All posts by mariecrider

I am happily retired. As a career I found myself in the business end of education. Spent most of my working life researching, developing and implementing a broad spectrum of local, state and national education programs. Other than some travel, my focus now is Il Volo and the Flight Crew. How lucky am I to have found such joy? I'm having the time of my life! Oh, and I'll be a vegetarian when bacon grows on trees.
Flashback

REMEMBER?

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I know, now you need to hear them sing some more. Here’s what they sounded like in 2011.  You may have heard this song once or twice.  
By the way, take note of how many hits this video has garnered.  That’s right, over 30 MILLION! 

FYI, their Grande Amore Video has been viewed 86,744,137 times.  How’s that for three young guys from small Italian villages?

Have a great week-end all!

P.S.  update on the kid with the curls.

Our Stories

Detroit…Late ~ Marie

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File this under, “better late than never”, but here is my story of the Detroit concert.  Everyone has described the season so well that my description will be pretty much the same…from breathtaking to heart-wrenching but here goes…

Instead of going to Florida this season to stay with Leelee and on to other spots sunnier than Ohio in winter, Leelee came to me for a fun week and to drive the 5 hours to Detroit and back. We checked in to our room, went downstairs and lo and behold!!  Guess who was staying at the same hotel?  What a surprise!  The Il Volo team!  Sitting in the lobby was Alessandra (what a doll), Elenora (another doll), our three young singers and a few more members of the team.  While we really do love running into them we really don’t want to be a nuisance.  We said a brief hello to each one of them.  They were very receptive.  Gianluca immediately jumped up and grabbed both of my hands.  He’s such a sweetie.  I asked him if at the meet and greet he would sign a photo his Nonno gave to me when I was in Montepagano.  He said he would.  Just basic hello’s all around and we left.

On our way to our room after dinner we once again saw the team.  They were trying to exit the lobby.  Their exit was hindered by an overly enthusiastic fan.  Noticing their escape attempt, we exchanged nods and smiles with them from across the hall.

The next day, the day of the concert, we had dinner with Rose Marie Paliobeis and Rosemarie.

This is a lovely empty box.

It wasn’t always a lovely empty box.  It was once a lovely box filled with delicious homemade Baklava.  Thank you, Rose Marie.  I can’t remember what happened to the Baklava.

While I’m in the thanking mode Thank You Jana, my adopted daughter, for booking us the most wonderful seats in the theater (and the sweet little gift).

Before, during and after the concert I was privileged to speak with a bunch of really neat people besides Rose Marie and Rosemarie, Betty Young (bubba), Sandi Eyman, Loretta, Lisa Joy, Gary Instok, Ginny, Chris Gapski, Bradley, Sharon, Stephen, and Katrina Angelus. I know there were others, but I’m pretty proud I remembered as many as I just did.

If you purchased a meet and greet these were your gifts:

An Il Volo Tote bag, I.V. mints, An I.V. deck of cards, a soft furry black carrying bag and of course, our VIP id.

The concert…

March 16, 2017 will be a date I’ll remember.  It was the day I switched from tolerating opera to loving it! There I was, front row left.  If I was any closer I would have sat on Gianluca’s foot. (Yay, Jana!)  Those Boys were smokin’ hot!  In both voice and appearance. But…you know that. You either saw and heard it for yourself or read it many times right here.

You think you’ll remember just how good they are, but no matter how many concerts you attend, you’ll always be surprised and blown away once again.  To say that I was moved by their performance would be a great understatement!

You all know, of course, that I am the very wrong person to write this.  The wrong one to tell you how absolutely wonderful they were.  So please take what I write with a grain of salt.  I am under some kind of magic spell.  I may not know the truth.  There is no objectivity in me.  Logic tells me they cannot be what I think them to be.  No one can possibly be what I think THEM to be.  Not only because most of my bucket list desires begin with words like Il Volo, Gianluca, Ignazio or Piero, but because my dreams aren’t even as good as seeing them live and in concert!  Weeping was in order.  I made it dry-eyed all the way to “Caruso”.

