Maria Callas e Roma, amici più di prima

'Maria Callas e Roma amici più di prima'' è il titolo dello spettacolo multimediale che si svolgerà al Teatro dell'Opera il 28 gennaio e che si inserisce in un anno di celebrazioni dedicate alla Divina della lirica'

January the 2nd, 1958, lo scandalo.

I suppose we all know what happened that night in Rome. La Divina was singing Norma, she was a bit indisposed, she left the theatre after Act 1, blah blah blah. Big Scandal! Il Presidente Gronchi was present that night, so was half of Italy's crème de la crème. Rome never forgave her for that night.

50 years later, in 2008, a year that gathers two anniversaries (60 years since Callas' debut in Rome-at the Terme di Caracalla and 50 years since the scandal), Rome reconciliates with La Divina with a multimedia celebration that includes rare material from the archives (films, audio and testimonies), but also a performance of Dimitra Theodossiou and Nidia Palacios who are going to sing arias and duets from Tosca, Nabucco, Norma, Macbeth and Carmen while actress Piera Degli Esposti will read parts of the memorandum that Callas wrote back in 1958 in order to defend herself and that was just recently published.



Among guests you will find Carla Fracci, Franco Zeffirelli, la nostra Giulietta Simionato and Giulio Andreotti.

What seems to be of great interest is the participation of Enrico Stinchelli e Michele Suozzo, the creators and directors of La Barcaccia (Radio Tre) who, together with speech therapist Franco Fussi, plan to listen to the 1958 recording of that night's Casta Diva in order to understand if there were really (medical) reasons for the Callas walkout.



Bruno Tosi, president of the Associazione Maria Callas claimed that this is going to be a night of reconciliation and that the City's Council has decided to dedicate a street to La Divina.

Even COIN, the italian department stores, will have their shop-windows "dressed" with gowns of the eternal diva for the 28th of January.

ps. Dimitra Theodossiou will be singing at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo (Mefistofele) on the 27th and in Rome on the 28th....