After eight long years the time had come for me to see the guys again!! I was supposed to go to Las Vegas in 2020 to see them and of course we all know that Covid hit and they canceled their last three shows. I was brokenhearted but understood why they had to leave. Then when they came back in 2022 I had just had back surgery and didn’t think I was up to going to a concert so I missed that one too. In early December 2024 I had my second back surgery but nothing was gonna stop me this time! I just had to see them!
My daughter-in-law, Sara, and I had a great flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, March 7, to attend the Hollywood/Davie concert the next evening on March 8. We stayed at the Atlantic Hotel and Spa right on the beach which was glorious! After an evening dinner in their restaurant I tried to relax but I was pretty excited.
View from our balcony….the beach was THAT close!
Late Saturday morning we walked around the corner behind our hotel and ate brunch at a quaint little bakery called Archibald’s Village Bakery. Most of the outdoor tables were full so I asked a lady if anybody else was sitting at her table and she said no so I sat down and introduced myself. Miriam was the nicest lady from the East Coast. We told her why we were there and she knew of IL VOLO and had even seen them in concert once. We had a great time talking and people watching.
The afternoon sound check was happening at 4:15 pm so we went back to our room, got ready and took an Uber to the Seminole Hard Rock casino and hotel. I have never attended a sound check before so I did not know what to expect.
The Hard Rock is huge and you had to go all the way through the smoky casino to get to the venue. My wonderful daughter-in-law wheeled me in a wheelchair from the door we came in at all the way over to the venue. I am able to walk but not really long distances yet. She is asthmatic and the smoke bothers her a lot so I was very grateful for what she did for me.
I got to go in first at the sound check which was very nice! When we went in, we were told to sit only in certain rows in the middle about four rows back from the stage.
I started to look around and I could see Gianluca standing off to the left of stage with his girlfriend, Claudia. They were laughing and talking with Celine. Piero and Ignazio came out on stage first. Piero looked the most happy of the two. I think Ignazio was still feeling a bit under the weather and had coughed a time or two. When Gianluca came to the stage he did not smile or even look out at the audience. I thought it was quite odd. Piero came to the edge of stage and asked us where we were from and was very happy and smiling.
They sang a few songs and Ignazio did his water bottle flip for us. When the sound check was over Ignazio left first and then Piero. Gianluca said “Grazie” after we applauded and walked off the stage. No photos or videos were allowed during the sound check.
I decided to ditch the wheelchair after we came out of there and did the best I could walking around with my cane chair that I also brought with me. We then walked away from the casino to an area where there was a waterfall feature coming straight out of the ceiling with music playing. It was awesome!
That whole part of Hard Rock was very beautiful with live plants growing up the walls and lots of shops.
Then we walked down the hallway to Rise Kitchen & Deli where we got something to eat for dinner. We were unable to attend the laser light show that they had outside at the huge guitar shaped hotel. We saw some of it as we were coming into town Friday evening.
The showtimes were 7:00 and 7:30 pm. We were just finishing eating about 7:15 but I did not want to wait for the last light show and get that close to the concert show time then have to walk that far back. Besides, Beverley Foster and I were supposed to meet up before the show started! 😄
We got into the venue and found our seats. I had an aisle seat in the fifth row so I stood up in the aisle looking for Beverley. A lady approached me and I said, “Hi, are you Beverley?” She said no and told me her name was Adele. She’s a member of the Flight Crew and reads everything we post. She said she never comments though but thanked us for everything we do to get news of the guys to everyone. She saw that I had put my seat number on one of the posts so Beverley could find me and kept watching for me to arrive so she could come and talk to me. Her daughter and granddaughter had accompanied her to the concert and they accused her of stalking me! 😂 I told her I was glad she did! Adele was a very sweet lady. I had to have a picture with her and a hug. I told her to make sure she comments now and then on some of the posts.
I sat down and texted Beverley and asked if she was there and she told me yes! I asked her to stand up so I could see her because I knew where her seat was. She stood up and made her way over to me. We had a nice little chat, I hugged her and we also took a picture together. Another sweet lady! Meeting these gals sure made my night. I turned around to my daughter-in-law and said “Dang, I’m famous!” 🤣
The concert started soon after I had met these lovely ladies and sat down. There is nothing like hearing the guys again at a live concert …. very powerful voices with that wonderful orchestra. It just touched my soul. The people in the audience were actually singing along to some of the songs and I happily joined them!
Please let me stop right here and apologize ahead of time for the recording quality of my videos. I was so excited and trying to video and watch the guys at the same time that I didn’t realize I had strayed a bit now and then. I also apologize for singing along with Grande Amore Amore and Hallelujah and maybe drowning out the guys. I couldn’t help myself! Some videos I could not upload due to copyright issues. I did make some shorter because of that.
Also the short videos would not show a preview so I am also sorry for that.
I also always try to video the guys interacting between the songs. Those words and actions are just as precious to me as the music they perform.
The opening song
NOW WE ARE FREE (from “Il Gladiatore”)
(Click on the photo below to enlarge it.)
GRANDE AMORE
After singing OperaOpera (the video was blocked ☹) the guys talked about their 16 years together.
Every time I hear Gianluca hit that high note in The Music of the Night I gasp. So powerful! I did it the first time I heard it and every time since. You can hear me in the video along with my daughter-in-law. 😍
I could not help myself and didn’t have any photos of Gianluca while he was singing this song. So I took screen shots of the video and made my own collage!
After Cecile’s solo the guys reappeared with a change in wardrobe. The most notable was Gianluca wearing a velvet jacket in addition to the sparkly boot type shoes he was wearing. Piero changed his shirt and jacket, but Ignazio did not.
Everyone had their phones lit before the guys sang Hallelujah.
HALLELUJAH
There were many standing ovations after they finished their songs.
Hallelujah was one such song. The guys poured their hearts out into that song in memory of all their dear ones that have departed this earthy realm…..especially for their dear Barbara Vitali. It brings tears to my eyes just watching it again.
The concert was over before I knew it. I am so grateful we were allowed to take photos and videos because I would never be able to remember everything that I saw and heard on that wonderful night!
I enjoyed the concert very much and so did my daughter-in-law, Sara. She was clapping and cheering for the guys as much as I did! 😊 Every time Ignazio would hit one of his high notes she would look at me and grin!
Recap video of the concert – I give credit to ignazioboschetto_italy for this wonderful video!
In this video you’ll see a short water bottle being flipped up onto the grand piano. Ignazio did this several times in a row at one point during the sound check. We applauded his skill! 😊 I am glad someone captured that as we were not allowed to photograph or record anything.
Meet and greet
After the concert, Sara and I went and stood in line for the meet and greet. I wanted to wait toward the end of the line so maybe I wouldn’t be rushed but as usual you always are once you get in to see the guys.
The room we were lined up in was very large but the room that we actually went in to meet the guys was very small, almost cramped. Piero was the first one I saw and then Ignazio and then Gianluca. Piero shook my hand as I walked in. He is really such a sweetheart.
