Verona, 16 June 2023 – Sophia Loren arrived in Verona. There most famous Italian diva in the world tonight she will be the godmother of the opening evening in the Arena for the centenary of the Opera Festival.
Loren will be present in the audience during the evening, broadcast worldwide, presented by Milly Carlucci.
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Verona, the tricolor arrows in flight over the Arena. Timetable and programme
Aida opera symbol of the Arena since 1913
With the star Anna Netrebko in the role of the protagonist, flanked by the tenor Yusif Eyvazov in the role of Radamès, conducted by the baton of Marco Armiliato, the new staging of Aida will be very technological with transparent pyramids and architectures of lights, also to make room for the magnificence of the amphitheater. The direction of Verdi’s masterpiece, a symbol of the Arena since the foundation of the Festival in 1913, is entrusted to Stephen Poda which makes its debut in the Arena also signing sets, costumes, lights and choreography.
Worldwide event
The Frecce Tricolori, the most famous Italian actress in the world, Sophia Loren, as godmother, the Hollywood star Matt Dillonthe heads of the State, live broadcast worldwide on Rai 1: it’s a blockbuster-event the one set up for the 100th anniversary of the Arena di Verona Festival, with the debut, this evening, Friday 16 June, of Aida in a new production that looks to the future in a high-tech version but dialogues with the past.
The ‘première’ of Verdi’s masterpiece, a symbol of the Arena since the foundation of the Festival in 1913, is scheduled at 21 and will also be broadcast by Rai Cultura in live worldwide on Rai1 starting at 20.30, with the conduction of Milly Carlucci and the participation of Alberto Angela and Luca Zingaretti. A show within the show will be the overflight of the National Aerobatic Team over the Arena while the national anthem will sound with the choir in green, white and red tunics. Subsequently the show will be repeated on 17, 25, 29 June (9.15 pm), 9, 16, 21, 30 July (9 pm), 2, 18, 23 August (8.45 pm), 3, 8 September 20.45).
Parterre full of VIPs
Seated in the first rows with Sophia Loren and Matt Dillon, among the expected guests there are many pop names of the show, such as Amadeus, Antonio Albanese, Fabio Testi, Gigliola Cinquetti, Giorgio Pasotti, Giulio Base, Iva Zanicchi, Jerry CalaLino Banfi, Michele Placido, MogulMorgan, Nicoletta Mantovani, Nina ZilliOrietta Berti, Piero Chiambretti, Rita Pavone, The flight. Also present were the writers Marco Malvaldi e Alexander Baricco.
Among the guests, there are also Alessandro Orrei and Serena De Ferrari, protagonist of the TV series “Sea Out“, Claudio Sona, influencer and TV personality of Canale 5, Nick Cornia and Giulia Salemi influencers, the actor Edoardo Purgatori, Marcello Sacchella, dancer and choreographer of Amici, the former Minister of Economy Pier Carlo Padoan, president of Unicredit, and the presenter Pierluigi Diaco institutional guests, the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, the president of the Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana, five ministers in the audience (Luca Ciriani, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, Adolfo Urso, Maria Elvira Calderone, Gennaro Sangiuliano), ten ambassadors, dozens of VIP guests among actors, directors and writers, in addition to the presidents of the Chamber and Senate and the five ministers, the undersecretaries Alberto Barachini, Alessandro Morelli, Gianmarco Mazzi and Vittorio Sgarbi will be present. And again: Beatrice Venezi, councilor for music at the Ministry of Culture, and Liborio Stellino, permanent representative of Italy to UNESCO.
Also nourished the presence of entrepreneurswith a delegation from Confindustria where former national presidents Giorgio Fossa and Emma Marcegaglia appear.
