Tag Archives: Chicago

IL VOLO TOUR 2022: DETROIT, CLEVELAND, CHICAGO by Daniela

The IL VOLO tour in U.S. started very well, in a short time there have already been three concerts, but let’s go in order:

10 September: DETROIT

Some friends were there, and I can tell you it was great.
They donned their beautiful white suits and then finished off with their traditional blues.
I don’t want to dwell on this concert, because among the audience there was our JANA, who had an important task to do after the concert. She herself will  tell you in a post the concert and the meeting at the Meet & Greet.
We look forward to your review Jana !! 🤗
So I’ll just put some photos, also because the security didn’t allow to make videos at all. Here in Italy I have not had any limitations to videos, too bad.
Thank you Deborah Beaupre for the photos and for the video of ECSTASY OF GOLD!! 😘
Please click on the photo below to view the video.

Ecstasy of Gold link

       

Detroit is also famous for its cars, and the guys took the opportunity to get into some really beautiful cars.

The next stop is CLEVELAND, but 11 September is a date that no one forgets and our dear ones Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca dedicate the National Anthem in memory of so many missing people. ❤ 🇺🇸

12 September : CLEVELAND

This time the boys wore their blue suits from the beginning, I don’t want to be wrong, this is just my thought, but I think they did it out of respect as the day before was the anniversary of the disappearance of the Twin Towers.
Cleveland, like Detroit, welcomed Il Volo enthusiastically and Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio responded with love.

Rose Marie Paliobeis was present at the concert and wrote that during the concert the boys  asked all people to stand up, and sang the National Anthem a cappella in memory of September 11th. It was a very touching and emotional moment.
Pat and I looked for a long time for a video that had captured this beautiful moment and here it is, thanks Lisa Joy, you were also present at the concert, happy to be able to see Il Volo again after a long  time !!

 

In Cleveland there was also Judy Thurman with Beverly Olson. Read what a nice gesture Piero made.
Last night at the concert in Cleveland with Judy Thurman. Piero grabbed my phone to take a selfie, but his solo part in the song started, so he quickly snapped this. What love!

……. and Ignazio receiving a gift 😁
Please click on the photo below to view the video.

Ignazio, lady and teddy bear

O SOLE MIO!! Ignazio, you are always the same !!❤😁
Please click on the photo below to view the video.

 

Thank you Judy also for the beautiful photos.

And how nice this short piece of “SE”.
IL MONDO

September 13 CHICAGO

And now it’s Chicago’s turn.
Deborah Georgini Beaupre, Jeannette Giglio and Susan Tafanelli were also present at the Chicago concert, and they told me it was fantastic. ☺

This time Deborah managed to make several videos and many photos, thanks Deborah !!
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca started the concert with their white suits.
The audience was very enthusiastic.
From the videos, I could understand that there were other songs that they didn’t sing on the Italian tour, like this beautiful one:
“Would He Even Know Me Now” (MI CONOSCEREBBE ANCHE ADESSO)
Please click on the photo below to view the video.

Even the beautiful “NELLA FANTASIA” was not on the Italian tour, too bad!
FUNICULÌ FUNICULÀ

GRANDE AMORE and immediately we feel melancholy, because we know that the concert is over !!

Three wonderful concerts, but the tour continues, but where will they find the strength and in particular the voice to face everything in such a tight time frame?
The next stop is Indianapolis, which of you will be there ??
Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear beautiful voices.
Daniela
And finally, listen to these great interviews.

AND

Classical FM Interview – Click Here

Scroll down the page to where it says “Listen to the full conversation with Mark Wigmore, here:” You can click the play button to listen to the interview. THEN, if you would like to save the audio click on the three vertical dots at the end to the right of the little speaker button and then click download. 😄

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

IL VOLO WORLD TOUR: CHICAGO and ATLANTA by Daniela

February 15: CHICAGO

And here we are in CHICAGO, the theater is sold out !!

But how much emotion must Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca have, as they walk in this street in front of the theater where they will perform?

Chi 01

Chi 02

Once again, an incredible welcome for these young men.

Chi 03

Chi 04

 Impossible to get used to this affection by the audience.

Security increasingly forbids videos. 🙁

Fortunately, Deborah Georgini Beaupre was also at the concert, she made many beautiful photos, some short videos, but in particular she was present and her comments make us understand, what happened during the evening.
Thanks Deborah !! 😘

“This happens to the girl sitting right next to us during 🎶O sole mio🎶 Notice first Gianluca comes down and is singing to her, then after he goes back to the stage, Ignazio decides to sneak down to sing to her also!! Meanwhile…Piero needs to outdo both of them with his famous part of the song not far away from all this!! (Sorry the videos are very short.) The ragazzi were in rare form that night!! Gotta love them!!💖💖💖”

Chi 05

Chi 06

VOLARE

 

 

(Please click on each photo below to view at a larger size.)

