PASQUALE ESPOSITO CELEBRATES ENRICO CARUSO
AMHS and the Passatempo Meetup make a great team! A large group that included members and guests of both groups - including several parishioners of Holy Rosary Church - shared dinner and then attended “The Voice of A Legend - Celebrating Enrico Caruso,” featuring Italian tenor, Pasquale Esposito at the GWU Marvin Center on March 19, 2016.
The event celebrated the legacy of Enrico Caruso, the world’s first international recording star, who took opera to the masses and shared the vitality of the streets of Naples through Canzone Napoletane (Neapolitan Songs) with the world. The show was part live concert and commentary by Pasquale Esposito and his co-host Dino Natali - best known as Officer Zatelli on the sitcom Barney Miller - and part screening of excerpts from Pasquale’s first PBS documentary, “Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Enrico Caruso.” The documentary combined a stunning concert recorded live at the 13th century Castello Giusso on Italy’s Amalfi Coast with travel footage from Caruso’s Naples and Sorrento as well as the U.S.
Throughout the program, Pasquale, accompanied by his band and special guests (including an appearance by Placido Domingo), paid homage to Enrico Caruso as he took us on a musical journey of the music and places that shaped Caruso’s life and made him an international star. Through the course of the evening, the audience learned about Caruso and the music of Naples. Born in 1873, Caruso grew up in poverty and due to his great talent, rose to super-star status. He debuted at 22-years old at Teatro Nuovo in Naples. He rose to perform as the star at many European opera houses including La Scala in Milan and Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.
He appeared over 860 times at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Caruso made close to 300 commercially released recordings - many that you can still find in stores or online - and his career paved the way for classical crossover stars like Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. Pasquale Esposito, who was born and raised in Caruso’s neighborhood and even sang in the same church as a boy, performed several of Caruso’s most famous songs and arias. Pasquale grew up fascinated by Caruso and how he not only popularized opera but also the beautiful Neapolitan songs. Pasquale still returns often to his hometown of Naples, although he became an American citizen - after winning the Green Card Lottery in 1998 and coming to the United States - and now makes his home in California. This music is beautiful whenever we hear it, but it is so much better when we can witness it live! Esposito, backed up by wonderful musicians, performed many of the songs that made Caruso famous, including Nessun Dorma, Una Furtiva Lagrima, and O Sole Mio.
The evening was a delightful blend of history and opera. After the show, Pasquale graciously chatted with members of the audience, signed autographs, and took pictures. Pasquale said the documentary has been shown on PBS to over 118 million people worldwide, and he is continuing the celebration of Caruso in Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, and many other U.S. cities. To learn more about Pasquale Esposito, visit www.pasqualeesposito.com