Wow! So Many Pictures - And All of WHOM?

Ciao a tutti,

I have to say that this could be a bit overwhelming. I have never seen so many pictures of me from one event before in my entire performance life. Literally, I have been sent and have seen hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of me with hundreds of facial expressions, position of mouth, body gesticulations and in various strides across the stage.

It seems that there were more than a few photographers at the Feast of San Gennaro in Los Angeles this year who took a liking to what Chef Richard and I were doing as part of our live version of the Filippo and the Chef show, and we are so grateful for the attention. Little by little they have been trickling in.

This last batch which came in today was really appreciated because it included pictures of me with people with whom I had not seen pictures of as of yet. Most specifically, I didn't have a picture with Joan Kimmel, Kimmy Kimmel's Mom and Uncle Frank.

At the top of the post is her making pasta fasul or "fagioli" with Chef Richard, with me looking on, and talking on and on, he, he. In this picture here I was telling a story about her, actually it was really about me. But it went like this.

When I met Joan that night before I gave her my E-mail address and asked her to E-mail me the recipe that she was going to make and the ingredients she needed. That next day she E-mailed me as planned. At the end of her E-mail she wrote, "I love you."

I got the E-mail and without batting an eye-lash wrote her back, "Thanks, I love you!" Just before I sent the E-mail, I happened to check her E-mail address and noticed that it wasn't her name on the E-mail but that of her son, JIMMY KIMMEL. Thank God I didn't send it. She explained to me later that she was using her sons computer at his house and sent the E-mail from his E-mail account.

So I shared that story with the audience ending it with "Can you imagine if I had sent the E-mail and Jimmy had read it?" I think, whether he thought I was saying "I love you" to him, or saw me writing it to his mother, it would have possibly been awkward either way. You know those Italians and their mothers, he, he.

Here are some other pictures that I think you would enjoy, and I guess there's no need to explain them, I will just post them here with captions, just in case they are needed. Oh yes, there were a couple other things I wanted to say.

Firstly, here is a picture of the singing group we formed especially for the Festival which we called "Filippo and the CHEFS!" The "Chefs" part of the group was made up of actors Bobby Costanzo, Johnny Capodice, and our very own Chef Richard Lombardi. It was a hoot, we sang doo wop and brought the house down because it was so funny.

And what was the other thing I wanted to say? Oh, and I wasn't kidding when I said the pictures keep coming in. I recently got an E-mail from yet another photographer, Andre, who took some fun pictures of us at the Feast and if you want to see even more pictures you can click on this link. www.sgfeast.com/filippogal02.html Thank you Andre for your interest in taking pictures of us and posting them on them web.





With Actor Mario Macaluso


So that's it for now, until someone else sends some more pictures, he, he.

Filippo







Backstage with Actress, Director and Producer Penny Marshall


P.S. This Italian-American comedian, John DiResta, was coming to town and I wasn't able to go see his live stand-up, but I checked out clips of him on the web and on Youtube. In case you are not familiar with his comedy or his show, like I wasn't, I posted a clip of his and his brother Jimmy's show "Hammered," here. (In English)





Singing on stage to Actress, Model, TV Host Tanya Memme






On Stage with Actor and TV Host Mark DeCarlo and Actress and Model Marisa Petroro






At the festival with Comedian Mike Marino and Actor Mario Macaluso






On stage cooking with Penny Marshall and Chef Richard

It's Italian Festa Time in Los Angeles - Feast of San Gennaro LA's Prima Notte

Ciao a tutti,

Last week I wrote about a "Festa in famiglia," a Festa amongst family. Well, this it feels like I am writing about more of the same. That is what the Los Angeles San Gennaro Italian Festival officially called Feast of San Gennaro, LA, felt like for Chef Richard and I this year.

We felt like we were having a big party with all of our Italian friends and family. Actually, it feels like that anytime we do a festival or show because, like our tag line says, "In our kitchen you're family." But LA was extra special.

We were invited to take center stage on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's outdoor stage used during the Festival to perform our "Filippo and the Chef" Show Live. We were all too happy to oblige. After performing in so many other towns and festivals, it was wonderful to be invited to participate here in our home town.

Well, home town, I was born in Northern California and Richard in the Bronx, but for the past decade or so, both Richard and his family and I have called Southern California home.

And so, when asked to participate in our "hometown," festival, we at "Filippo and the Chef," went all out. We had a booth decked out with our sponsors, we had a kitchen built for the stage and we invited our old friends and some new friends to participate with us on stage. To say it was fun would be an understatement.

But in this post I will post only the pictures of Prima Notte, which is a big night not just for the festival and Los Angeles but nationally. Prima Notte (First Night) shares ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live's limelight with guests from the show appearing on the Prima Notte Stage during the broadcast etc.

This years guests on the Jimmy Kimmel Show who were part of the Prima Notte Festivities include Chef Mario Batali, Danny DeVito, Tommy Lasorda, and Frankie Valli. Below I have posted a Youtube.com video of that telecast.

Of course the first picture above is of Jimmy Kimmel and I. Below that picture is Frankie Valli and I, then Ed Marinaro, Sgt. Coffey from Hill Street Blues, and I, and here I am pictured with Tommy Lasorda.

How could I not have a picture taken with the "Marvelous Wonderettes?" They are part of a musical that is headed to New York and will appear off-Broadway, shown here in their '50's attire and sweaters on because it was chilly that night.

Below I am pictured with the President of the Los City Council, a proud Italian-American, Eric Garcetti.

Lets see, I think I will just list the photos from here. Underneath that is Actor and very funny guy Bobby Costanzo, and also actor and funny man, in fact he wrote many funny movies with Mel Brookes, Rudy De Luca.

