Post on 31-Dec-2015
Marco Island Branch LibraryIn cooperation with
South West Florida Italian 0pera SocietyAnd Bellini Opera Theatre
Presents:The Music and Story of the life and too brief career of one of the most controversial and talented tenors of the twentieth century—Mario Lanza
Presents:The Music and Story of the life and too brief career of
one of the most controversial and talented tenors of the
twentieth century—Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza (January 31, 1921 - October 7, 1959) was an American tenor
and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s.The son of Italian immigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 15.
After appearing at the Hollywood Bowl in 1947, Lanza signed a seven-year contract
with MGM's head, Louis B. Mayer, who saw his performance and was impressed by his singing. Prior to this, Lanza had made only two appearances on an operatic stage, when
in 1948 he sang the role of Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly in New Orleans.
His movie debut was in That Midnight Kiss, which produced an unlikely hit song in the form of
Giuseppe Verdi's operatic aria "Celeste Aida." The following year, in The Toast of New Orleans, his featured popular song "Be My Love" became his
first million-selling hit. In 1951, he starred in the role of his tenor idol, Enrico Caruso (1873–1921), in
the biopic, The Great Caruso, which produced another million-seller with "The Loveliest Night of the Year." It was the top-grossing film that year.
The title song of his next film, Because You're Mine, featured his
final million-selling hit song. The song went on to receive an Academy Award
nomination for Best Original Song. After recording the soundtrack for his
next film, The Student Prince he walked out on the project after an
argument with producer Dore Schary over his behavior on the set.
Lanza was known to be "rebellious, tough, and ambitious", and during most of his film
career, he suffered from addictions to overeating and alcohol which had a serious effect on his health and his relationships with directors, producers and sometimes
other cast members. Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper writes that "his smile, which was as big as his voice, was matched with
the habits of a tiger cub, impossible to housebreak." She adds that he was the "last
of the great romantic performers".
He made three more films before dying of a heart attack at the age of 38. At the time of his death in
1959 he was still "the most famous tenor in the world". Author
Eleonora Kimmel concludes that Lanza "blazed like a meteor whose light lasts a brief moment in time."
1. The Loveliest night of the year.2. Because3. La Donna E’ Mobile4. Pagliacci5. Una Furtiva Lagrima6. I’ll Walk with God7. Core N’ Grado8. Be My Love
..
PROGRAM
The Loveliest Night of the Year
Mario Lanza
D’ ARDELOTT - BECAUSE
A perennial Flower, placed on Lanza’s Grave Site.
La Donna E’ Mobile
From the Movie, “The Great Caruso”
Vesti La Giubba
From the Opera “I Pagliacci”
Una Furtiva Lagrima
From the Movie “That Midnight Kiss”
I’ll Walk With God
From the Movie “The Student Prince”
I’ll Walk With God
From the Movie “The Student Prince”
Bellini Opera Theatre of Michigan
Dino Valle, Artistic Director,
Giuliano Zuccato , Sculptor of the Bellini Statue
Kathy Valle, Technical Assistance
Vincenzo Bellini