I brought a note and a little something for them in an organza bag. The very first concert I attended in Chicago 2017 I had silicone wristbands made with the date and the venue on it and gave each one of them a couple. So the next concert I was going to attend in Las Vegas in 2020 I had wristbands made. The last three shows were canceled that year so we never got to go and I still have all of those wristbands. I did not have them made this time but I thought why not give them the ones to “the concert that never was”? I wore the wristband from Chicago and the one from Las Vegas that had the Pearl Theater written on it. I pointed to the one from Las Vegas and said, “For the concert that never was.” Ignazio touched the wristband and said, “Ah, the Pearl Theater!” and took a pause. He remembered!
I went and stood between Gianluca and Ignazio to have my picture taken. As I left, I looked at Gianluca and told him to be good and he smiled! I was handed a signed a poster as we walked out.
My daughter-in-law, Sara, told me that she told Piero that she loved his voice and he thanked her. She told Ignazio that he was funnier this concert than the last time in Chicago. He also thanked her. And she told Gianluca that she loved his sparkly shoes. He smiled, thanked her and winked.
We got acquainted with two ladies while we were in line for the meet and greet, Jennifer and her mother, Arlyn. As we were leaving, they walked out with us and offered to take us back to our hotel! They drove in for the concert and said they were going back the same direction as our hotel. What a sweet and considerate thing to do! We talked all the way back and even took a photo with them before they left to go home.
What a long and wonderful day it had been and certainly one I will never forget! 😀🎶🎤🎵 😍
We certainly met a lot of nice people in Florida…. the lady at the bakery, all the ladies at the concert and even people working in the restaurants and shops. I had fun meeting and talking with all of them!
I want to thank my wonderful daughter-in-law, Sara, for accompanying me on this trip. We have so much fun together. She is truly the daughter I never had and I love her very much! 💖💖💖😘😘😘
I can’t wait for my next IL VOLO concert! I sure wish they would come to Kansas City!
Sending all my love 💗, hugs 🤗 and kisses 😘 to this wonderful Flight Crew!
Il Volo continues undauntedly touring in the U.S. and it is always a success.
The fans show with so much affection their admiration towards Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero who are evidently moved and pleased by all this.
I continue therefore in the description of three other concerts..
March 18
The concert was in Detroit at the fantastic and historical FOX THEATRE.
CAPOLAVORO
SMILE
HALLELUJAH
CARUSO
Some chatter about the columns.
After the concert in Antonio’s Restaurant. He posted the photo with this comment:
“What an unforgettable night! 🎵✨
It was an absolute joy to experience Il Volo live in Metro Detroit, surrounded by family, friends, and the vibrant Italian community. @barone_piero, @ignazioboschetto Boschetto, and @gianginoble11 delivered a breathtaking performance, reminding us why their music continues to inspire audiences around the world.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased our ticket package and supported the Rugiero Promise Foundation in the process. Your generosity helps us continue making a difference in our community.
Sharing this special evening with loved ones made it even more memorable. Until next time, Il Volo! 💓”
March 21
The concert was in New York at the prestigious RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL.
Torpedine posted this photo with these ironic words:
“There’s not even a seat left for me…crazy “, because RCMH has been SOLD OUT for a long time!! 👏👏👏
You’ve all read the beautiful review of Jo Ann’s concert and now enjoy these videos of the evening.
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
TORNA A SURRIENTO
SE
O SOLE MIO
SMILE
And I think this was the reason for the cancellation of the New York soundcheck at the last minute, Il Volo was at 690 Park Avenue, that is, they were received by the Italian Consulate who published the photo with this comment:
“What an incredible pleasure to have @ilvolomusic at #690ParkAvenue before their concert at Radio City Hall. 🎤 Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero you are great artists. Thank you for representing Italy at its best!”
What can we say about this beautiful video that inspired the Italian news? (turn on subtitles)
March 22
The concert was in Atlantic City at HARD ROCK LIVE.
Il Volo with Sandra Russo who posted the entire live broadcast of the concert for Stardust Shows Entertainment.
You know that on their tour, there is a guest Cecile, a young Italian singer who accompanies them in a song and then sings a solo song. During an interview with Cecile a question was asked about her relationship with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, read what beautiful words she said about them..
How would you describe your relationship with Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio? Is there a moment you spent with them that you remember with particular affection?
I smile at this question because right now I am in my hotel room here in America and until a few minutes ago, I was having dinner with the guys. The relationship with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca was truly the most unexpected gift. Of course, I hoped and was almost certain that we would get along but I never would have thought that such a deep friendship could be born. I have lived with them intimate moments of great confessions, reflections, and then the laughter, the tears of joy and the hugs given and received with an open heart, the mutual understanding in the less happy moments. Really, I never would have imagined a friendship of this kind and for me this is truly one of the most beautiful gifts I could receive… and I say this not because they are “Il Volo”, but because they are Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero.
Luckily I could tell you about a thousand significant moments; from the first concert together in Germany where they moved me with their kindness, hospitality, care, thoughtfulness; to my birthday celebrated together on stage and then celebrated together with families and friends; to evenings like tonight when Ignazio cooks for us and between music, laughter and chats, we all feel “at home”. During this tour of more than a month, we are spending a lot of time together. Traveling a lot, and moving from city to city every two days, we also share moments of everyday life, like meeting up in pajamas at the end of the concert in this big “camper” (tour bus) and waking up and having breakfast “on the road” while heading to the next stop. Luckily it is difficult to find a significant moment with the guys because with great happiness I can say that I have really experienced many of them and I hope there will be many more.
While in New York they were also guests of GOOD DAY New York, just before their concert.
Even Italian TV has taken an interest in Il Volo’s tour, this is the report aired on RAI 2 during the TG NEWS.
MAN= Fresh from the sold out of New York at the RCMH, Il Volo celebrates 15 years of career with three concerts that will be held in May at Palazzo Te in Mantua.
VOICE= TUTTI PER UNO Viaggio nel Tempo, a project that celebrates great Italian music, art and culture above all and fifteen years of career of Il Volo. The show in its third edition will move to the prestigious historic location of Palazzo Te in Mantua.
PIERO= We are sure that the place will be the setting for all the repertoire that we will propose in this new edition of TUTTI PER UNO.
VOICE= The dates set are May 8-10-11, the only concerts of Il Volo in Italy. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble will bring on stage both their successes and unreleased performances accompanied every evening by special guests.
An important year for the group with the publication of AD ASTRA, their first album of unreleased songs, also available in the international version that includes the latest unreleased Tra le Onde.
And this service aired on Italia 1 during Studio Aperto.
(try a different browser if it doesn’t work in the one you use)
VOICE= Il Volo conquers New York, sold out at Radio City Music Hall the most coveted stage for the stars.
GIANLUCA= It is a great achievement for us to be here, we are very satisfied with the entire artistic journey, it was a great job but also a game.
VOICE= A success achieved and consolidated with passion, with the aim of bringing bel canto into people’s hearts.
The American tour continues in the most prestigious locations in the States, then in May, they return to Italy for the third edition of TUTTI PER UNO Viaggio nel Tempo, in an extraordinary place: Palazzo Te in Mantua.
PIERO= We are sure that this place will be the setting for all the repertoire that we will propose in this new edition of TUTTI PER UNO.
VOICE= After the U.S. and the suggestive stop in Mantua, the tour will continue in the main European capitals and in Latin America.
