Funambolika at Massimo and jazz concerts at Flaiano: «This is how we will save the summer» – Pescara

PESCARA. The agreement between the Municipality and the Pescara Events Authority has practically been reached. The summer program will be made official in the next few days. In the meantime, the first rumors about the dates and places that will be the setting for the Pescara Jazz concerts and the shows of the international circus artists of Funambolika are starting to circulate among those working in the sector. With the ban on the use of the Teatro D’Annunzio due to static problems and the possibility of using the Adriano Flacco anti-stadium also rejected, as initially envisaged by the centre-right administration, the choice falls between the arena of the tourist port and the park of the Teatro D’Annunzio for outdoor initiatives, the Massimo theater and the Flaiano auditorium (recently equipped with air conditioning systems) for indoor ones.
FUNAMBOLIKA
The main objective of Raffaele De Ritis, founder and artistic director of Funambolika, was to «safeguard the 17th edition of the Gran Gala du Cirque», the final evening of the festival with the performance of the greatest circus artists on the international scene including juggling acts, illusionism and flying acrobatics. The Gran Gala will be staged in two performances, on 4 and 5 July at the Teatro Massimo. Traditionally, the show filled the 1,960 seats of the Teatro D’Annunzio, winning applause from adults and children. With the unavailability of the structure on the southern seafront, the closure of Funambolika has been diverted to Massimo, while as in previous years other shows will be held at the tourist port. «The program will not undergo changes», explains De Ritis, «there will certainly be an adaptation of the cast, but not from a quality point of view. Funambolika shows require a scenic box made up of a stage with large wings, spaces for choreography and a view that includes a slight slope in the seats, so as to allow even children to watch the scenes without stress. It is a show that we create on site with artists from all over the world who are working together for the first time and therefore need spaces to rehearse too. Hence the decision to use the Massimo, which due to its characteristics and its almost 1,000 seats is suitable for hosting the Grand Gala”. «With the two-evening formula», notes De Ritis, «we will make sure not to leave out the public who has followed us for years».
The other Funambolika events will be held at the marina’s arena from 16 to 22 June (a single show in 7 performances) and at the Massimo on 1 July (a large foreign company whose name has not been revealed will be on stage).
PESCARA JAZZ
The issue linked to the Pescara Jazz concerts is more complex. «The unavailability of the Teatro D’Annunzio, the place of identity of the festival», explains the artistic director Angelo Valori, «pushed us to review the organization. The official decision will be made by Monday, the only certainty is that the concerts will take place, we are not worried.”
The most accredited hypotheses, as also confirmed by the Councilor for Culture Maria Rita Carrot, are the tourist port and the Flaiano auditorium, while the theater shows will be set in the external garden of the D’Annunzio. «This year for the first time», remarks councilor Carota, «the Flaiano auditorium will also be able to be used indoors after the construction of the air conditioning systems financed with the Pnrr. In recent days we have verified the needs expressed by the artistic directors. The Flacco anti-stadium, initially taken into consideration, presents technical problems: a permanent stage placed there for two months could damage the turf and it is not economically advantageous to assemble and dismantle it for a few events”.
FLAIANO AWARDS
The uncertainty of the international Flaiano Awards was instead resolved by spreading the event between Piazzale Michelucci dell’Aurum (where the initiatives dedicated to fiction, Italian studies and poetry will be held as in 2023) and Piazza Salotto for the final evening with the stars international cinema events, scheduled for 7 July. «The difference in cost», Carota comments, «will be borne by the Municipality and we have already reassured the president on this Carla Tiboni».