GRANDE AMORE

VOLARE

Mix of songs:

In the backstage of the concert, a young and nice Italian actor Salvatore Esposito was also present. I will translate what he says in this video:

S = Igna, so Chicago is yours (by Il Volo)
I = Wait, the concert has yet to begin.
S = All sold-out, all Chicago is talking about you, come here Piero, come …

February 17: ATLANTA

And here they are in ATLANTA, it seems that security was less demanding here, better for us, these videos are beautiful!!

NESSUN DORMA

SMILE

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLE WATER / GRANDE AMORE

MAMMA

LIBIAM DE LIETI CALICI

(At the end of this video, you can see that Piero’s  microphone quits working and Ignazio reaches him with his, to help him finish the song. ❤️️🎤)

Final greetings

Without words ❤️❤️ 

“The Atlanta concert was incredible! In my wildest dreams, I never thought this would happen to me. Ignazio…Me…Grande Amore!”

 – Debbie Sanders Folds

 

ATL 01

ATL 02

And now, go, go to the sun 🌞, Florida and California are waiting for you.


The tour continues, good trip !!!
  


Daniela

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

IL VOLO in the US by Daniela

IL VOLO is in the United States!

After the photo shoot in New York, they flew to Miami.

Here is Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca at the South Florida PBS for the special recorded in Matera.

Let’s enjoy these short videos.

 

 

 

 

US 01

US 02

US 03

US 04

Then they were guests at the Despierta America television program . . .

 . . . where they received a beautiful cake for their 10 years.

US 05

But how beautiful they are! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

US 06

They also sang “GRANDE AMORE”.

 

And yesterday they were at the PBS in Chicago.

(Click on each photo to enlarge it.)

(Thanks Judy Paullin Thurman, for publishing these beautiful photos of Diane Laske Varsek and Christine Nelson)

And now, they’re already in Atlanta!! 😁

US 18

And what about this beautiful rediscovered friendship?

Thanks Richard Jay-Alexander for your post with these beautiful words. 😘

(He was the producer of the first special PBS We Are Love and also of other events.)

US 16

About Last Night ….
THE BOYS of IL VOLO are in town and we got to have a lovely dinner and catch up at Morton’s in North Miami. Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio are looking great and singing better than ever (LIVE) as they are now in their early to mid 20’s. I first learned of them and worked with them when they were teenagers. Also, their longtime road manager & friend, Barbara Vitali was with them and it was nice to catch up, reminisce and look to the future. They have now been together as a group for TEN YEARS and have a new PBS special that you should look for … IL VOLO: Ten Years. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS. I LOVE THESE GUYS and the foundation of our work and our friendship was rock solid, which is why we still stay in touch and see each other. Hey … BTW …. New York!!!! They’re playing RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL in February and are almost SOLD OUT … so get your TIX! They are the REAL DEAL!

US-17.png(Image made by Xinjie Wang)

Ok, will there be a next stop over Atlanta? We’ll see.

Moreover, many of you, will be seeing the Matera concert on television, write me your comments, for better or for worse.

Daniela

 

(Credit to owners of all photos and videos.)

Nutella Dreams Are Coming True!

image002

image004

On their Italian journey last year, our world travelers,  Jana and Lorna,  stopped by the little cafe in Montepagano and enjoyed Nutella crepes.  Little did they realize that soon Chicago would boast the first stand – alone permanent Nutella cafe!

But first a little history on where Nutella came from…

Pietro Ferrero, who owned a bakery in Alba, Piedmont, an area known for the production of hazelnuts, sold an initial batch of 300 kilograms (660 lb) of “Pasta Gianduja” in 1946. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.[3] Ferrero instead used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the limited chocolate supply. This product, called “Pasta Gianduja” was originally sold as a solid block, but Ferrero started to sell a creamy version in 1951 as “Supercrema”.[4]

In 1963, Ferrero’s son Michele Ferrero revamped Supercrema with the intention of marketing it throughout Europe. Its composition was modified and it was renamed “Nutella”. The first jar of Nutella left the factory in Alba on 20 April 1964. The product was an instant success and remains widely popular.[5]

And now fast forward to May 31, 2017…

America’s first Nutella cafe opens!

o

o

People enter the cafe through a door shaped like a Nutella jar, which also includes pendants shaped like hazelnut flowers and a ceiling designed to remind customers of Nutella waves.

The 2nd floor of the cafe features a fireplace.

Their menu goes beyond sweet stuff with savory sandwiches and salads made with the hazelnut spread, including panini with speck ham from the same Italian region where the spread originated.

Nutella has held cafe pop-ups across the country but nothing permanent like this new one in Chicago.  Chicago is well known for it’s flourishing food scene, so it was a top choice for the Windy City to be home to the first cafe.

o

o

oo

o

o

So next time the guys are back in the U.S.A. those of you in Chicago,  be on the look out for a famous Italian singer who just happens to love Nutella.

tumblr_nttb1ey2KJ1rovnu1o1_400

18836000_485312505153758_7530036965410919030_n

You just never know who you  may run into at this very cafe!!