Below that I am pictured with actor Ed Lauter, a friend of Chef Richard Lombardi's and his wife's, and immediately below that I am pictured once again with Ed but also with Chef Richard and actor John Santucci better known as "Johnny Pizza." I love that name. You will see me and Johnny Pizza just below that picture as well.

Though he is not an actor, I think most people know another Italian-American that is the CEO and Co-Founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems hair products. Well, he is John Paul Dejoria and you see him and I pictured together flashing the famous peace sign he is also known for doing in pictures.

The beautiful young lady I am pictured with below the picture of John Paul Dejoria and I is this years Miss Feast of San Gennaro Los Angeles. She was very sweet, which is more than I can say for George Pecoraro, pictured below her and I.

Just kidding George. George is an entertainment agent and owner of George Pecoraro Productions, we have known each other for years. He handles a lot of big name acts and was there with Frankie Valli.

And finally, bookending the set of pictures is another picture of Jimmy Kimmel and I with most of the "heads" of the San Gennaro family... to my right is Frankie Competelli, original founder of the feast and owner of Frankie's on Melrose, a popular New York style Italian restaurant in Hollywood. Then there is Kimmy Kimmel and next to him, his cousin and Miss "do everything" for the feast, Ann Potenza.

And finally, Miss "you can't do it that way," for the feast, he, he, the feast attorney and long time supporter, Claire Ambrosio. Now I should have known better than to write it up this way and I know I am going to get shit for it, but Claire knows I love her, and I just couldn't resist.

This is it for part one, part two will soon follow.

Filippo

P.S. Don't forget to watch the Youtube.com telecast of part of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live Show that night. Enjoy (In English)

Birds Of A Feather - Get Together

Ciao a tutti,

You know, it really is true that "Birds of a feather stick together." In this case it was for the Birthday Party of an Italian-American actress, and you would never guess, that the whole house was full of Italian-American actors. Okay, some Italian-Americans that weren't actors, and some actors that weren't Italian-American, but it's all there..."Birds of a Feather," everywhere.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, most of them from New York. And a couple Italian-American actors that I expected to be there weren't there because they were in New York. Do you see what I am getting at?

Needless to say, it was a fun party, and all in honor of Camille Saviola. I am sure you will recognize her from the pictures. And then again, maybe not. In every TV show, Broadway show, Movie or Play that I have seen her in, she always has a different look. Never mind that, whenever I see her in person, period, she has a different look. Gotta love it.

So friends gathered from all over, mainly New York, he, he, to wish her a Happy Birthday at her home up in the mountains of Los Angeles with an amazing view. It was my kind of house, hidden from the street. In fact, the house was so hidden and seemed in such a rural area that the road stopped before you got to her house. And there were so many cars the little dirt road that was there was blocked. So, I parked somewhere down the mountain and walked.

Of course, you could hear where the party was half way down the mountain. Can you imagine Italian-American, New York, Actors all in the same house? I got there just in time for the singing of "Happy Birthday," and boy did it sound good.

In fact, the song was sung over a NEW YORK CHEESE CAKE made by New York's number one fan, Elaine "Cookie" Lombardi, Chef Richard Lombardi's wife of the "Filippo and the Chef" Show. Oh, yes, she cooks and bakes too, and Italian no less, even though she isn't Italian, and she wasn't an actor. But she is from New York. See what I mean?

Well, that wasn't the only singing going on at the party, there was signing everywhere. At one point even Richard got into the singing action, which gave me an idea. We are working on it, and if it works out, you will soon be seeing it in some form or other.

I am sure you all recognize most of the people in the pictures, but just in case, here we go. The first picture is of the one and only, unique, one of a kind, Camille Saviola. I like that picture of her and I, and did you notice the sketch above our heads? I like that one too, he, he.

This next actress I know her as Kat Narducci but I guess she goes by Katherine Narducci. Those of you who have watched it, know her from "The Soprano's," and of course "Bronx Tales," and many other TV and movie roles. Speaking of pictures hanging on the wall, look at the one right behind Kat. I tell you, Camille is one of a kind, and we wouldn't want her any other way.

In the next picture is the real Bobby Costanzo, not to be confused with any other Bobby Costanzo. Him too, look at that face, you've seen it everywhere, especially playing not so warm, funny, lovable men, but let me tell you, he's a good actor, because he's all bark! Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the lovely lady sitting in between us, but being that she wasn't Bobby's wife, or my wife, he, he, maybe that is a good thing, he, he.

And speaking of Bobby, that's Chef Richard and Bobby in the next picture, probably talking about New York, or the old neighbor. It's like when Italians would get together and talk about the old Country, they do the same thing with New York. Having been born and raised in California, I guess I will never known unless I move to New York, but I am sure it won't be the same.

Oh, and I should probably mention that there were some non-Italians there, or should I say, they were only half Italian, he, he, like in this last picture, with Carlysle King and John Griffin, both half Italian and both actors.

What can I say? I'm just playing around and having fun, and it has been fun and it was a fun party, and the people were great and it was great meeting old friends and new, who you felt like they were old friends because that is how "Birds of a Feather" feel when they "flock" together.

So, what the "flock?" Happy Birthday Camille.

Filippo

P.S. With all this talk of Italians and New York and the Old Country, I can't help to be reminded of the movie "The Golden Door." If you are into Italian Heritage, you really owe it to yourself to see this movie. I found this scene on Youtube.com and it is the scene when the immigrants see the skyscrapers of New York city for the first time. I have seen the film and it is a moving scene for me. If you haven't seen it, I hope it works out of context. (In Sicilian w/ English Subtitles).