Red Canzian: “My ‘Casanova Opera Pop’ is a new way of making musicals”

“He was a philosopher, a writer, a mathematician, he invented the game of the lottery. In short, he was a man of knowledge. For all these reasons Giacomo Casanova was fascinating and fascinates me ”. He says this to the Adnkronos Red Canzian, which from next January 21st will stage at the Malibran Theater in Venice – to then move on tour to other Italian cities until spring – ‘Casanova Opera Pop’, a musical conceived during the lockdown by the former bassist of Pooh and inspired by the reading of Matteo Strukul’s best seller ‘Giacomo Casanova – The sonata of broken hearts’. “The mistress of Madame Pompadour, the favorite of King Louis XV and the most powerful French woman of the eighteenth century, was a ‘multitasking’ – says Canzian – a multifaceted character who spoke French as well as Italian and who, as a diplomat, represented the Serenissima abroad. For me, talking about Venice and my land, through the figure of the famous seducer, in a show that I produce with my wife, is the best way to do it “. “In spite of Paris, New York, Rome and the other major cities of the world – continues the musician – I realized that Venice did not have its own musical, which is incredible because Venice is beautiful and deserved it. And so, from reading Strukul’s book, in no time at all we conceived and completed this project, which actually goes beyond the concept of musical work, no longer, in fact, just a work for the theater but much more. , almost and even a movie. I went to photograph and film the Venice empty of the lockdown and brought it back to the 1700s through a complex computer work. The result is amazing – he enthuses – An immersive experience, a new way of doing theater, with photographs that are animated and three-dimensional, thanks to the rest of the scene. Even the Inquisitor’s Palace, which is still like any other building, ‘moves’ through the movement of the flames on its facade ”. Over 2 hours of music for 35 unreleased songs, of which 29 sung and 6 exclusively musical that will be released in a double album in correspondence with the debut of the show in Venice. All this, and above all for its modernity, is ‘Casanova Opera Pop’. “In practice, the script was already ready – reveals Canzian – in Matteo’s novel. I told him and together we developed the 35 scenes, the synopsis of the whole show and then, in six months, I wrote more than two hours of music. I sang all the male parts and Chiara, my daughter, the female ones. My son Phil, on the other hand, took care of the arrangements for bands and orchestra, while Miki Porru wrote the lyrics for the songs ”. “Milo Manara created the artwork of the work depicting Francesca and Giacomo in an embrace ‘in love'” “Casanova was a key figure for Venice in the eighteenth century – says Canzian – who in Strukul’s Opera Pop, is told at an age of around 35, an intense period of his life, which sees him involved in political intrigues, imprisoned at the Piombi, secret agent for his city and finally in love, willing to face dangers, challenges, duels, tests of courage, escapes from prison and incredible adventures. In the show there is all this, together with the passion, friendship and all the emotions that only a city like Venice can amplify. Like his love for Francesca Erizzo, this 19-year-old girl who had to conquer for a bet made with the Austrian countess Margarethe von Steinberg, who actually wanted to fool him because she was plotting to make the inquisitor Doge, putting him in power, who in exchange he would have annexed the Republic of Venice to the Austrian Empire ”. A gem that testifies to Red Canzian’s enthusiasm and his tenacity in telling people and places he loves – “while I talk on the phone, from my window I see the river flowing to Venice” – is the involvement of Milo Manara, who ” did the design of the poster and album cover of the opera, creating the artwork for ‘Casanova Opera Pop’ and depicting Francesca and Giacomo in a ‘loving’ embrace “and who returns after almost forty years to dedicate his art to the character for which he had collaborated with Federico Fellini. ‘Casanova Opera Pop’, which enjoys the free patronage of the city of Venice, will premiere at the Malibran Theater on 21, 22 and 23 January, then at the Creberg Theater in Bergamo on 28 and 29 January, at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine in Udine from 1 to 3 February, at the TamTeatro Arcimboldi Milan from 9 to 20 February, at the Teatro Comunale Mario del Monaco in Treviso in the week from 22 to 25 February and at the Alfieri Theater in Turin from 8 to 13 March. Tickets for all dates, with a special “early bird” promotion in Milan for those who buy by November 15, are on pre-sale starting at 12 noon on Thursday 21 October, on the Ticketone.it, Vivaticket.com and websites of the various theaters, as well as through the official website of the show www.casanovaoperapop.it.