Notte Magica – USA Personal Reviews!

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Ciao!  We promised they’d be coming and here they are!  (I apologize if there are duplicates, or if yours was posted previously…)

March 11 at Foxwoods Grand Theater – Connecticut, from Christl:

A truly magical and unforgettable night!  The symphonic orchestra, together with those extraordinary voices of two tenors and one baritone, created an enchanting evening.  The lady sitting next to me wondered if music in heaven sounds like this.
This, my fourth Il Volo concert, is only the beginning. My plan has been to see them at least once a year, whether here or in Italy, at those impressive venues.  I saw them at the Villa Erba on Lake Como in 2015–what a marvelous setting!  Ci sarò per Gianluca, Piero e Ignazio!   Ever grateful for their dedication and hard work, I remain a dedicated listener.
Christl Anastasio from Connecticut

 

From our own, Jeannette Giglio!  (she is now on her way to many concerts in Italy!)

Last night was my night at the Notte Magica Concert at the Monte Carlo, Park Theater in Las Vegas Nevada…

It truly was a Magical night and it started long before the concert began… Pamela McIntyre along with Myron Heaton and the Flight Crew helped me promote the casual dinner at “d. Italia” the Italian restaurant just a few steps from the Concert Venue… We asked people to make reservations under their own names and just add that they were part of the Il Volo fan group… I figured we would have around fifty fans getting together to share their love for Il Volo along with a nice dinner…. To my surprise we filled almost every table in the entire restaurant… We had over seventy-five fans that enjoyed a nice Italian dinner before going to see Il Volo… It was almost no work involved in putting this fun time together for the fans, but I have to say I loved meeting so many new people as I went table to table having them share their Il Volo stories with me… I handed out name tags for them to put their names on and everyone knew that there were Il Volo fans seated next to them and they shared stories along the way…I had a great surprise that I must share… Joanie Greenspan called me and said she was in Las Vegas and she was going to the concert… I told her to get to the restaurant for dinner and she did along with our very special friends George and Laural which Joanie and I met last year at the Fantasy Springs Il Volo concert in Ca… I have to say for me, it was truly a very special night and I had not even seen the concert as yet…

The concert was spectacular… The guys were just simply Super Stars on that stage, they never sounded better or looked more elegant than last night… I could go on forever but I would just be repeating what we have already read from other fans…There are no better singers/entertainers in this world than OUR IL VOLO!!!

Of all the meet and greets in all the world, happiness and joy walked into mine… I must say we were sort of at the end of the line with just three lovely young ladies behind us… As Myron and I were discussing the wonders of the performances of each of our guys, Robert Gandara chief operating officer of OMGVIP came over and visited with us… He is just a delightful gentleman that help us so much when we were putting the fan fair together last year…He has become a valuable friend and he just shared his love for Il Volo with us, with very special and sincere feelings for our guys… We met three young people from Mexico who were in front of us… They were exquisitely dressed in tuxedos and bow ties, the young beautiful girl with them was in a beautiful long dress and her beauty was that of a young Salma Hayek, but even more beautiful… They were the highlight of the meet and greet thus far, for as we were standing in line they not only engaged in loving conversation about Il Volo, but also was very helpful to us as we had many bags given to us from fans at the dinner to give to the guys because those fans were not able to go to the Meet and Greet… They carried our bags though our time in line until we got to the table for gifts…

Now it was my turn to walk up to our guys and share my love of this beautiful concert .., I wanted them to know how much I enjoyed every moment and that I felt that they exceeded every expectation that I could have for them… They each thanked me and gave me a hug… Gianluca was the last of the three in line and when I walked up to him he just put his arms around me with a grand hug and asked me if I liked the performance… I of course engaged in a very long conversation with him about the beauty of the concert, and also told him I would see them in Italy… His eyes lit up and asked me which concert I would be attending, and when I gave him the list he hugged me again and again and said he would be looking forward to seeing us in Italy… Piero also gave me a hug when he heard we would see them in Italy… I have to say, I must have been with them for a full two minutes before I had to turn around to have our picture taken, that was the first time I realized that Myron was at the other end talking with Ignazio .. So we had much more time with our guys than at any other meet and greet… When we walked away we saw Barbara and had a warm and loving conversation with her as well… So I have to end this summary by saying this was the most exciting and very best Magical night of my Il Volo life …

