will be held Wednesday, April 15th, 2009.

“Notte Futurista” will be featuring Alex Caldiero & the Futurist Performing Ensemble of UVU.

Where: St.Mark’s Episcopal Church Annex, (North Big Conference room)
231 East 100 South, SLC (use the North Entrance)
When: Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 – 7:00 PM
Public is welcome, no admission fee
RSVP ph 801-364-8259 .