IGNAZIO= It will be a very important tour, energy-consuming, but we can’t wait.
Even Italian newspapers are publishing articles about Il Volo’s tour, like this truly unique one from LIBERO QUOTIDIANO that I’m translating for you.
Il Volo, Gianluca Ginoble: “Where They Made Me Sleep”, stuff for a select few
There are three Italians who have conquered America and the world, and not just today. And the triumph of Il Volo is all in a red keychain. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble, former tenors now standard-bearers of Italian “bel canto”, interviewed by Repubblica proudly show off that little object: “At the reception they gave us this keychain. It’s room 424. Leonard Cohen slept here, guys.” And for those who know a little about music, it means being in the same category as the giants.
After all, they are in New York and their accommodation is simply legendary: the Chelsea Hotel, on 23rd Street. Practically one of the temples of rock: “I’m staying in Bob Dylan’s bedroom,” Gianluca proudly announces. The same walls and beds inhabited by Dylan Thomas, Mark Twain, Robert Mapplethorpe. And then the crazy, crazy parties between the Sixties and Seventies, creative and penniless geniuses. In the Big Apple they will sing for the fifth time at the Radio City Music Hall, another symbolic place, to certify their status as superstars. And their world tour (Europe, Canada, America, South America, the East) is stuff for a select few.
The three boys are doing things in a big way: in a few weeks there will be the third edition of Tutti per uno — Viaggio nel tempo, in the suggestive Palazzo Te in Mantua, on May 8, 10 and 11, the only live shows in Italy.
“This morning on the TV show Good Day New York, on Fox 5, they asked us to sing the melody of the Gladiator in Italian – Piero reveals – We could have sung the Yellow Pages and the melody would still have reached the heart. Didn’t the same thing happen in the days of Elvis Presley? Our parents danced, swinging their hips, even though they didn’t understand the words of the king of rock’n’roll.”
I am happy but not surprised by this success machine that is Il Volo, their talent and their skill are now known to everyone and fill me with pride and from all over the world I receive messages of love towards Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero, it’s really nice to be a Volo-fan!
As Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and company sang in the old movie, On the Town:
New York New York, It’s a Wonderful Town The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down Il Volo’s back and there’s no better sound. New York New York, It’s a Wonderful Town
Sorry, I changed the lyrics a little.
Although I live in Denver, I had the opportunity to go to the Il Volo Radio City Concert in New York City on March 21. I grew up in New Jersey, and as a young person, New York was my old hangout, so I took a quick round-trip flight and treated myself to a few days in Manhattan. I had not been to an Il Volo concert since Atlantic City in 2022, so it’s been nearly three years. As the title of this post says, three years was too long to go without seeing and hearing the guys. Besides, Radio City’s spectacular period architecture makes it a great setting to catch up with them.
I also had a soundcheck access. For days on end I watched for email instructions where and when to meet for the “Il Volo soundcheck experience.” I finally got my answer. It was cancelled, and there was no information why. If anybody knows what happened, please write a comment and let me know.
I was disappointed, but not for long. The show itself is always exciting and gets better every season, in my opinion.
Qualcosa di Carino: Something Nice
Every time I travel to hear an Il Volo concert, something nice happens to me even before I get there, and often afterwards. The morning of the show, I was doing errands near Grand Central Terminal and got frustrated when I couldn’t find the entrance to the market. I grabbed the first uniformed worker I could find to ask directions, and his answer came back in the most delicious Italian-accented broken English. I switched to Italian and found out he and his wife were both from Reggio Palermo in Sicily, like my mother’s family. I’m sure the desk security people in that lobby were wondering why this strange tourist lady ended up hugging and kissing the janitor. It’s an Italian thing. We speak the same dialect; we even talk with the same hand gestures.
You may have seen Ignazio or Piero do this gesture with one hand, to ask “what in the world is wrong with you,” or “what do you want from me.”
Ignazio also been known to do this one with both hands, but the accompanying words he says when he does that are often not printable.
Not just us Sicilians, but all Italians speak with their hands, as you can see. Gianluca here is not singing, he’s answering Ignazio’s complaint that after learning English in Sicily, Igna still can’t pronounce “contemporary” or “Massachusetts,” among other things. Gian was telling Igna, “If you can’t, then don’t.”
This next gesture is my favorite one, because if you see it, you know you’re in the middle of an Il Volo concert.
I was staying in the Hilton right across the street from Radio City on the 51st Street side. To put in a plug, a top-class Italian restaurant, Il Duomo 51, was right in my hotel. It’s called duomo (cathedral), because St. Patrick’s Cathedral is right on the other corner of 51st. Very talented chef, all the young wait staff speak English with heavy Italian accents, and a lot of them look alike. They are probably all relatives of the manager or the sous-chef or somebody. When they realized I could actually pronounce the menu choices, they started plying me with free glasses of Italian pistachio liquor. Yes, it’s green.
So, on to the Show.
There is almost no need to tell you Radio City sold out. I think Il Volo have sold this place out almost every time they’ve been here. According to Gianluca, this is their fourth visit to this venue. Igna later said he hoped next time they’d be in Madison Square Garden. I hope so too. Then we’ll hear jokes about how Ignazio can’t pronounce “Knickerbockers.” Most New Yorkers don’t bother to pronounce it, either. That’s why they call the home team the “Knicks.”
On the concert evening, I started writing this piece, then went downstairs early to see how fast the line was forming. I could tell the whole Il Volo crew was already in the theater because an equipment van was blocking me from crossing the narrow street, and what Gianluca used to refer to as the “sleepy buses” were already there with a line of blacked out Mercedes SUVs behind them, extending right up to my hotel lobby. I can even see my room in these pictures. I left my desk light on.
I went into the theater early and checked out the sound control gear and mix boards, since I had time. I was wearing a “Flight Crew” badge, so for some reason, the theater staff didn’t care where I walked around or what I looked at. I keep finding that badge thing is quite useful.
I Tempi Cambiano: The Times They Are a Changin’
So, what has changed in three years since I last heard Il Volo live? All of you know most of this list. Obviously, their young adult lives changed. Ignazio is a married man. Piero finished the NY Marathon. Gianluca has another different girlfriend (who seems lovely.)
The show and their “stage look” have also changed. Their new wardrobe for the opening set has those shiny appliques on their jackets. The set list changed to provide a journey through the history of bel canto. They wrote or rehearsed new jokes.
Piero gets more elegant as he matures; and he has different eyeglasses yet again. Gianluca is clean-shaven and no longer styles the curls out of his hair. His new boots are more sparkly. This picture doesn’t really capture how sparkly.
But there were very important things that did not change. The guys are clearly all adults now, yet they have maintained their youthful charm and energy. They still don’t take themselves too seriously. And as hard as they work, it still looks like they are playing. They still create warmth and joy, even though there is a more mature elegance about their act now.
Il Volo Fans Are the Best
I had the most wonderful seatmates in my row. Clara and her daughter Angela were to my right. Clara was born near Roma and has been in the US 60 years. She and her adult daughter my age spoke primarily Italian to each other, so I also switched to Italian. These ladies were “veterans,” having been to several Il Volo concerts in Radio City before this one. I loved hearing their Roman Italian, which is clean without any heavy regional accent.