Nutella Cafe, 189 N. Michigan Ave., (312) 729-5186, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For those of you from out of town, if you take the train, the Nutella Café is just a little over a mile from Union Station and about a 30 minute walk.  If you walk, then you won’t feel too guilty about eating there!  🙂

Buon appetito!

Photo and story credits to Eater Chicago, Wikipedia and Facebook.

~~Jane~~

 

Notte Magica – Chicago, March 18 – 1st Time! ~ Pat Ward

nottemagica-header

 

MY FIRST IL VOLO CONCERT

Chicago, Illinois – March 18, 2017

On Friday, the day before the concert, we walked a block from our hotel to the Civic Opera House to get some pictures in the daylight. What an impressive building! I was surprised to see no marquee or even a sign mentioning the IL VOLO concert the next evening.Picture11

Saturday evening we arrived at the Civic Opera House just before the doors opened. After we went in and got our VIP tags and bags, I walked into that grand hall. I did exactly what someone on the blog (I think it might have been Marie) recommended we do – I stopped and looked and took it all in. I did the same thing when we entered the theatre. It was glorious! We walked down the red carpeted aisle to our front row seats on the right side of the stage. I turned around and looked at the whole theatre and the balconies. It was a beautiful space!

I hadn’t even sat down before two very nice ladies came up and asked for one of the wristbands I had made to share at this concert. Before the show started I gave some more Picture5out to those around me and finally grabbed a handful and sent them down the front row. It was so much fun!

For some reason we were told immediately after taking our seats that no photos or videos were allowed! I was shocked! I heard some say that it was by request of IL VOLO. Why? I had seen photos and videos from the preceding shows. How could my luck as a first time IL VOLO concert attendee be so bad? Me, being the rebel I am, took discreet photos and videos until they told me to quit about 2/3 of the way thru the concert.

I was in heaven when the boys stepped onto the stage. I couldn’t believe I was really there! Picture9Their voices and the music just took me away to that “other place”. I didn’t know anyonePicture10 else existed at that point. After Nessun Dorma, when we all jumped up to applaud, Gianluca looked over at us and I pointed at him, he smiled and pointed back at me and winked! I just about fell over!

All through the concert it was all I could do to restrain myself from singing along, especially on Grande Amore and their new Ave Maria. The musicians who accompany the boys are exceptional. Together they take the music they perform to a new level of expression and emotion.

One thing that really struck me and still stands out in my mind is how dazzling the boys’ smiles were when they stepped to center stage in the spotlight to take their bows after their solos and duets. It took me totally by surprise!

Of course, all too soon, the concert ended and we waited in our seats to go to the M&G. We didn’t have to wait long at all before we were instructed to go upstairs to the M&G room. The whole setting was a relaxed atmosphere, almost like a party! I talked with some people and continued giving out the last of my wristbands making sure that Leonora Ginoble,Picture8 Gaetano Barone, and Ignazio’s girlfriend, Alessandra, also got one. I barely got done with the wristbands when it was my turn for Meet & Greet!

When I first stepped up I handed each of them their little silver organza bags that contained wristbands, another bracelet and a personal message from me. I then told them that my birthday was two days before and my friend, Patty’s was a week before that. Gianluca looked me straight in the eyes and told me, “Buon compleanno!” I said, “Thank you” instead of “Grazie” – darn, I forgot to say it in Italian! I then asked each of them for a birthday hug and then stepped between Picture4Gianluca and Piero. My friend, Patty, stood next to Ignazio. Gianluca was softly humming something that was very high and sweet. I did not recognize the tune. Wow! I wish he would have kept doing that forever! As we were standing there looking at the photographer I told him, “You know, I sing along with all your songs.” And he said, “Oh yeah?” I then said, “Yes, and I sing YOUR part!” Then FLASH, FLASH, FLASH! I never heard the photographer say, “1,2,3”. I’m sure I was having a “first IL VOLO M&G” brain fog and that’s why neither me nor Gianluca had smiles on our faces. We were having a “moment” and still talking! I did remember after that to ask Gianluca what happened during Grande Amore. I saw him mess up the lyrics just a little and then grin at Ignazio. I told him I saw it, he then said, “Go ask Ignazio what happened!” So I walk over and asked him. He looked a bit surprised, smiled and said, “I don’t know!” I am sure he did know!

Overall my first IL VOLO concert and M&G was a great experience, I didn’t feel too rushed when with the boys but I still didn’t remember to tell them everything that I wanted to say. There’s always next time!

I met a lot of nice folks in Chicago who share the same love for these three delightful young men, among them were Jana, Betty, Chris, Lorna and Harriett with her friends. I loved hearing the guys say in an interview that when they go to each concert here in the Picture6U.S. they feel like we are their family out in the audience. I’m sure they realize that we all wish only the best for them and continue to support them because we ARE a kind of family brought together by this phenomenon called IL VOLO!

Patricia Ward

Pitterpat0

 

Thank you Pat for a most beautiful first-time review of our boys!  We are so glad you had a great experience!

Keep those comments coming!  We’d love to post your review right here!  🙂

Remember:   FlightCrew.NotteMagica2017@gmail.com