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Rating: A missed opportunity was Leonardo Manera's show at Forte dei Borgia in Nepi on 17/7/2012.
Missed because the Zelig comedian stayed true to the original meaning of the show that established him as a talented comedian and actor, and like Woody Allen in the film of the same name (Zelig), he showcased a series of characters, rhythms, atmospheres, whose artistic, humorous, and acting value far exceeded the 10 euros charged for admission (the only paid show in the entire 2012 Borgiana Season). But neither Nepi nor the nearby towns seized this opportunity, and a maximum of 150 people were able to enjoy this extraordinary performance by the Milanese actor.
Sometimes an eccentric character, at other times sharp and incisive, with a barrage of jokes ranging from the absurd, to the profound, to the reflective, Manera displayed all his acting and writing talent with a gallery of characters, some already seen on television, others totally new, who elicited laughter and applause during a show that explored the quest for happiness. And thus, Manera tackled life's themes—love, power, the market, marriage, old age—with lightness and the imminent emergence of a smile or genuine liberating laughter. A “one man show” that satisfied, entertained, made people laugh and think, as is tradition and in the nature of great entertainers.
The question of the audience's absence remains. I don't think the admission price was a hindrance, nor was the weekday scheduling. Perhaps there is no reason. There's only the courage and determination of an Artistic Direction that tries to make intelligent and prestigious choices and an audience that most of the time (and this time once again) settles for the low, the popular, taking refuge in rejecting what they do not understand. What a shame. For the Artistic Direction, for Manera, and for the audience. Sir Oscar Wilde would have said “pearls to pigs.”
Piero Poleggi
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