To my left were Paul and Toni Conti (nee “Licalzi”). Toni joked that her maiden name means “socks.” That was pleasing to me because my son had a friend in Boy Scouts whose cognome (surname) name was “Scarpa”, which means “shoe.” Now, I’ve met a full set. The Contis are likewise veterans of at least four Il Volo shows. Toni also told me about their trip to their home region in Sicily. Her beautiful epilogue to the story was that after their visit, she and Paul finally understood “who they are” and “why they are the way they are.” That warmed my heart, because I had the same experience in the same place. The Il Volo Flight Crew were the first people to let me share those feelings when I wrote my first post for this web page a few years ago.
OK. One more set of neighbors. The couple sitting diagonally in front of me bore a remarkable resemblance to Ercole and Eleonora Ginoble, Gianluca’s parents. Take a look. What do you think?
If you said yes, you were right. Halfway through the show, Gianluca asked the orchestra to pause so he could say hello to his aunt and uncle, and his parents. Ercole eventually got up to take a stretch, but Gian’s proud Mamma kept recording one of his solos, as you can see. Piero later said Michele Torpedine was around somewhere too, but I didn’t spot him or the white hair. In concerts in Italy, I’ve heard Piero sometimes refer to Michele as Quello dai capelli bianchi, “He of the White Hair.”
Early in the show, Piero decided to tease some fans who came in late and were getting into their seats toward his left. He announced he was pleased that he, at least, was on time, and for the first time an Italian had to wait for the Americans. Gianluca also thought that was clever, as you can see.
I thought Piero was funnier later, when he said how honored Il Volo was to perform in the place where the “rockets” were. He didn’t mean the old Saturn V or the Titan missile or the SpaceX Starship. He meant the “Rockettes”, which became obvious when Ignazio started dancing an imitation of the Rockette strut kick.
On to the Music
I filled in a lot of gaps in my Il Volo concert experience. Because I had missed several years of performances, I never heard Il Volo’s version of the Sound of Silence or Gian’s version of Bridge Over Troubled Waters, both written by native New Yorker Paul Simon, or Zucchero Fornacieri’s Miserere. I have recordings of Phantom of the Opera, but Gian’s delivery of Music of the Night has greater heart and romance to it. Because I didn’t have time to travel during Il Volo’s first years of performing as teenagers, I never heard them do Funiculi, Funicula live, although I have their early recoding of it. On stage, they managed to turn this old Neapolitan folksong into a near “popera” masterpiece.
The guys introduced their guest, Cecile, who is helping to expand the repertoire of pop music sung as bel canto. She did an impressive interpretation of “Natural Woman,” made famous by Aretha Franklin, of course. What a voice, and I swear that Italian young lady got some soul. It was also sweet to hear her join the guys for E Piu Ti Penso. It’s a mark of Il Volo’s maturity as performers that they are comfortable sharing the stage with both newbies and old-timers. I knew they have been doing that regularly on Italian stages and on their albums (with Placido Domingo, Pia Toscano, Eros Ramazzotti, and any number of others), but I didn’t know they were doing it on US stages. It was fitting for them to feature a relative “newbie.” On the Radio City stage this night, they dedicated Charlie Chaplin’s Smile to honor Barbara Streisand, who once shared the stage with them in Las Vegas, when they were newbies themselves.
I did remember some antics in the show that came from previous concerts. Ignazio did his usual ticking off on his fingers the three counts as he extended the note in “Ma na’a’a’tu sole” in O Sole Mio. Piero, as you can see below, has his fist up to count the famous five (or more) he can do. As usual, they did this in pantomime without missing a beat.
The best way to explain the entire show in one sentence was that I was thunderstruck. There is no other word.
If you enjoy quality music, you know that “power” is not simply volume or clarity of sound. It is sincere emotion and love of the subject translated into intensity and throbbing virtuoso delivery. In their own way in this show, the guys musically narrated the story of bel canto, their professional passion, holding back nothing. Every song they performed, from the Ennio Morricone movie pieces, like Se, to Verdi’s La Donna e Mobile from Rigoletto, to the Neapolitan standby Torna a Sorriento, to Il Volo’s San Remo winner Grande Amore, was as energetic as always, but more elegant at the same time.
The repeated standing ovations throughout the evening said it better than I can. To put it another way, as I was leaving the theater, I looked around and had to smile as I noticed many people were showing each other how their hands were still shaking. It ended up being one of those nights when it’s hard to go to sleep.
Full Circle
I told you nice things always happen to me coming and going from hearing Il Volo. I stopped by a Messianic synagogue to attend services Saturday morning, before I went to LaGuardia Airport to catch il volo (the flight) home. I assumed Beth El (86th Street and Park Avenue) would be typical New York with American English-speaking people and maybe a few Yiddish-speaking or Sephardic Spanish-speaking people thrown in or maybe an Israeli or two. To my delight, the first two people I met who welcomed me in spoke Italian. (Half the articles in their congregation web site are in Italian, too). Go figure! So once again I reverted to my comfort zone and spent much of the morning jabbering in Italian (except of course when we were supposed to be praying or singing or dancing). Remarkably, when I told several folks I had flown across the country for an Il Volo concert, nobody looked at me like “You’re crazy.” or “Who are they?” They understood. It made a nice bookend to a “start-in-Italian, finish-in-Italian, speak Italian every day” kind of trip, and I never set foot outside the US.
She is truly a special and charismatic young woman, full of energy and good humor.
Our meeting took place in Milan in March, a day full of clouds and rain.
But before starting my story of the meeting, I want to take a few steps back, to 2021 when Milagros sent an email to Flight Crew and Jana, our administrator, forwarded it to me.
She had written a beautiful letter that I then immediately published on Flight Crew, where she told us how she had become a fan of Il Volo and what their music had meant to her.
For those who have not read that post, I will report it here.
So Milagros got into Harvard, very impressive, kudos to her.
But let’s get to the present day.
About a month ago, towards the end of February, Milagros sent another email to Flight Crew for me, here’s what she wrote:
“Hi there! I hope you are well and excited for Il Volo’s US tour!
I don’t think you’ll remember me—I only talk to Jana regularly—but a while ago, 3 years ago I think, I wrote to you to tell you my story with Il Volo, how listening to one of their songs inspired me to try to change my life and I ended up leaving Uruguay, my home country, and getting into Harvard on a full scholarship. Time flies…and I’m about to graduate! (writing this seems a bit crazy to me)
I’ve done a lot of things over the years; I traveled to 14 countries with my guide dog, giving talks around the world, advocating for disability at the United Nations in New York… and obviously well, now
I’m about to graduate and the truth is I feel that none of this would have happened if not for that second of inspiration at a time that – no joke – was one of the darkest of my life.
I decided to buy a ticket to go and see them in Boston as a graduation present for myself…and the meet and greet! I saved for years for this so I’m very excited but obviously I’m also nervous because I’m afraid that everything will go wrong, that it will only be 5 seconds, a photo and that’s it… and well, as I’m blind at the end of the day the photo doesn’t matter so much to me, I kind of feel like I’m coming full circle and thanking all the things that brought me here today and this is my way of doing it with them even though of course they would not care at all.
