Penina’s story is next, but first I have to add these photo’s of Loretta and Ignazio at the concert the other night.
Loretta sent them to me 5 times, two were duplicates. Then she sent them to Lynn and asked Lynn to send them to me in case her’s didn’t go through. I’m afraid if I don’t post them she’ll send them again! Guess what she wrote on my email subject line? “Save these to your computer.”
OK Loretta, I got ’em. Here they are and they’re absolutely wonderful! Darn!
~M
Now, Penina at the concert:
The audience in Orillia was about 90% Italians. And not just Italians, but Italian speaking Italians! Someone in the crowd early on shouted to the guys to speak Italian. Which they eventually did, to my regret, as I missed the best joke of the night–because Ignazio said it in Italian.
I have to concur with Jill about the lights and the music accompaniment. The lights were a real problem, they glared, they washed out, and even worse, they moved. Just as you framed a picture, a light would wash the whole thing out. I really think where you sit will have a big determining factor on the quality of pictures you get–and there is no knowing ahead of time whether you are in a good seat for pictures or not. All of my pictures save one was washed out by lights. A fellow two seats over got great pictures. The quality of the photographers certainly had some part in this! (lol) But I refuse to believe that is the sole reason my pictures were a flop.
Very little new was sung that wasn’t an English song. The new songs in Italian listed on the Buffalo playlist (Si Me Falta Tu Mirada, L’amore Si Muove, and La Vida) were not sung. Neither was Core N’Grato to my great disappointment. On the other hand they did do Beautiful that Way and Eternally. And instead of La Vida they did Surrender. So there was a lot of old stuff here, mixed in with some new, although the only new songs outside of the duets in Italian was L’immensita, Piove and Grande Amore.
There was a good deal of funny stuff, with Ignazio doing his Godfather routine, and demanding Piero kiss his hand with the ring coming at the introduction to My Way. Another funny interlude came with Piero trying to introduce Ignazio when he was about to sing Memory. However most of this dialogue was in Italian. I forgot to say, Ignazio’s mom, Caterina Boschetto was sitting directly across the aisle from me! She sneaked in after the show started and I didn’t see her come in. I noticed she was there somewhere during the program, and when Ignazio said whatever it was he said that convulsed everyone, she put her hands over her face, and shook with laughter. I wanted to say hello to her after the show, but she left the way she came–before the show was 100% over, and I didn’t see her leave.
The meet and greet was very different! We were all herded into a space they set up in the end of the hallway outside the concert hall by blocking off a section with a big divider backdrop thing. The photographer got us to make a big circle and he told us he would take pictures quickly, one after another, and once the pictures were done, the boys would be available to talk to us informally. The line went around, people gave quick hugs, kisses, handshakes, etc. lined up and took the pictures. What was nice about it was you saw everyone’s interactions with the guys.
There was one little old Italian grandmother with her granddaughter who had everyone in stiches. After the group picture the granddaughter wanted a picture with them by herself and she tried to shoo her grandmother away. But grandma was having too good of a time and wouldn’t leave. Finally the photographer told her she should leave and she said she would leave if she could take Ignazio with her! After all the picture taking the boys just waded into the crowd, answering questions, getting hugged, taking selfies, etc. I managed to get selfies with all three of them! Piero was holding forth in a little circle of people when I came along he was telling someone about the rigors of the schedule and how happy he was his father was able to come along with him. “He brings me breakfast in bed! He makes me pasta! I would never be able to stand such a long schedule if he weren’t here with me.” Such a sweetie! And then he broke some very interesting news. He said they are doing a concert on July 1 (which I have already seen advertisements for) that will be a very special concert. Apparently July 1 is the anniversary (20th? don’t remember) of the 3 tenors first concert and Il Volo is doing a tribute concert to them, and Placido Domingo is going to be the conductor.
And he said, you are the first to know this–no one else knows! And he said it would be an international concert. Whatever that means! It sounds amazing.
And with that, time was up and all three left the area and we all went home.
~Penina