The Meet & Greet…

I had the opportunity to speak with Barbara before it was my turn to approach the guys. She said they indeed received our fruit and flowers and thanked us very much.

This time I practiced.  This time I will tell Ignazio about pizza with his sister, how lovely his home town is and that I spent some time with a friend of his.  If I remember, I will also tell him about staying in the same hotel he stays in when he goes to Naro.  He was the first one I came to.  I said, “hi”.  Couldn’t think of one other thing to say.  Couldn’t think of any words at all.  If I could only have remembered my name I would have at least introduced myself.  Damn!  I just stood there staring.  He has to think I am mildly retarded.  Maybe I am.  What’s wrong with me?  What am I… a crazed teenager?  Am I going to start screaming and tearing at my hair during the next concert?   So, once again, for about the 20th time, Ignazio met me for the first time and shook my hand.   *Sigh*   I moved on to Gianluca.  Gian’s greeting almost made me feel less stupid and a little less like I wanted to just be part of the scenery.  I said, “Hello Gianluca, I’m Mar…” He interrupted me with a big smile and said, “I know who you are.”  Yay!   We talked for a minute then he signed that photo his Nonno gave me.

Yes..I know it’s beautiful!

I was still speaking with Gianluca when my friend Piero gave me a shoulder massage. While I was pulling up my sleeves in abject bliss, (looking quite smug I see), the photographer thought it was a good time to take my photo.  The massage curled my toes and my perfectly straight hair.  Here’s proof. 😉

After that I only spoke with Piero for a few moments and was shooed off by security.

Yeah, meet and greet is expensive.  If the next one costs a thousand dollars I will pay it with a smile on my face.  Because next time I’m speaking to Ignazio!  Yes I am!

~Marie

 

Il Volo

Listen-up Gentlemen ~ Daniela

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A couple of days ago I read this post from Volocomio, which is really fun, I’ll translate.

 

REASONS TO CHOOSE AN ILVOLOVER AS A GIRLFRIEND:

1 = Because if you always wanted to visit Italy, she will take you to many wonderful places each year (coincidentally will be the location of the concerts, but do not look at these details, the important thing is to travel).

2 = Never worry about birthday, Christmas or anniversary gifts. There will always be a CD, a DVD, a book, a deluxe version of IL VOLO  that will add to her collection.

3 = If in the morning you really don’t want to dress decently, you have many pictures of Piero to use: treasure when he puts them, I can do it as well, no?

4 = If you make a joke and even your dog stops wagging his tail and change masters, you can always say, “I heard it from Ignazio”.

5 = If she will tell you that you are too much on the phone , you can say, you do not ever come off the phone because you do not miss even one of the stories of Gianluca.

6 = She will not remember what you said last night.  You can always be certain, however, that she will remember word for word the last video made by IL VOLO.

IN SHORT, DEAR MAN WHO IS READING THIS, REMEMBER THAT IT IS NOT IMPORTANT THAT SHE IS  EITHER FROM NORTH OR SOUTH, EAST OR WEST, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT SHE IS AN ILVOLOVER!!!

~Daniela

Daniela, I added this picture of our favorite Italian IlVolover, You! ~Marie

 

General news, Il Volo

Edgar Cortazar…Speechless ~ Daniela

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Hello Everyone,

Perhaps you’ve already seen this message EDGAR CORTAZAR wrote MAS QUE AMOR.

These gestures make us realize how big they are, our kids, in this case Gianluca.

This has since posted Cortazar while in L.A.:

“I want to share with you that today I was speechless when one of the trio members with whom I shared so many recordings and experiences, since they were children, he found time to make me an unexpected phone call and invite me to one of the most important concerts of their careers, telling me that – thanks to songs in Spanish and English that I recorded for them – over seven years and more than 9 discs along with other composers – have achieved international success and today are presented alongside Placido Domingo at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Thanks Gian! Your humility is noteworthy! Thanks Il Volo!

It was a great honor to be part of your musical history with Mark Portmann.”