I just wanted to write to share this with you all- I continue to read the site very often, I love it because you always post translations of the interviews and since I can’t see subtitles it’s very useful to me! Thank you for everything you do.
Best, Mili.”
I immediately got in touch with Mili and she told me that she was thinking of coming to Italy for about ten days before the Boston concert and exactly that she was thinking of coming to Milan. What a nice surprise, Milan is an hour away by train from Brescia and so we agreed to meet in person in Milan, truly an unmissable opportunity!
So on the afternoon of Saturday, March 15, my husband and I took the train to Milan, we had agreed to meet in Piazza Duomo and exactly in front of a toy store.
Unfortunately the weather, which a week before had been splendid and warm, from the day before the meeting had become cold and rainy, but it didn’t matter.
Then there was the problem of the language, Milagros speaks Spanish and English, I speak Italian and a little English, but even that wasn’t an obstacle.
After a few minutes of visual search, the Piazza Duomo, despite the weather, was full of people, we knew that Mili had her trusty guide dog Indio with her, and finally I saw her, she was right on the other side of the intersection.
After greetings, we immediately felt in tune, she is truly a sunny girl, always smiling.
I thought that someone would accompany her to Piazza Duomo, but no, she was alone with her dog and she confided in me that she always travels alone with Indio. This was her first time in Italy and she came to Milan which is a chaotic city due to traffic and the amount of people.
While we were walking around Piazza Duomo she told me that she will graduate in May, and the gift she gave herself for her graduation was precisely the Il Volo concert.
She told me about her constant travels, she has been to 14 countries, to give conferences on disabilities, in fact I think that maybe Italy was the 15th country she visited.
As we crossed Piazza Duomo on our way to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II she told me that the night before she had been to Navigli, a characteristic place in Milan, full of lively youth life during the evenings, in short certainly not a calm place and she liked it a lot. This place, Navigli, was also featured in the video of Il Volo di Musica Che Resta.
So, chatting pleasantly, we crossed the Gallery and I even had her step on the famous “bull’s balls” to wish her luck.
Milagros is on Facebook and Instagram and if you Google: MILAGROS COSTABEL, you will see how many interviews she has given to prestigious newspapers that have covered her and her lifestyle, such as: BBC, CNN, IL Corriere della Sera, El Observador, Model View Culture etc.
And so we arrived on the other side of the Galleria to take a picture in front of the Teatro La Scala.
Milagros immediately spoke of Piero about his dream of singing an entire opera, perhaps at La Scala!
I think I also understood that her favorite of the three is Piero!
We would have walked to the Castello di Milano if the weather had been more stable, but instead we walked back through the Galleria and then went to a coffee bar and sat down to talk comfortably.
Mili told us about her family, about her mother who had called her the night before worried to know what country she was in. As a mother I understand these worries very well, but I must say that Milagros gave me the feeling of being a very strong and self-confident young woman.
She told me that she was born really small, only 750 grams (1.65 lbs.) and they had to give her oxygen which however took away her sight, so at two and a half months she was already blind.
Her family currently consists of her father, mother, her and a 14-year-old brother.
While we sipped our hot chocolate with cream, she told me that she saved up to be able to buy the ticket for the Il Volo concert in Boston and also the Meet & Greet, but everyone told her that the time at the M&G is very short while her, instead, would like to ask them questions and maybe write about this experience.
Of course we at Flight Crew have passed Mili’s story forward, so that the guys would know about it. Who knows if she will get a few minutes of Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio at her disposal, we will know soon because the Boston concert is coming up.
Of course, we at Flight Crew are waiting for the review of the concert dear Milagros and the impression that our dear guys made on you.
The afternoon hours passed very pleasantly and we returned home, bidding a fond farewell to Milagros.
For my part I must say that I met a very determined young woman, not at all intimidated by life’s events, a strong and courageous woman who will soon graduate.
Let’s cross our fingers that her dream of being able to speak with Il Volo can come true, we wish it with all our hearts Milagros, on the other hand, as the meaning of your name shows, miracles always happen.
A big hug from me and my husband, proud to have made your acquaintance, and of course from all Flight Crew!! ❤️
It was expected, we knew that at the end of 2024, and exactly at the end of November, Il Volo had also recorded this program, but it was not known when it would be published.
Finally a few days ago the announcement, Il Volo would be a guest on the last episode of the show hosted by Maria De Filippi: C’è Posta per te.
And I am here to give you my translation.
For those unfamiliar with the format, Maria chooses true stories that have been sent to her and tells them in the studio. In this case, she fulfills a daughter’s wish to give a thank-you gift to her parents for their support during a terrible illness.
MARIA= This is the story of a gift, let’s start with a video.
(A video starts from the direction that summarizes some moments of Il Volo’s career. While the song Who Wants To Live Forever is heard, the following text appears on the video:
“Even the most distant characters, if they share ideals and passions, can navigate together, creating an indissoluble bond……this is: Il Volo. Over 20 million copies sold worldwide.”)
GIANLUCA’S VOICE in video= We have always been performers but we have a message to send, we want to build our own repertoire, really understand who we are and Capolavoro is the beginning of this new project.
(On the video, the images of the Verona Arena full of people and the written words superimposed: 17 platinum records, 11 gold records, for over 15 years they have been singing on the most prestigious stages in the world.)
In each group there is a scale that maintains a balance. Piero and I are on the right and the left, the opposite poles.
IGNAZIO’S VOICE in the video = I am Mattarella (he is our President of Italy who must always maintain the balance. Laughter)
(The writings continue on the video: Four concert events at the Verona Arena. Record TV ratings. A world tour with 150 dates.)
MARIA = Il Volo!!
(Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio make their entrance amidst applause, elegant and dressed in dark suits and dark shirts, hugs and kisses to Maria.)
PIERO = But thank you! Good evening
IGNAZIO = Hello everyone, good evening. Are you all right?
GIANLUCA = Hello Maria.
MARIA = I think you are very good!
PIERO= I put on a tie for you tonight (Ignazio and Gianluca don’t have a tie).
MARIA= (to Ignazio) How is your wife?
IGNAZIO= She’s fine, we’re happy.
GIANLUCA= Look how much more cheerful he is now.
PIERO= For those who don’t know, he just got married.
IGNAZIO= We’re trying to give life to a new Boschettino (a son), let’s see if he’ll be born directly with a goatee!!
MARIA= Sit down over there.
(Maria makes them sit on a long sofa.)
I’ll let Millie in. (It’s the woman who sent the letter to Maria, Millie enters, a beautiful young woman.)
MILLIE= Hi Maria.
MARIA= Come in among them (among the boys)
PIERO= Come on, come on.
(Millie and Il Volo have already met and gotten to know each other backstage. Millie isundecided about where to sit and then sits between Ignazio and Piero.)
MILLIE= I stand here.
IGNAZIO= Ok.
(applause)
MARIA= Millie told me:
“I want to come to C’è Posta PerTe (You’ve Got Mail) for my parents. My parents gave me life twice and if it’s true that you can be reborn, I would like to be reborn in the same exact family, to have mom as mom and dad as dad.”
(At this point Maria reads a summary of Millie’s story)
It’s August 2022, she’s in Germany, she’s married, she’s there with her husband and her son has just been born.
