Review: Made in Italy at the Citadel by Faren Timoteo

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It is an honor to be invited to someone’s home for dinner.for the viewers of citadel Made in Italy is also a fun chance to see inside the Mantini family, as local actor Faren Timoteo tells his origin story at the Schochter Theater.

“What is the most important piece of furniture in your home?” Salvatore Mantini, the father of this story, asks at the beginning of “Made in Italy.”

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Of course, it is a table where generations come together to share meals and build and maintain the foundations of a family. Throughout the two-act, two-hour, 10-minute play, Salvatore (a character loosely based on Timoteo’s grandfather) brings a parade of dishes to a huge, ornate table in the center of the stage. We sense his pride when he describes the dishes, which are served in a traditional order, from aperitifs to dolce. You can also meet his 26 characters, all played by Timoteo. They arrive in a variety of forms at the table, which serves as the second stage of a captivating set designed by Cory Shinsens.

Photographs of these characters (some of them from members of the real Timoteo family) are displayed on the frame-studded dining room wall behind the table. Clever and effective lighting design by Celeste English and Conor Moore illuminates the frame from within, allowing it to change the tone and even location of the entire show.

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The play depicts Salvatore’s journey in 1958 from Abruzzo to Jasper, Alberta, where he worked on the railroad until he earned enough money to bring his family. By the time he was able to build the house and furnish it with a table in the center, Salvatore’s wife had died, and it was he who brought baby Francesco to live in a new foreign land. brother and sister-in-law. land.

Despite Canada’s reputation for attracting beloved immigrants, Jasper’s children were not kind to Francesco (a character inspired by the true story of Timoteo’s father). He endured bullying because he showed up to school wearing a suit and carrying a lunchbox with stinky cheese on it. He and Salvatore frequently clash while Francesco struggles to get his own way. Salvatore wants Francesco to be proud of himself by singing a solo in Italian in church, but this only further ostracizes the boy from his classmates. Francesco wants to pursue a career in pop music. His father prefers a more traditional path. After all, a rupture will occur.

Timoteo first brought his family’s story to the stage in 2016 during a production at the Western Canada Theater in Kamloops. At the time, Citadel artistic director Darryl Cloran (director) was in charge of the theater. Commissioned by WCT, the play began life as a one-act play in his 150-seat theater. But the film was so quickly popular that regional theaters from Vancouver to Hamilton asked to scale it up and adapt it for their main stages. Made In Italy is also popular in Calgary and Winnipeg. After the Edmonton performance (the show’s third performance here), Timoteo will depart on a tour of British Columbia.

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It’s a rare treat to spend an evening with someone as talented as Timoteo. Edmonton audiences know him for his multiple award-winning comedic roles in shows such as Peter and the Starcatcher on the Citadel and Spamalot, or Grand His Time on the Rapids at Teatro His Live! maybe. He also has great pipes and breathes beautifully into characters like Frankie Valli in last year’s Citadel production Jersey Boys.

But reading his resume and seeing him on stage are two different experiences. Timoteo is an energetic and physically dynamic actor and singer. He jumps from floor to chair to table with a microphone in hand, performing songs ranging from Italian arias to Bee Gees hits. Francesco came of age in an era when disco ruled. Rocky Balboa became a role model for Italian boys fighting against discrimination. (Note the star turn with one-arm push-ups.)

But above all, Timoteo has complete command of the comedian’s repertoire. He imitates and plays pranks. His face stretches like pizza dough, pulling out expression after expression from a stock of options. Seeing him pull his pants up even higher is so funny it breaks his heart. he is very stupid The audience roars in approval, like a proud family watching over his beloved son or his nephew.

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That’s not to say the play lacks the drama and moments of sadness that family stories always have. Timoteo gives his characters not only humor but also humanity, expressing their flaws and weaknesses. Towards the end of the show, it seemed like a conspiracy was brewing against our newly accepted Italian relatives, and I was worried they might be okay in the end. Because I love that family.

But looking back, we can see that the hint was there from the beginning. Because a great meal always ends with dessert. As Salvatore reminds us, “Otherwise, what’s the point?”

review

made in Italywritten and performed by Faren Timoteo

director Darryl Cloran

where The Shoctor Theater at The Citadel, 9828 101 A Ave.

when Until January 28th

ticket From $40.25 citadeltheater.com

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