Italian Clubs, Events, Lifestyle; Travel Italy

The Bel Canto Lyric Opera Company of Philadelphia will be performing a concert at SS John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School, 10th and Moore Streets, Philadelphia on Sunday, October 25.

In addition to Opera selections, The Bel Canto will be performing Va Pensiero from Nabucco, the second act quartet from La Boheme, and selections from Camelot and Kiss Me Kate.

Salvatore Scarpa, assistant director of the Philadelphia Ballet will be conducting the orchestra.

The Bel Canto Lyric Opera is made up of Philadelphia Orchestra members, with singers who have earned some of the highest awards, such as the International Pavarotti Competition. It performs extensively in the Philadelphia, NJ and NY areas to great acclaim.

For details of the event, please call 215-334-0529.
When: Sunday, October 25 at 4:00
Where: SS. John Neumann - Maria Goretti High School Auditorium, 10th and Moore Streets, Philadelphia.

The official launch of the world’s first Italian Walk of Fame (IWOF) is scheduled for September 7th 2009 in Toronto, Canada.

The Italian Walk of Fame aims to contribute to the preservation and education of Italian heritage by recognizing and celebrating the achievements of Italians who have excelled within their respective fields and across a variety of industries.

From the city that is home to the largest community of Italians outside of Italy comes the world’s first Italian Walk of Fame (IWOF). Located in the heart of Toronto’s famous downtown tourist destination known as “Little Italy” and co-founded by Jimi Bertucci and Marisa Beaco Lang, the IWOF will pay tribute to the extraordinary achievements Italians have had, locally and globally, in all fields including business, science, art, film, theatre, finance, medicine, literature, architecture, religion and politics.

Its establishment will provide,
- A place to recognize and celebrate their achievements.
- A platform upon which the Italian identity as well as the Italian immigrant experience can be discussed and defined.
- A means by which visitors and young people can learn some important facts about individuals of Italian origin in particular and about the immigrant experience in general.
- An inspiration to the young for further achievement.

The unveiling ceremonies will take place in Toronto’s “Little Italy” in front of the CHIN Building (622 College St.) at 1:30 pm on Sept 7, 2009. A gala awards dinner will follow later that day at the Riviera Parque Banquet & Convention Centre in Vaughan (2800 Highway 7 West) at 6:00 pm.

Stars of achievement will be presented to:

Giancarlo Giannini - Internationally Acclaimed Academy-Award Nominated Actor
Phil Esposito - Hockey Legend and Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee
Johnny Lombardi - Pioneer Broadcaster and Community Leader
Rudy Bratty - Real Estate Developer, Described as “The Man who Built Toronto”
Julian Fantino - Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police
Connie Francis - “America’s Sweetheart of Song” and International Best-Selling Artist

“The Italian Walk of Fame will recognize and honor these six individuals of Italian origin who have demonstrated an exceptional level of accomplishment within their respective fields“, said Co-Founder Marisa Beaco Lang. “In our inaugural year, a portion of the proceeds raised from the awards gala will benefit the Abruzzo earthquake relief effort“, she added.

Details and tickets for the Gala Awards dinner following the unveiling at ItalianWalkOfFame.com.

The town of Vandergrift, PA, in Westmoreland County, approximately 40 miles east of Pittsburgh, will held its annual Italian festival, “Festa Italiana di Vandergrift“, on August 15 and 16.

Festa Italiana features an Italian Film Festival — 2nd edition — scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Casino Theatre of Vandergrift.

The programme of 2009 edition Italian Film Festival includes: “Il Postino” — “The Postman” – (1994, Director: Michael Radford, Cast: Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Massimo Troisi); “Umberto D.” (1952, Director: Vittorio De Sica); “Malèna” (2000, Director: Giuseppe Tornatore, Cast: Monica Bellucci).

When: August 15 -16, 2009 (annual)
Where: Vandergrift, PA

Find out details and program of “Festa Italiana di Vandergrift” at FestaItaliana.us.

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.