She’s so tired, she can never recover and she keeps losing weight. At first she thinks it’s due to the birth and then she realizes that something is wrong. (Gianluca squeezes Millie’s hand).
She goes to the hospital and they give her the diagnosis, it’s in a foreign language, but she understands perfectly that she has a very large tumor.
She goes into a total panic and says: “I need mommy”.
She calls her mother, tells her what’s wrong and tells her that she’s coming to Italy.
She and her husband pack their bags and together with the little one go back to Puglia to mommy and daddy.
Her mother takes her to the hospital in Bari, the doctor tells her that she can’t have surgery, given the extent of the tumor. Her mother doesn’t lose heart, she changes hospital and changes doctor.
In the meantime Millie becomes more and more discouraged and decides to write four letters, one she writes to her son and it was the most difficult farewell letter because she apologized to her son for having to leave him perhaps alone, then she wrote one to her husband, one to her mother and one to her father. (Ignazio puts his hand on Millie’s shoulder).
Millie told me that she put the letters in a drawer and doesn’t know if her mother has read them, but one day her mother gets angry and yells at her that she has to react, she tells her that she has to look forward and that she has to do it for her son.
That sentence was very important to her because she started to believe that she could still live and so she started to fight.
She tore up the letters and started chemotherapy, her father accompanied her to do it, while her mother was always with her little one.
Millie told me: “I’ll do chemotherapy and shortly after we’ll go and see if the tumor has shrunk so that I can have surgery.”
But when they went for the check-up nothing had changed, at that point Millie was very discouraged, she didn’t understand anything anymore and she started to get angry with everyone, especially with her father, Millie told me that she treated him badly, and she wanted to apologize for this. In the evening her father often appeared at the door of Millie’s room and asked her if she was sleeping and she answered in a bad and arrogant way: “If you ask me it’s difficult for me to sleep.”
Millie did a year and a half of therapy and after this year and a half it was possible to have the surgery and everything was resolved. (applause)
Millie understands that everything is fine when after the operation she opens her eyes and sees her father and after a while she sees her father hugging the doctor.
She then returned to live in Germany with her husband and her son. She told me that there is no moment in which she does not think of saying THANK YOU to her parents and also SORRY for how she sometimes treated them.
Her parents are crazy about you (Il Volo), they always listen to you, every time you are on television they are there in front and so you are perfect!
And now let’s see the moment of the mail delivery! (applause)
(The format requires a postman to deliver an envelope to the recipient with an invitation to the show C’è Posta Per Te –You’ve Got Mail.)
In front of the sofa where Piero, Millie, Ignazio and Gianluca are sitting, there is a high dividing wall in the shape of a large envelope that opens at this point, there is a monitor on which a video starts where there is a postman.
POSTMAN = Hi Maria, we are in Manduria in the province of Taranto (they are cities in Puglia) to go and deliver your invitations to Mrs. Rosaria and Mr. Vincenzo. I’m going to look for them. (He leaves on his bicycle and some parts of the city of Manduria are seen on video. He arrives at Millie’s parents’ house who open the door to the house.)
Good evening, I’m looking for Mrs. Rosaria and Mr. Vincenzo.
ROSARIA = Yes, it’s me, nice to meet you.
VINCENZO = Nice to meet you.
POSTMAN= Nice to meet you (they shake hands).
Mrs. Rosaria, I know that you were born in July and I know that you graduated from the Lecce music conservatory. (These are simple questions to ascertain the identity of the person.)
ROSARIA= Yes.
POSTMAN= Instead, I know that Vincenzo was born in November and I know that you have been married for over thirty years.
VINCENZO= Yes, thirty-six.
POSTMAN= Congratulations. I officially deliver the invitations to you on behalf of Mrs. Maria De Filippi.
For Rosaria….(he delivers the invitation envelope).
ROSARIA= Thank you.
POSTMAN= For Vincenzo.
VINCENZO= Thank you!
POSTMAN= Do you know the program? So….(The recipients must give an answer……)
VINCENZO+ROSARIA= C’è Posta per te! (You’ve Got Mail) applause
MARIA= So, you stand there. (She indicates to Il Volo to get up and hide in the corner of the dividing wall. The wall has a monitor that can be seen from both sides of the wall. On one side is Millie and on the other side will sit Millie’s parents, but they do not see Il Volo. Applause.)
Are you okay? (Maria asks Millie)
MILLIE= Yes, yes, thank you!
MARIA= Giovanni (he’s the postman), have Mr. Vincenzo and Mrs. Rosaria accepted the invitation?
POSTMAN= Yes Maria, Mr. Vincenzo and Mrs. Rosaria have accepted the invitation and are here with us. You’re welcome! (Millie’s parents enter the studio, unaware of the whole surprise. Applause.)
ROSARIA= Hello Maria.
VINCENZO= Nice to meet you and thank you for everything. (They shake hands.)
MARIA= Nice to meet you, thank you! Have a seat. (They sit on the sofa on the opposite side of the dividing wall, which on their side is also shaped like a large envelope that is closed at this moment.)
Is everything okay? Are you nervous?
ROSARIA= A little nervous.
MARIA= Okay. We’ll see who’s sending you a call in a little while, then you watch and tell me if you want to listen. Is that okay? He (Vincenzo) is more nervous than you!
VINCENZO= No.
MARIA= Ok, let’s open it!
(The format requires that the envelope on the wall opens and the recipients see who sent them the invitation and can accept and let them speak or close the envelope and refuse. Applause.)
(Rosaria and Vincenzo see their daughter on the monitor and smile.)
MARIA= Has the nervousness passed a little? Can I let her speak?
ROSARIA+VINCENZO= Yes, yes.
MARIA= Go Millie!
MILLIE= Thank you. If by some absurd chance in another time or in another life they gave me the chance to choose my parents, I would always choose you two, always! (applause).
You are not just my parents, my mom and dad, but you are my heroes, because you gave me life and saved it over and over again, always with the strength of your love and I will never be grateful enough for this, just as I will never be grateful enough to the fate that brought you together, because if you are my parents, I owe it to your love story that began just like this.
(A group of children enters playing like a marching band. Two children hang two trumpets and a big heart on a wire high in the studio. The children leave the studio.)
MARIA= (She reads a very long letter with Millie’s words.) Blessed be the marching band of the city of Manduria. If you met and then fell in love, in fact, it is thanks to your passion for music and the fact that you found yourself playing side by side in our town band.
It must be said that at the beginning the more smitten one of the two was definitely dad, because mom was so focused on music, studying at the conservatory and her independence, that she didn’t think about love.
Blessed dad’s stubbornness, because it is thanks to his tenacity that two years after you met you got engaged. Dad was 19 and mom was only 15, but you, dad, were so convinced that she was the woman of your life that even then you brought her flowers for Mother’s Day and if someone asked you: “Why?”
You answered with conviction: “Because one day she will be the mother of my children”, in short you were moving forward.
And you were right, because step by step, your love took you to the altar and a year later I arrived.
Suddenly your life was full of everything you could wish for and your future was a wonderful descent towards happiness. Instead suddenly everything became a terrible mountain to climb that you, fortunately, never gave up on, not even for a moment.
(A piece of music begins, children enter carrying several blocks that look like pointed mountains. The children leave and leave the mountains in the study.)
