The Italian-American Immigrant Theatre of New York City

by Emelise Aleandri

Overview

Italian-American theatre sprang to life in New York City shortly after waves of Italian immigrants poured into this country in the 1870's. The mass migration brought both the performers and the audiences necessary for theatrical entertainment. Hungry for recognition, support, and social exchange, the men and women from Italy formed amateur theatrical clubs as one way of satisfying emotional needs. By 1900, the community had produced the major forces that created the Italian-American theatre of the ensuing decades. In The Italian-American Immigrant Theatre of New York City, author Emelise Aleandri regenerates the excitement of the stage through striking photographs, programs, and other memorabilia generously loaned by families of the theatre community. She follows the fortunes of the earliest nineteenth-century companies and introduces those that arose in the twentieth-century. Within these pages are scenes of comedy, tragedy, vaudeville, and radio, featuring stars such as Mimi Cecchini, Guglielmo Ricciardi, Concetta Arcamone, Antonio Maiori, Rita Berti, Farfariello, and Olga Barbato.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738500973
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	08/24/1999
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

Dr. Emelise Aleandri, a native of Riva Del Garda, Italy, is a producer, director, writer, actress, and singer. She has a Ph.D. in Theatre from the City University of New York. The internationally recognized authority on the subject of Italian-American theatre, Aleandri looks back at the lost time when the theatre, which is virtually nonexistent today, celebrated Italian culture in a way that will never be repeated.

What People are Saying About This

Emelise Aleandri

From the Author:

Visual history of New York City's old time Italian Theatre This work is the first book ever to be published on the history of the Italian-American immigrant theatre, and consists primarily of pictures, images, sketches, photographs, documents, sheet music, newspaper photos, programmes and advertisements, all relating to this ethnic theatre. The sources for most of the pictures are primarily private and archival collections. Many have never been published, or have not been seen in almost 100 years. The extensive visual record is enhanced by detailed chapter introductions and captions that provide a thorough chronological description of the progress of the Italian language theatre from Lorenzo da Ponte in 1808 until the theatre's demise in the 1950's and 60's. I am also preparing a second volume of pictures. This book is one result of my continuing lifelong pursuit of information about this ethnic theatre in order to reconstruct the story of its existence. I have already published many articles in journals and magazines on this topic. Two more books, of text, are in preparation for publication by two university presses and a multivolume work of the complete history will be put out by a publisher in England. I have produced two documentaries for television - "Teatro: The legacy of Italian-American Theatre" and "Festa: Italian Festival Traditions." In addition, I have formed "Frizzi & Lazzi The Olde Time Italian-American Music & Theatre Company" which revives some of the material I unearthed during my research: music, skits, plays, songs, monologs, character sketches. Frizzi & Lazzi is another way of visually representing some of the material that appears in this book and the others yet to be published, a living museum, so to speak. I am also a professional actress, director and singer in films, television and theatre, and I am very involved in the Italian-American cultural community. For ten years I was Host and producer of "Italics: The Italian-American Magazine, a nationally syndicated cable TV show which documented the contemporary Italian-American experience. I hope you will read, enjoy and comment on my book either to me or here. (December 4, 1999)

Editorial Reviews

Title: Images of America: The Italian American Immigrant Theater of New York City

Author: Emelise Aleandri

Publisher: The Italian Tribune

Date: 3/3/2011



Italian American Theater came to life in New York City shortly. after waves of immigrants poured into the U.S. in the 1870s. This mass migration brought both the performers and audiences necessary for theatrical entertainment. Looking for recognition, support and a social setting outside the home, the men and women from Italy formed amateur theatrical clubs as a way of

retaining what was familiar to them from their homelands. By 1900, the community had planted the seeds for the Italian American Theater of the years to come.



In this book, author Emelise Aleandri brings to life the excitement of the stage through striking photographs, programs and other memorabilia that have been generously loaned by families of the theater community. Beginning with the earliest nineteenth century companies through those that arose in the twentieth century, she relates and showcases the scenes of comedy, tragedy, vaudeville and radio with such female stars as Mimi Cecchini, Concetta Arcamone, Rita Berti and Olga Barbato. These are just a few of the notable women, who along with male performers, delighted audiences week after week. With this novel she looks back at a lost time when the theater, which is virtually nonexistent today, celebrated Italian culture in a way that will never be repeated.



About the author: Dr. Emelise Aleandri, anative of Riva Del Garda, Italy, is a producer, director, writer, actress and singer. She has a Ph.D. in Theater from the City University of New York and is an internationally recognized authority on the subject of Italian American Theater. Dr. Aleandri has contributed her knowledge and resources to several articles on Italian immigrant theater in several Italian Tribune features.

From the Publisher