Thanks to all who came to our dinner at d.Italia’s and thanks to the new Il Volo friends I made along the way, and special thanks to IL VOLO…Thanks to you it was my Notte Magica.

 

Hello all; – Minneapolis
3/20/17 Il Volo Notte Magica was indeed a true night of magic for us. My husband and I, and a friend attended the concert.   It was all very exciting. 33582454695_e4126bfcde_oI had some really good front row seats and meet and greet afterwards.   As you say,  you forget what to say,  as I did,  but I had practiced a short sentence in Italian, that I had heard them say to the audience on the Pompeii concert. So I said to them grazia Italia, grand amore tutti voi and they nodded so it maybe sounded ok.  The night in Minneapolis was unusual warm for March. 33582459965_a76a51f0c0_o (1)   While waiting for the State Theatre doors to open, a man collapsed and the perimedics had to be called.  Sad, there was only about 30 more minutes until the concert began.   Back at the hotel we popped open a bottle of Italian asti spumonti and enjoyed our last glow from the concert.  It was a wonderful concert with the ‘boys’.
Linda & Mike Hoen (thank you Linda and Mike for the lovely m/g photos!)

From Betty – New Orleans! – Detroit, March 16 & Chicago, March 18

Starting with the Fox Theatre, the evening was truly a notte magica.  The theatre being a magnificent structure in itself only added to the wonder of the night with the boys’ thrilling performance.  As we, Jana, Chris, Lorna and I were seated in front and so close to where they stood, we enjoyed every expression and nuance of their funny back and forth banter, as well as the emotions they expressed as they sang their beautiful arias and personal solos.  As always, two hours is never enough, but we comforted ourselves by thinking ahead to the second concert in Chicago. The Meet & Greet after the concert was delightful and we felt we took home a little something special even with the little time we were given with them.

I finally got to meet Marie, a lovely lady who deserves so much gratitude for what she has given us as The Flight Crew members.  Many thanks to her and all of her worker bees who provide us with information and updates.  I have made some lovely friends through the fan club and I am truly grateful.

Chicago Civic Theatre, though not as elaborate as the Fox, was also impressive – another worthy setting for Il Volo.  And again the guys spun their magic spell over us throughout the evening.   After the M&G, besides having another sweet picture taken with them, we four sat around and again shared our treasured moments with them and discussed how they thrilled us and the audience with every song.  Of course, we each have our favorite and we had several conversations about their individual and collective abilities. Their love and dedication to their music and their audiences shows up in every performance. I’m grateful to have attended several concerts both in Italy and the US and it is always that way. I plan to see them in Taormina, Sicily in June if all goes well.

To me Il Volo is a gift from God in a troubled world, and I do not think that any producer could have searched for such a trio on his own and put together a more gifted and refreshing set of young men to gladden our hearts.

Well Jana, I guess I could go on and on about the boys and the trip, but I’ll close for now – you are welcome to post any part of this or not if you choose to.  Buona notte!

‘Lottsa Ilvolove,

Betty

(Betty, hope you don’t mind, but we posted it all!)

 

 

From Allene!