You were young and inexperienced, suddenly you found yourself having to climb mountains after mountains without a guide to show you the path, without means, and with the weight of this daughter on your shoulders. I really don’t know how you did it, but you understood before the doctors that something was wrong with me, that the fever wasn’t a simple flu, but something more serious. When they told you that the only way to save my life was to take me to the hospital in the north (northern Italy), you didn’t lose heart and with the little money you had in your pocket, we set out in search of the best cure. That was the first time that, from simple parents who were sometimes inexperienced, you transformed yourselves into heroes, my heroes, capable of giving me life a second time. When everything was resolved, dad gave me a teddy bear, my Babbù, who has been with me ever since, reminding me of all the times I hold him close to my heart, that time you took me on your shoulders, climbed the mountains and carried me to safety.
(A music starts and a child enters and gives Millie’s parents a nice teddy bear.)
I can only imagine the sacrifices you made for me, sometimes I heard my mother say that those first years, at our house, were the time of soup and soufflés, because they were cheap and easily filling, but then she added that we were happy anyway as long as I was well.
I was doing very well, so much so that when you asked me if I wanted a little brother or sister, my answer was always the same: “Neither”, I was fine like that, perhaps I was afraid of losing my “state of grace”, but I didn’t know instead, that I would be even better with the arrival of my beloved brothers, Sabrina and Gregorio.
Our life was beautiful, made up of simple but for us extraordinary things, Sunday lunches, Christmas with relatives, holidays at Gardaland or Mirabilandia (two Italian amusement parks), all done to make us children happy.
We were so happy that, I assure you, packing my bags to move to Germany was one of the hardest things in my life. I missed everything, even things that may seem silly, like the smell of Mom’s fried eggplants or car trips with Dad spent chatting about everything that came to mind. My heart feels so empty that I never imagined that shortly thereafter it would burst with love for my husband and then for our beautiful baby Aleandro.
When he was born, everything seemed perfect to me, and I knew it would be even better when I came to Italy to introduce you to him.
What I didn’t know was that the weakness I carried inside me hid something that is hard to even pronounce. I was 32 years old, with a baby of a few months and a diagnosis that plunged me into the worst of nightmares.
That day in the doctor’s room I felt desperate, as if on the edge of a precipice, I didn’t think about it for a second and said: “I want to go to Mom and Dad, because my heart knew that if I hadn’t had you two by my side, I wouldn’t have saved myself from that precipice. (Applause.)
(A song begins and the children enter and hang three large IFs on the wire suspended high above the studio.)
IF I am here, IF I still have a life ahead of me, IF I can still watch my son smile, it is only thanks to you who with love and obstinacy have transformed the many IFs that make up my story, into the most beautiful of words: FUTURE.
If I had not decided to return to Puglia to have you by my side, I certainly would not have found the right treatments, the ones that ignited hope, even when hope seemed to be non-existent. You never gave up even when the first doctor I consulted told you that my chances of making it were very slim. I only learned this later, because you preferred not to tell me those words, and while you were taking on all that suffering on your own, you continued to look for a doctor who would decide to fight for me and you found a doctor who did not hide from us how serious the situation was but gave us a chance and you clung to that chance.
I was still so desperate that I started writing goodbye letters, one for you, one for my husband and one, the most difficult one for my child, in which I apologized for leaving him without his mother.
I don’t know if you, mother, found those letters, or if you understood that I was letting myself go, the fact is that one day you hugged me and angrily told me: “I know what you’re doing, you’re letting yourself go without thinking about your son and how much he needs you.”
Here’s another IF in this story, because mother, if that day you hadn’t taken me “hard on”, I would have slipped away from my own life. That day I understood that I had to fight for my son, just like you and dad were doing for me. From that moment I started to believe, I tore up those letters and I also started to hope and if I managed to grab my life in my hands, it’s only thanks to your love.
(A piece of music begins and the children enter and place lots of big red hearts on the blocks representing the mountains. Applause)
With your love, not only did you give me back my life again and again, but you also took care of my baby, whom you raised and cuddled more like parents than grandparents.
For months, when the therapies were really hard and I couldn’t even pick him up, you were my arms, my legs, my hands. When it was bath time, it was mommy who held him in the tub, mommy was always there to feed him and change his diaper, while you, dad, even if you came home tired from work, spent hours holding him by the little hands while he dared to take his first steps. You were truly fantastic with my baby, while I, on the other hand, was intractable, unfair, I took it out on you for everything, especially you, dad, who are the kindest person in the world and certainly didn’t deserve my outbursts, like when I woke up at night, I saw you at the door checking if I was okay. Of all my tantrums you never scolded me, on the contrary you justified me and moved on, I’m sorry dad and tonight I would like you to accept my apologies for all the times I hurt you with my words and for the pain you had to endure, because if there’s one thing I can’t forgive myself for it’s having hurt your heart so much.
(The music starts and two children carry a large bandaged heart that they hang high up in the studio. Applause.)
My illness and the months spent at my side have marked your soul but also your heart, especially your dad, no one can take it out of my head that if your heart got sick it was because of all the pain of all the worries I gave you and I will never stop feeling guilty about this.
When I finally got better and Aleandro and I returned to Germany, I understood how much you were afraid for me, because maybe you thought that if I felt sick you wouldn’t be by my side to take care of me. I’m sorry dad, I’m sorry for all the weight that you were forced to carry on your shoulders in these years.
But now the time has come to let go of the sorrows and worries because you will see that with a little luck for you and mom there will be no more mountains to climb but only happiness, joy and lots and lots of music, just like when you were young and played in the town band.
And since you may be a little rusty now when it comes to music, I asked three guys who are experts in the field to come over tonight and give you some lessons.
Look at the stairs in front of you because those three guys are about to hug you.
(The song Musica Che Resta starts and Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca finally appear on the stairs. The faces of Millie’s parents are excited. Millie and her parents send each other kisses. Il Volo descends the stairs amid applause.)
PIERO= Here we are. (Hugs and kisses between Il Volo and Millie’s parents.)
GIANLUCA= Hello.
IGNAZIO= Nice to meet you.
ROSARIA= Hello Piero, Gianluca, Ignazio.
VINCENZO= My wife knows you all very well.
PIERO= Can I sit next to your wife?
IGNAZIO= In whose arms should I sit? (laughter – they sit in this order: Ignazio, Piero, Rosaria, Vincenzo and Gianluca.)
You have a truly spectacular daughter, we had a little chat with her and you can tell she’s one of those daughters who is very proud of her parents, as we are a little, because for us family has always been a cornerstone of our career and of our life together as the three of us. From what we’ve heard of your story and from what Millie told us, you really are the concept of family, the concept of parents, the perfect example. (Applause.)
VINCENZO= Thank you!
GIANLUCA= If I may add, this story has taught us all that we watch and “C’è posta per te” is a special program precisely for this reason, because it reminds us in its precariousness of how precious life is, how happiness teaches us lightheartedness, but also pain teaches us life (applause), and how important health is, while we persist in chasing material goods and how this miracle of living, family, affection, giving love and receiving love, are truly the most important things in life.
So thank you for this, because you remind us all of it with your strength and we hope to have been close to you a little with our music in difficult moments. (Applause.)
