Septenote

A classic 'Add a place at the table' returns to Rome with the festive season

In Paris 'Les Demoiselles de Rochefort' is extended; in New York the Rockettes in the classic 'Christmas Spectacular'

by Angelo Curtolo

9 December 2025

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2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Here we are in the festive season: so let us look at musical performances that are in tune. In Rome, a classic of our musical comedy, 'Add a Place at the Table', has been on tour for a month; the capital is a stop on the tour, which will end in March. At the Lido in Paris they have extended performances of the musical comedy 'Les Demoiselles de Rochefort', based on the 1967 cult film of the same name, starring the young Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorleac. An ageless classic 'Christmas Spectacular' with the Rockettes' corps de ballet is being staged in New York.

Rome

From 11 December to 11 January at the Brancaccio Theatre "Aggiungi un posto a tavola" one of our most beautiful musical comedies. By Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini, written with Jaja Fiastri, music by Armando Trovajoli. With Giovanni Scifoni as Don Silvestro; Lorella Cuccarini as Consolazione; "La Voce di Lassù" is by Enzo Garinei; Marco Simeoli as Mayor Crispino, Sofia Panizzi is Clementina, Francesco Zaccaro is Toto, Francesca Nunzi is Ortensia. The direction is the original one by Garinei and Giovannini, revived by Marco Simeoli; ditto the sets and costumes, by Giulio Coltellacci, as well as the choreography is the original one by Gino Landi, revived by Cristina Arrò.

We thus participate in the story of Don Silvestro, parish priest of a small mountain village, who receives an unexpected phone call one day: God himself instructs him to build a new ark to save himself and his entire country from the imminent, second, universal flood.

The show will continue touring, touching down from January to March in Bergamo, Genoa, Turin, Milan, Florence, Cosenza and Bari.

Paris

At the Théâtre du Lido, the musical comedy Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, based on the famous 1967 film of the same name by Jacques Demy, starring Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac, is on stage until 8 March. The music is by Michel Legrand, whose three Oscars won with "That Summer of '42", "Yentl", "The Thomas Crown Affair" and numerous nominations; two hundred soundtracks, including for "The Swimming Pool" with Schneider and Delon, and "Never Say Never" with Sean Connery, five Grammys. Demy won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Les parapluies de Cherbourg'.

The joy and cheerfulness, the absence of heaviness, a Prévert-like text, choreography that is a true homage to Jerome Robbins, the great music of Legrand: all this we will find in this musical comedy.

New York

Until 5 January at Radio City Music Hall, the famous and traditional 'Christmas Spectacular' with the thirty-six pairs of legs of the Rockettes is being performed every day (also five shows). Started in 1933, the hugely successful show has not been discontinued even during the war years. The musical show includes such classics as 'The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers', 'Let Christmas Shine' and 'The Nativity Living', which made history. In addition to the Rockettes, dozens of other artists take part in the show. The very large theatre (6,000 seats) is a splendid example of Art Deco and is part of the Rockefeller Center complex.