The concert in Minneapolis was all I had expected and a whole lot more.  Our guys looked magnificent and were in excellent voice.  The Midwest audience was a little more laid back than earlier audiences and did not do as many standing ovations that I thought they deserved.  And the M&G was the usual rush, rush which always turns me into an idiot, but I loved every minute of it, and can’t wait for the NEXT time.
Have a great day, Leelee, and thank you so very much.
Il Volo Love ~ Allene
A few photos from Joanie G from the LA concert!
My friend took bunches of photos, but my new phone doesn’t cooperate. Here is only one. When Placido came on stage the sudience went wild. Our seats were a little bit too far back so we relied on the side screens. The acustics were super great. Mt friend sharon sold her extra 3 tickets so we had three people who had never been to an Il Volo concert before. The were enchanted. As usual the traffic in L.A. was awful. There was a game on at the Staplews center and it is just across the street from the Microsoft. We fought the crowd and got to our seats just in time. I have never heard our boys sound so strong. Each solo sent me into orbit. 1 joanMy friend Sharon and I stayed in a motel only one mile from the concert. The others drove home. We all live 47 miles from L.A. so it is quite a drive. Before the show we had dinner at a famous Chinese restaurant in China Town. There were pictures of movie stars all over the walls. Back to our room we toasted the boys with a good Italian wine and on to the concert. This may be my last as It was my 88th birthday. That’s OK. I have wonderful memories of this outstanding event. I have lots of photos, but can only send one at a time. 1 joan 2I think I will throw this phone as far as I can. Hugs to all of you my friends.
Here are the other two photos of our concert trip. jg2Notice I have my flightcrew badge on. We had dinner here at the famous Chinese restaurant in china Town L.A. Joanie Gjg1

 

 

 

 

 

From Janet Dong!  Las Vegas and San Jose!

I have been a fan of Il Volo since 2012 when I first saw them on their PBS Detroit special.  I became aware of the Flight Crew last year at the Las Vegas fan faire and have been reading the page daily since then.  First of all thanks for all the hard work in keeping us up to date with Il Volo’s music, concerts and lives. 

