L'arte della commedia

Last night I went to the Teatro Commune (the local theater). This is a beautiful little theater. It has boxes and is painted with gorgeous frescos and gold trim all around. It was a little opera house. Really pretty. I went with Fiorenza ( the mother of the Italian family I am staying with) and her sister Anna Maria.

When we arrived I thought some disaster had happened because there were a lot of Red Cross workers milling around and an ambulance. Come to find out that the concert was sponsored by the local Red Cross. The music was spirituals and gospel. The singers were both from Chicago. They sang a couple of songs from Porgy and Bess and Westside Story and some others. The gospel portion was gospel but the entire show was sung very operatic. No down home, earth shaking, rivers breaking soul happening. They did try and get the audience up and going with a finally rousing finale of "When the Saints go Marching In." The audience seemed confused but started clapping with a little singing. The male singer was fantastic but the women was not as good. I know the words, it was in Enligh for gods sake, but I could not understand anything she was singing. She was singing operatically with marbles in her mouth. The show was nice. It was even better to get out and see the town at night. I am usually home having dinner with the family, doing homework and watching television.

Of course there is always some nut in the theater. After intermission a woman sat down in front of us. She was half humming and half singing all the gospels while conducting her own orchestra. People were turning around in their seats and looking at her. She was that loud, but dirty looks did nothing to quiet her. She was a little crazy. It reminded me of the time I saw the Three Tenors at Dodger Stadium. (Go in Peace Pavorotti! Arrivederci!) The tickets cost a fortune but my hubby then boyfriend got a pair. I think he had to eat macs 'n cheese for the rest of the month. In front of us was a woman who sang every aria. I kid you not. She was drunk and her friend tried to get her to shut up because everyone was getting upset. She became belligerent and kept on singing. So we saw the Three Tenors and a Wino. Last night was Spirituali e Gospel con una pazza. Spirituals and Gospel with one crazy woman. You have got to love the theater. Everyone wants to be in on the act.

There is the most disgusting and hysterical commercial (pubblicita) on television. It is an animated commercial and begins showing a forest fire. Then a cute little squirrel watching the fire from a pine tree. The squirrel springs into action and grabs a pack of gum, takes a piece, and starts chewing. The gum is sooooooo cool and minty that he preceeds to FART enthusiastically ( yes fart) a cool and refreshing mist that creates a shower of snow that covers everything and puts out the forest fire. The commercial makes me laugh but I don't really want to chew a gum that gives me cool and refershing farts with the possibility of shooting snow out my ass.