I have noticed that the way I look at some of the experiences in my life, growing up Italian-American, and things I say in my live shows and on my radio show, Filippo and the Chef, strike a chord with so many people, Italians, Italian-Americans and people of all walks of life, that I decided to journal some of them on a weekly basis and I invite everyone to chime in about their Italian connections and experiences.
Tonight marked the night of the Seventh Annual NIAF Media Networking Forum in Los Angeles. And as always it was well attended by noted media industry representatives from various aspects of the business from the greater Los Angeles area.
This year it was held at a well established Italian Restaurant in Studio City, Ca' Del Sole and co-hosted by Silvia Bizio and Laurence Darmiento. As Marcella Leonetti-Tyler, NIAF Area Coordinator, it was a wonderful occasion to met professionals in the field of communications and share ideas.
It was good to get together with other like minded people in the Industry who wish to work together to promote the positive contributions our ancestors and Italian-Americans have made to make America great.
Elissa Ruffino introduced the "Italian Language Camp" in New Jersey and encouraged all to share it with the children in our lives who may be interested in attending and being submerged in Italian language and culture. Sharing it with you is my way of doing my part. Click on the following link to learn more about it, www.niaf.org/concordia.
These are a few picture from the evening.
A Buona Sera it was and a Buona Sera a tutti,
Filippo
P.S. Here is a video I found on Youtube.com of a Public Service Announcement Italian-American Actor Alan Alda of the "MASH" TV fame did for NIAF. (In English)
I think I mentioned a couple posts ago that Robert Davi invited me a to a private screening of his new movie, not released yet. Well, this past week, I went. The movie was "The Dukes," hence the title of this post. And regarding the Doo Wop comment, that is a hint, but I can't say anymore than that.
The move stars ChazPalminteri, Peter Bogdanovich and Robert Davi, of course. The movie is produced by Robert and is in fact his directorial debut.
Though I have been sworn to secrecy, I can tell you this, he did a great job and I am sure there will be many more movies coming out directed by him.
Being new at this Hollywood inside stuff I really don't know what I can or can't tell you because the film was in the process of getting distribution at the time of this posting. But I believe I am safe in saying that I enjoyed the film, I laughed at parts, was touched at parts,... and look forward to seeing it again on the big screen when it premiers. Maybe then I can tell you more.
In the meantime, the screening was fun and I went with Chef Richard, my co-host on the Filippo and the Chef Show at www.FilippoandtheChef.com. Chef Richard came bearing gifts. What kind of gifts? Guess.
He brought his famous eggplant Parmesan and vino for some special guests. Now I am sure that this has never happened at a Hollywood screening before, but I bet you, it will happen again, at least when Richard gets invited.
Of course he and the Eggplant were a hit. And it was perfect too because there was a scene in the movie where the actors were eating Italian food, and you could smell Richard's eggplant wafting in the air as if you were there. Oops, was I not supposed to talk about the eating scene?
Yow know that the invention of the recreation of sound effects for a movie in a studio is credited to a man named Jack Foley, and that to this day the artist who makes those sounds is called a Foley Artist.
Well, someday when the smell is recreated in a studio for a movie for the audience to enjoy in the theater, it will be called Lombardi thanks to Chef Richard Lombardi and this one incident. From now on that artist who will make the smells that go with the movies will be called a Lombardi Artist.
Okay, back to the screening. So who got the prized Eggplant? Well, Robert Davi of course got one, his movie's Producer and Editor, Jim Cypherd at Sun Lion Films another, and Kelsey Grammer, of the "Cheers" and "Frasier" fame who has an Italian wife by the way got one, as did actor Elya Baskin.
There's never a dull moment with Richard around I have to tell you. At any rate, it was a lot of fun and I wish Robert and the movie the best.
In the first picture above you see me with Robert Davi and his Producer and Editor Jim Cypherd. Below that is Kelsey Grammer and I. Then there is Peter Bogdanovich with Richard and I below that.
The rest of the picture speak for themselves except this last one of Italian-American Producer TJ Mancini owner of Crossroads Entertainment, Inc.
