Sicilian Culture: The News & Views: Italian-American Theatre for Christmas

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The News & Views
(December 2000)
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Italian-American Theatre for Christmas
Two New Plays Premiere in December
The Christmas holidays will be celebrated by the opening of two new plays by Italian-American writers: Hobo Christmas on December 6th and The Legend of La Befana on December 16th, 2000.
Hobo Christmas, a new play written and directed by Louis La Russo II, is a riveting, dramatic story set in the Hoboken city dumps on Christmas Eve of 1935, during the depths of the depression. The small colony of hoboes in residence are visited by a mysterious visitor who has a profound impact on their lives. Hobo Christma, features Emelise Aleandri as Molly, Queen of the Hoboes, the official head of the hobo camp. She also created the role of Tillie in La Russo's Off and Off-Off-Broadway productions of Sweatshop in 1997 and 1998. Presented by the Hoboken Ethnic Alliance Repertory Theatre and Peter Petrosino, Hobo Christmas, the latest in a long line of La Russo's plays about Hoboken (among them the Broadway production of Lamppost Reunion, soon to become a feature film), premieres December 6th at the American Theatre of Actors, 314 West 54th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues) in New York City. Performances run Wednesday through Saturday, December 6th through 30th, at 8.p.m. Tickets are $12. For further information and reservations: (212) 581-3044.
The Legend of La Befana, written by Emelise Aleandri, is a delightful musical and dramatic recreation of the story of the good Italian Christmas Witch who visits children on the eve of the Epiphany and leaves presents for good children but coal, stones and ashes for naughty ones. Emelise plays therole of La Befana of the New Millenium who narrates, as other colorful characters from the legend come to life: Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) played by George Pollock, who also acted in Sweatshop; his elfin helper, Hershey Miller, also a Sweatshop alumna; Karen Arkin as Strega Nonna; musicians Barry Mitterhoff, Bert Gallo and Joe Milazzo all double as the Three Kings and keyboardist Tom Arkin as the Shepherd. The Legend of La Befana , a production of Frizzi & Lazzi the Olde Time Italian-American Music & Theatre Company, will have two performances: Saturday, December 16th at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Garden City, N.Y. for the Italian-American Women's Center; and Sunday, December 17th for the Tiro a Segno Organization in New York City.

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