My sister and I were in Las Vegas  for their concert.  She and I had been to their 2016 Las Vegas concert just exactly one year before this one.  It was her first exposure to them and she was blown away.  So I did not have much trouble talking her into coming with me this year for Notte Magica.  There were many Flight Crew members there and I am sure there will be other reviews of the concert that will be better written than I would be able to do, so I will leave it to them to review the concert.  But I did want to talk just briefly about the pre concert.  We were excited about the evening and got carefully dressed and ready for the evening.  We made our way to the casino and we were walking toward the d.Vino restaurant for dinner with the Flight Crew , and who did I see strolling right toward us!  I think I muttered “oh my gosh!” and in a few seconds Mr Gaetano Barone was right in front of us.  I said “hello Mr. Barone”.  He stopped when he heard his name and I showed him my Flight Crew badge with the guys photo on it and said something like  “I love Il Volo”.  He smiled and held out his hand and we shook hands.  I turned to my sister and introduced her to him and he held out his hand to her.  She is standing there wondering “who is this guy,” and I say “This is Piero’s father.”  Immediately her eyes opened wide and gave him a big smile and they shook hands.   Then I said “ are you enjoying the tour?”  to which he said “I don’t speak English.“   Guess he has had to learn to say that. janet gae So we ask if we can take a picture and showed him the camera and he says sure.  He was very sweet and patient and he even smiled a bit for the camera.  Them I say “Thank you” and my sister has the presence mind to say  “Grazie”.  Shoot!  why did I not think of that , or as a matter of fact say “Ciao” when I first saw him.  Guess I suffered from the all to well known ailment knows as struck dumb.   After that we both went on our way.  I have never done a M&G and so this was the first real meeting of anyone in the entourage.  We were pretty excited.  The rest of the evening was really special.  A good dinner , meeting Flight Crew members and then the amazing concert.
Then 2 days later I went to the concert in San Jose. This time with my husband, Daughter and son-in-law.   My daughter and I went to the San Jose concert last March and she loved them and their music and was eager to go again.  My husband had heard all their music because I play it so much around our house, but he had never been to a concert.  Our son-in-law was somewhat familiar with Il Volo, but had also never seen them in person.  I was hoping they would enjoy it as much as i knew I would. The San Jose Civic is attractive outside with a southwest look.  But inside not much to write home about .   No comparison to the theaters in New York and Detroit.  It is basically a big, plain auditorium with main floor , some mezzanine seats and also a balcony.  But the stage seemed fine, big enough for this event and they had the beautiful red curtains surrounding the orchestra.  I had thought they were traveling with the same orchestra on the tour, but I noticed the concert master and cello sections had different players.  This time we had great seats.  In Las Vegas we were in the second seating section on the right of the stage and the guys were on the left.  In San Jose we were in the 9th row on the left and the guys microphones were right in front of us.  It looked like a very full if not sold out house.  When the guys came on stage there was thunderous applause and many people standing to greet them.  They went through their songs and repertoire as in Las Vegas , but this time being up so much closer I could see the expressions of their faces, the closed eyes when they were singing parts of their solos, and their hand gestures.  They were are the top of their game.  All their voices were clear and powerful and the harmonies impeccable.  They sounded absolutely wonderful! and got a standing ovation from at least half of the center section after each song.  Somehow it seemed to me they were looser and more relaxed than in Las Vegas, especially Igna who ad-libbed some stuff and then cracked himself up afterward and collapsed on Gian’s shoulder laughing.. At one point Gian gave him the signal to be more serious and they straightened up for the next song.  It was funny that during  “O Sole Mio,” which they must have sung a million times, during one of Igna’s solo parts he sang one or two words wrong I guess because he started kind of  laughing and corrected himself, and Gian reacted by putting his hand over his face and shaking his head. Then they all kind of smiled and laughed and the audience loved it.  Even the conductor seemed relaxed, and had a pretend little sword fight with Igna with his baton.  Lots of fist bumps after songs, lots of smiling and the guys received roses from one fan in the front row.  Of course a standing ovation at the end of the concert, and I even noticed my husband and son-in-law standing for other songs like Grande Amore and No Puede Ser.  I did not take any photos as they told us none would be allowed and the usher on our aisle was vigilant about policing her area.  But glad to see that some people got photos and have put them online.    Ah , what a night.  I could not have been more perfect.  My 3 guests thanked me profusely for the concert and really  had a good time.
Now lucky me, my husband and I will be in Italy in May.  That month chosen partly because the weather should be good, but mostly because Il Volo would be there.  We will be in the 9th row in Verona on May 20, hopefully on the left in front of the guys, but I cannot exactly tell by looking at my tickets.  But it should be unforgettable in the 2000 year old arena with Il Volo.  Then we will have to wait patiently until their next album is out and maybe another tour by 2019.

A week before Las Vegas I got my one and only tattoo!

janet dong tat
Janet – Awesome review, Janet!!

From Linda from Foxwoods Concert on March 11, 2017!

To Il Volo flight crew- a note.  I was more than absolutely delighted to have been at Il Volo’s Notte Magica concert in Connecticut last Saturday, March 11th,2017.  I have had my front row tickets for three month waiting in high anxiety and anticipation for the day to finally come.  Although I have all the DVDs and all the CDs, including the ones in Spanish (I do not know Spanish) but still am able to feel the emotion.  And there was so much emotion  from  mia trez ragazzi that I felt I was in a dream.  I was delighted that they did Grande Amore!  All of their Arias were done so well, as were their other  selections.  Their voices continue to amaze me.  I still have images of their performances on ‘Ti Lascio una canzone” from 2009 or even Piero appearing on an Italian interview singing on his piano at his home the same year.  I do not know what else to say, except the performance will stay with me forever.  There is no one else like them, they are unique and wonderful.  The ‘Maria’ episode with Ignazio was great and very funny as were their jokes among themselves.  I may never be able to go to another concert as I am in need of two total knee replacements (hence I could not give them  deserved standing ovations) but I kept my hand over my heart with respect and love for them.  My friend gave them the three silkroses I brought due to my not being to walk over to them at the finale.  I also handed a birthday bag to a staffer for Gianluca filled with individual portions of Nutella and a birthday card with a poem I had written for him.  I really hope he got it.  Well, that is it.  I have lots of love for them and listen to their DVDs and CDs and U-tube on the internet between 4-6 hours every day. Their music is so much better  than food and, yes, I keep losing weight because of them and  am taking Italian lessons as well.  Buona Sera.  Grazie mille for these three  idols of mine.   Sincerely, Linda A. Goldblith.