I wish you all go see the movie,
Filippo
P.S. This is a trailer of "The Dukes" as posted on Youtube.com, enjoy. (In English)
On the occasion of the Italian National Day The Consul General of Italy Diego Brasioli and his wife Mrs. Diego Brasioli said goodbye to California.
I want to say, that in major metropolises throughout the US there are Consul Generals from many Countries that come and go as the years do.
Los Angeles has certainly seen it's share from around the world and of course, from Italy, to be specific. Arguably, few have made the impact that il Signor Diego Brasioli has on this community in his short time with us.
And now with his farewell "performance," he made his impact again and secured that his memory shall be indelibly inscribed in the Italian Communities History, by leaving us with a BANG!
Instead of a party, like so many other beautiful parties, held at his official residence in Beverly Hills, Diego invited us all to a theater at UCLA to experience "My West," with a reception to follow.
Being that Diego is a cultured man and a lover of music and art many of us assumed that "My West" would be a performance of highlights or a parody on Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Fanciulla del West, (Girl of the Golden West)." Instead, I myself was pleased to see a performance like none I had seen before by an "official," making himself vulnerable and revealing himself through the work that he had actually written.
The official story, I learned from him afterwards, was that he was not able to find someone to play the part of Giacomo Puccini, so he had to play it himself.
But I have to say that no one could have played it better than the man who wrote it and felt it in his heart like it was obvious Diego did. In a joint production with Opera Santa Barbara and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura under the direction of Alessio della Valle, Diego treated us to this intimate journey that he tied in with his own feelings about leaving California.
The Consul General realistically portrayed a fictional visit and public address by Giacomo Puccini to Californians after having written the opera and received accolades for his historical premier of "Girl of the Gold West" at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Throughout the presentation Diego related some true stories that inspired il Maestro Puccini to write the opera, from the joyous to the challenging.
Together with Soprano Suzan Hanson, Tenor Garbriel Reoyo Pazos, Bariton Paul Sahuc, and Pianist Valery Rivkin, Diego told the stories and shared the plot before allowing the singers to carry the message through the words and music of the grande maestro Puccini himself.
In the end, Diego bade farewell to California before an emotional crowd who gave him a standing ovation as the singers sang the farewell, appropriately, from the end of the opera itself, "Addio mia California," farewell my California.
While applauding I heard a lady behind me say, "I love that man," to which her female companion responded "Me too."
You could see the impact Diego had had on the people gathered there, not just the ladies. The fact that they were there to begin with in such large numbers, on a weeknight, was a testimony to the success and popularity he earned while here in Los Angeles.
He brought together people from the varied businesses and cultural communities of Los Angeles. From the Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to the Vice Chairman of NIAF Joe Cerrell, from actors like Robert Davi and Daniel McVicar to heads of businesses and owners, people came out to bid Diego a fond farewell.
Pictured above is Diego Brasioli himself dressed in the style of Giacomo Puccini during the performance. Below that are pictures of Chef Richard and I with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, just before Sheriff Baca had his deputy sheriff remove his deputy sheriff pin from his lapel so he could give it to Chef Richard. They obviously had shared a moment and had mutual acquaintances. Chef Richard wore his pin proudly the rest of the night.
Above Chef Richard and I took turns taking pictures with actor Robert Davi and below that, together with the Bold and the Beautiful Actor Daniel McVicar. Finally, we both were happy to be photogrpahed with this years Queen of St. Peters Church, the lovely Margequx DiMasi Rodriguez.
Frankly, I know I am not the only one who hopes and trusts that this story doesn't end like the opera in which the people say "mai piu," lamenting that they will never see each other again.
So instead of "Addio," we bid you "Arrivederci," keeping the hope alive that California will see you, Diego, again soon.
A presto,
Filippo
P.S. Here is a video of the final scene of a RAI 1956 film of "La Fanciulla del West," in which the protagonists sing the final words of the opera "Addio mia California." (In Italian)
Ciao a tutti,