~Edgar Cortazar



Edgar Cortazar … a contemporary poet nominated three times al Latin Grammy, Latin Grammy winner 2006 as a composer of
Mexican Regional Song of the Year and winner of four awards during the BMI 2007, 2008 and 2009. 
More… https://twitter.com/EdgarCortazar1

~Daniela

Our Stories

Gina’s Long Distance Adventure!!!

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THEY CROSSED MY PATH
AND
THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME

 

“It’s finally here. Mom is so excited!!!”

These were the words of my daughter Kim telling the Facebook family about my “Life with the boys”.

When this year’s US Tour was announced I checked the list of cities that Il Volo would be making and right away knew that they would not be coming back to the “Wild West”.
Two cities jumped out. New York and Radio City and Las Vegas. I had lived in Manhattan years ago. Years before the boys were born but always loved the memory. It just seemed so far away now. Vegas seemed closer to Waco so I just casually announced to my family that someone should take me there. I knew that Kim 8 had the most flexible work schedule and was used to “corralling” her mother thru the Airports. It was early so the idea sort of died until we got a call from my 81 year old sister in law in Lubbock. “I want to go. I want to go”. I knew that Jo had never heard of Il Volo so I kept saying “are you sure”? Well in the end she was talking about IL DIVO but insisted that she would love Il Volo and wanted to go. The trip came back to life.
We finally got the tickets, hotel and airline tickets. I WAS GOING ON MY LAST LONG DISTANCE ADVENTURE.

The time flew by and we were getting excited about this trip. ONE PHONE CALL put a damper on the trip. My sister in law JO died in her sleep. A few weeks later my husband fell and cracked the knee cap of his already bad leg. Then my son wound up in the emergency room with terribly high blood pressure. By this time I felt there was a sign that maybe I should stay home. Everyone told me to GO. I found a ‘baby sitter” for my husband and asked Myron to find someone that might enjoy the concert and use Jo’s ticket. He did and her name was Ronda.
A lovely lady that had not been a fan but I know she is now.

I will not bore you with the trip to Las Vegas. It is not easy for a 81 old lady with a daughter that was protective and always wanting to put me in a wheel chair.
I was using a cane and got some perks to get thru faster in the check in line. One person yelled at me “do you have metal, pacemaker or other artificial item” so I told him “no, I still have my own parts”. I did get to go thru some faster check in.

ARRIVED VEGAS. Took a taxi to Monte Carlo motel. MY FIRST trip to VEGAS. I was in shock to see the masses of people checking in and checking out. The hotel is under renovation but the PARK Theatre had already been redone. A taxi driver told us that once the hotel is completely renovated they will rename it to “Park”.
We arrived THURSDAY morning and walked three miles on the strip. Friday we went downtown to the old VEGAS on FREEMONT STREET. Another three miles. Kim has some device that counts your steps and converts into miles. TIRED is the magic word.
SATURDAY the day of the concert we did not leave the room till it was time to go to eat at d. Vino Italian Food and Wine Bar – Monte Carlo.

Myron had mentioned that it was right across the Park Theatre and a nice place for Il Volo fans to informally meet and have dinner. I turned over my extra ticket to a friend of Myron’s who later turned out to be Rhonda.
The Park Theatre has an unusual (to me) seating arrangement. We where slightly elevated after the “Orchestra” section and had a great view.
Finally the orchestra came out, played and THE BOYS APPEARED. So handsome, confident and professional. I saw them in Dallas on their last US Tour and they were boys and this Saturday to me they became grown men.
My Dallas concert was AN EXPERIENCE because it was my first time seeing them live. It takes a while to transfer your VIDEO images to LIVE so I had a special experience in Dallas. NOW I could sit back and just listen. Their voices changed so much. It is amazing how far they have come only in such a short time.
As soon as I get my house back in shape and get enough sleep I will get back on YOUTUBE and close my eyes and listen to the concert from Radio City.
They will always be “boys” to me but I am so proud of the grown young men.

~Gina