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Rating: It rarely happens that I miss a concert in my area by Elio e Le Storie Tese, but unfortunately this summer it happened. Furthermore, the Elii were on tour with Claudio Bisio, doubling the regret. But the ways of the Lord are infinite and mysterious, and in His infinite goodness, the Omniscient decided to ease my pain for missing the Event by instilling the Idea into the mind of some editorial director: let's release the DVD of the Opera together with Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport! So be it: as I return home from the newsstand, reassured, I ponder this new and decisive proof of the existence of the Almighty.
I know from direct experience that the Elii in concert are spectacular: technically formidable, they never hold back live, always play a lot, improvise delightful gags, and deliver lightning-fast jokes between one piece and the next, masking with absurdity a humor that is actually serious and intelligent, sometimes even cynical and harsh, employing the support of a rare avis like Mangoni, a genuinely lunar character. The eclectic Bisio, I saw live only once, starring in a beautiful theatrical rendition of De André’s La Buona Novella, where he reaffirmed, if there were any doubt, his great stage presence and also demonstrated good singing quality. In short, I expect a lot from this encounter. And I receive a lot: the DVDs are two, the first exceeds two and a half hours and features the entire show in Mantua on July 13, 2006; the second contains special content with rehearsals, interviews, and various scenes from the entire tour.
The show, very entertaining, opens with a meticulously curated set: the Elii and Bisio invite us into their home, and they too get comfortable, amused and amusing. The combination between the actor and the group is decidedly interesting: although the show is based on the songs of Elio e Le Storie Tese (and the musical mastery of the Elii is truly impressive), Bisio and the Elii don't simply bring their respective repertoires to the stage by alternating monologues and songs, but they integrate perfectly, enhancing the musical flair of the former and the cabaret one of the latter. Bisio sings and sings well, Elio's songs are introduced, sometimes even interrupted by gags, and then a new skit or monologue by Bisio introduces the next piece. To make it all even better, many of Elio e Le Storie Tese's songs lend themselves well to theatrical representation, and they indeed shine in this show: examples include “Signor Speziale”, acted by Elio (the drug addict), Cesareo (the client), Bisio, and Rocco Tanica (the pharmacists); or “Supergiovane” and “Il Vitello dai Piedi di Balsa”, with Mangoni as a fabulous protagonist. Also noteworthy are the classics “Tapparella”, “Servi della Gleba”, “Mio Cuggino”, and the lesser-known “Unanimi”, “Nubi di Ieri sul Nostro Domani Odierno (Abitudinario)”, “La Saga di Addolorato”. Also present are three pieces from the only album published by Bisio, Patè d’Animo, and written by Rocco Tanica of the Storie Tese: “La Droga Fa Male” (sung by Bisio alone), the Aretha Franklin cover “Think”, and the most famous of all, “Rapput” in which Claudione duets with Elio. Unreleased is “Dannato Umorismo”, written for the occasion, while “La Lega dell’Amore” is performed again after a television appearance on the show Zelig. I don't know if “Pignorava” and “La Canzone del Boscaiolo (Lumberjack Song)” are unreleased or reboots, frankly not very exciting.
In short: a show of pure cabaret, in its most traditional form of alternation between sketches and songs, crafted by true champions of the genre. A show that seen live would have undoubtedly been even more enjoyable: some of the more current jokes at the time of the show (particularly the references to the world cup) have lost a bit of their freshness and now feel a bit stale. What's left is the still masterful musical performances by the Elii, Bisio's amusing theatrical pieces, and the fun of watching a bunch of adults act like goofballs (but doing it very, very well) on stage.
To quote the closing verse of the final song, a show to watch “with the eyes of a child / who laughs and doesn’t know / that humor is essentially a syllogism / based on the following mechanism: / one farts and everyone laughs”.
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