ANSA : The Wizard Triggiano bewitches Moscow, 220000 spectators.
ANSA / Theatre: The Wizard Triggiano bewitches Moscow, 220000 spectators.
Success and record attendance for “the European David Copperfield “
(By Claudio Salvalaggio) (ANSA) – MOSCOW – unprecedented success and record attendance in Moscow for Gaetano Triggiano, the ‘European David Copperfield’ that, as the star of the show ‘The Wizard of Oz “. for almost three weeks has bewitched the Russian capital.
The brilliant illusionist from Pisa, making his debut in the land of the zars, managed the rhythm of three daily performances, from 21 December to yesterday, in the Luzhniki arena of 7000 seats, with more than 20 thousand visitors a day for a total of over 220,000 tickets sold, of which 25,000 in a single day (the box office record). He has been enrolled, by Stage Entertainment, a Dutch theater productions company, as “the special guest” of the show, so that the advertising read “Gaetano IS the Wizard of Oz.”
He was protagonist of an on– ice show with actors-skaters, with a dozen of his amazing numbers, like the one where he slips in a large clock that pulverizes him and then he reappeares in the audience, leaving everyone speechless. “It ‘s the first time that I pick such an incredible number of spectators, working in a so huge arena” says to ANSA the thirty-seven years old artist, accustomed to working in theaters. “I was surprised and touched by the warmth of the audience,” he continues not surprised, however, to be asked more abroad, where he has already won numerous awards – including the Mandrake d’Or in Paris as “the best magic artist” and the collaboration with the director of Cirque du Soleil Serge Denoncourt – In his country, however, he is also an artistic consultant for major productions and he worked as a director in the show “Panariello Non Esiste” by Giorgio Panariello: “In Italy there isn’t a culture of magic, the audience is not used to it, and it is hard finding a director of high level for this type of show, but in some countries, such as France and Germany, not to mention the United States and Canada, there are tradition and attention. Now there is a big boom in the East, in South Korea there is even a statal university of illusionism, with lots of exams and scholarships. “However, I’m happy to bring ‘a bit of Italian ‘in the world,” he adds, convinced to stand over many other magicians, such as Americans”talented but often icy”, for the “passion” he puts and sends with his job. “Of course, all the artists like the home crowd, but also the Italian public responds well to high quality shows “, ‘says the magician, who has been selling all the tickets out for his last show “Real Illusion ” in Florence and Rome, now even more expected in Italy (February 7 in Padova, February 22 in Milan, in March in Torino, Bologna, Roma), after the Russian interval and the previous tour in Shanghai, Montreal and Paris. It is a mix of appearances, transformations and disappearances at extreme speed, with lyrics; written together with Alessio Tagliento (author for “Zelig”, Panariello, “Quelli che il Calcio”) and directed by Arturo Brachetti, his first mentor. His passion was born when he was little and watched Magician Silvan on tv, Tony Binarelli and the magician Alexander. “Silvan – he says – was my absolute favorite, I bought his manual Sim Sala bim and tried to imitate him. But the turning point was in 1985, nine years old, when my father took me to Rome to see a live magic show. A dream, I remained speechless. Then, at age 13, I joined the Magic Club of Lucca. After three months, I was in the classroom to teach tricks. The professional turning was in 1998 with Arturo Brachetti, that he knew entering his dressing room, after a show, telling to be his cousin. Gaetano’s models are “the great Doug Henning, with his majestic performances in the Broadway of the seventies, and David Copperfield, the rock star of the magicians”, to whom he is compared. “Of course, in the beginning I was inspired by him, but now I feel Gaetano Triggiano,” he points out with pride. And if you could do a magic trick in Italian politics? “Well, more than a trick, we need a miracle: we talk so much but too little is done, we need more dynamism because, despite the Italian genius, so many things are a bit old” Did you pull Renzi out of your cylinder? ‘No, he came out alone. I met him at a dinner two years ago with Panariello. He is a very nice guy, bright and intelligent, I hope he does some “numbers” soon, because it’s easy to change direction. ”