 

From Julie Bernache – Foxwoods!

Joy!  Pure joy soared from the stage at Foxwoods Grand Theater as Il Volo’s first notes were heard.  We knew we were going to fly to Italy this evening.  The guys were classy, up-beat and enchanting.  They introduced us to Maestro Joseph Modica from Sicily.  They sang most of the favorites from the Florence Concert also including Caruso and Grande Amore.  After a lovely rendition of Maria, Ignazio did a very funny bit about trying to find Maria.  They also said that Maestro Modica did not speak Sicilian.  He said he spoke only Italian (in Italian).  Of course we were then treated to some more of Iganzio’s Sicilian-American.  There were two orchestral selections performed during the concert instead of an intermission.  The guys were just amazing.  Many standing “O’s”.

The M&G was very well attended.  I talked to Piero first and mentioned the Flight Crew.  When he heard that, he told Gianluca and Ignazio “she’s Flight Crew”.  That produced some great hugs.  Fabulous evening!  
Julie Bernache      
 

Ok, folks, there you have it!!  These were all the personal posts we received that were in addition to what we originally were sent a few months back!  I think there may be one or two more that I didn’t post here, so if you did not see yours posted, please let us know at FlightCrew.NotteMagica2017@gmail.com.

If you are going to any of the European concerts, we’d still love to hear from you – same scenario, please send to email address above.

Jeannette – can’t wait to hear ALL of your stories!!  Of the “Fabulous Five!”  🙂

Ok, one final gesture….or two?  Our favorite new conductors! (Credit to owner)

15 thoughts on “Notte Magica – USA Personal Reviews!”

      1. I just thought it was odd that no one had commented all day long, so I wanted to make sure things were working properly! 🙂

  1. Jana, what a nice review, something I have already read, but it’s always nice to read them.
    Make up many little adventures with our wonderful guys.
    I miss a few days and I will also have my concert from the beautiful VERONA, of course I will send you my impressions.
    Ciao Ciao.

      1. RoseMarie, if I see Piero, sure I’ll remember him the nail admirer.

    1. Daniela is lucky, she only has a one hour drive from Brescia to Verona.
      She might be driving, or go by train, but I know she and Beppe won’t be flying Ha Ha Ha
      Have a safe trip, and a fun time Daniela, I know you will 🚕

      1. GRAZIE JILL, at the time of the road we will surely drive, we will think of you.

  2. Ciao Jana – you are so good to post all of our long accounts – and fun to read about all the Ilvolovers’ thoughts, feelings and adventures . Getting ready for Taormina – a little over 2 wks away – it’s always like the first time – I know you understand that ! Wish you were going with us.!
    Thanks,
    Betty

    1. Betty– so glad you are going to be able to go! We expect your review also! 🙂 you should get a meet/greet for Taormina and then you can give them hugs and tell them Jana (but they don’t know my name) and the “Rock Star” – Lorna from Detroit send their love! Lol!

  3. Having missed every US concert due to the flu, I’m so happy to let you all know I’ll be at Sovarato and Lucca. My first time to Italy!

  4. What amazing reviews!!! Love the tattoo Janet, you’re a bit more brave than me. Everyone is so good at writing their reviews that I feel I’m right there with you and I wish I was. Can’t wait for more.

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