VINCENZO = Thank you, yes, yes.
ROSARIA = Always, thank you to all three of you.
PIERO = (to Vincenzo) I know you cheered so much when we won Sanremo, someone told us.
VINCENZO= We have been following you since you were kids.
IGNAZIO= Piero also cheered on stage.
PIERO= As far as I’m concerned, being parents is difficult, you have a big task, that of showing us education, but at a certain point in life you have to let us fly, you have to let us go away to pursue our vocation, to pursue our dreams, but the most important thing for us and Millie is the demonstration, it is knowing inside us that we have a “safe harbor”, in any turbulence of life we know where to go and you have been very good at this. (Applause.)
IGNAZIO= And then Maria, I don’t know if you know that Piero and I sometimes text each other and I ask him what he’s doing and he says to me: “I’m looking at Maria, I’m crying, we’ll talk later.” (Because Maria’s stories are always touching. Laughter.) Really! I’m not exaggerating.
VINCENZO= Will you pass him the tissues?
IGNAZIO= Yes, yes!
GIANLUCA= But I have a little thought if I may. (He has a small jewelry box in his hand.) This is for you.
PIERO= This is for her (Rosaria).
GIANLUCA= I meant that he’s not the only one.
PIERO= Explain better.
So, (he opens the box) this is a necklace……
GIANLUCA= I was doing it!!
PIERO= You keep the box. (Piero puts on the long chain that has a violin key pendant with a diamond.) Here is the diamond, here. (applause)
ROSARIA = Thank you.
PIERO = (to Ignazio) And you?
IGNAZIO = I have the little present I’m going to get it. So, since I know that music unites us……where do I go? (He pushes a cart with the gifts on it.)
Music unites us and so I know that you also have a grandson (he is holding a small toy trumpet) and so what better way to start introducing him to music and here in front (in the wide part of the trumpet, there is a cap) underneath there will be written a sum of money that we want you to have to go to Germany whenever you want to go to Millie. (Applause.)
Here is the sum, if you turn it over you can read it in private and this is yours.
ROSARIA + VINCENZO = Thank you! (Applause.)
PIERO= You met in a musical context, I know you were in the town band and you were lucky that you chose each other, the three of us didn’t choose each other, they put us together (laughter) this is the difference between us and you. (Applause.)
IGNAZIO= Did you hear that it was a difficult choice?
ROSARIA= But it was an excellent choice.
PIERO= Who, him? (Vincenzo)
ROSARIA= No, you three…..
PIERO= Of course not? (Everyone laughs because Rosaria had answered thinking of Il Volo and not her husband.)
ROSARIA= Him, yes, but you three, excellent choice and never let go of each other’s hands!
PIERO= No! You know, before going on stage, but even here before entering the studio, the last thing we do before going on stage is this (Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca shake hands together, an affectionate and superstitious gesture that they always do. Applause.)
ROSARIA= Here, well done!
PIERO= Before going on stage and doing the concerts and to stay on the topic of concerts, he gave the gift (Gianluca), he gave the gift (Ignazio) now my gift, the most beautiful one. (He takes two passes from inside his jacket.) So, here are two passes for our concerts….(Aapplause.)
ROSARIA= Wow!!!
PIERO= You only have to do one thing, decide the city and the concert you want to attend, you are always our guests.
GIANLUCA= Even in Australia if you want. (Applause.)
MARIA= Ok, Millie it’s your turn.
MILLIE= Mom and Dad, before opening this envelope (she intends to remove the big envelope-wall that separates them), I need to make you a promise, something that is very important to me.
I want to promise you that I will start my studies again, I will get a second degree, (applause) to be able to start a career that will make you proud of me.
ROSARIA= But we already are. (Applause.)
MILLIE= But in exchange I need you two to make me two very important promises.
The first is for Dad: Dad you have to stop turning on the sports channel when Aleandro is watching cartoons (laughter).
The second one is for Mom, this one is also very important: Mom, please don’t do it again, don’t break the spaghetti before cooking it because it’s sacrilege! (laughter – Ignazio’s horrified face is beautiful.)
MARIA= So promises made, I’ll remove the wall! (the music starts, the envelope-wall slides back and finally the parents and Il Volo meet and hug with Millie.)
MARIA= (to Vincenzo) Nice to meet you.
VINCENZO= Thanks for everything.
IGNAZIO= I like hugs if you give me another one….laughter.
MARIA= (she kisses the boys) Il Volo!!
Backstage at the show, Witty TV gave Il Volo an envelope containing some photos and Il Volo had to remember those moments.
WITTY= Let’s browse through the memory album with the guys from Il Volo and retrace some of the moments that have marked their lives.
PIERO= Should we open the envelope?
PHOTO 1: Gianluca Piero and Ignazio sitting for an instore, really young.
GIANLUCA= This was in Rome, it was our first book signing ever, there were 23 people.
PIERO= What do you mean 23 people?
IGNAZIO= With our relatives.
GIANLUCA= Yes, with the relatives there were 23 people.
PHOTO 2: Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio sitting at the back of a motorboat in Venice, all three dressed in black trousers, white shirt, black vest and bow tie.
PIERO= Ah this is beautiful. Venice 2021 and we also put this photo on the cover of our latest book.
PHOTO 3: Piero at the marathon.
PIERO= Oh how beautiful, this is the New York marathon, 2023, last year (this video was recorded in November 2024). I trained for a year for this marathon and I’ll tell you something else, we were in Greece in Athens and Ignazio says to me: “If you place under 25 thousand I’ll buy you dinner.” I placed at 19 thousand and he still has to buy me dinner.
PHOTO 4: Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio smiling and very young.
GIANLUCA= Here we were in Germany during the promotion of our first album in Europe. We were 16, Piero maybe 17.
PIERO= No, maybe we were 20.
GIANLUCA= No, here it was 2011, we’ve known each other for a long time, eh.
PHOTO 5: Ignazio sitting on an armchair and Michelle in a white lace dress dries his hair.
PIERO= This is what Ignazio comments on.
GIANLUCA= What is it, let me see?
IGNAZIO= It was a few hours before the civil wedding.
PHOTO 6: Gianluca and Ernesto very young, both on a carousel horse.
GIANLUCA= This is my brother Ernesto, the most important person.
PIERO= More important than us?
GIANLUCA= Yes, come on, just a little!
PHOTO 7: All three with the orange shirt.
PIERO= Oh this is nice, here we were in Canada, wait what was that place called?
IGNAZIO= We were in Vancouver if I’m not mistaken.
PIERO= In Vancouver and they gave us these shirts, because there in the arenas instead of basketball they play hockey on the ice.
PHOTO 8: Victory at Sanremo 2015.
IGNAZIO= And then, last photo, Sanremo.
GIANLUCA= The victory at the Festival with Grande Amore and that was also one of the most important moments of our career.
I won’t deny that a few tears fell from my eyes while I was translating this long and moving story of Millie and her parents.
The words expressed by Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero are beautiful, as always they demonstrate their maturity and their beautiful feelings.
The gifts they gave to this family are very beautiful.
The series of photos from Il Volo with their comments is nice.
This time I also described many details to help those who don’t have the opportunity to see what happens.
Write to me your opinions on this beautiful story.
Daniela🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
