LA CORRIDA

I'm blogging this nearly live, oh wow. As it's the end of the La Corrida season, they've put together a migliore e peggiore show -- the best and worst. I couldn't tape it or anything, but I've taken photos of the TV screen and will also endeavor to describe the incredibility of the photo. This is an image-heavy post, best viewed on a non-dialup connection.

Generally, La Corrida has been described to me as like the former Gong Show... However, this, like many other great aspects of Western Civilization, began in Italy -- Fulvia went to see this live once when she was a kid. The studio audience brings along noisemakers, and when someone's really bad, they noisemaker them off the stage. I also must say that this show kind of shows the worst of American culture, and the worst absorption of the worst aspects of American culture into the Italian psyche. It's always cute when someone does an Italian folk song, though. This show is amazing, so wonderful, so laugh-out-loud, so Italian.

Finally, I must say that besides San Gennaro, Maestro Pregadio should be proclaimed the second greatest Neopolitan saint.

Gerry Scotti introduced these guys in the taped section (Gerry, Maestro Pregadio and the girl Michaela who does nothing) were in taped parts this episode, since it was Migliore/Peggiore) by asking Maestro Pregadio "Maestro, hai mai visto una penguina nel giunglo? (Maestro, have you ever seen a penguin in the jungle?)" Better still, they sang "Il leone si è addormentato", better known to us as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" or "Wimoweh". The Italian version is so cute: you can read it here.


This woman "danced" to "Fever" (Fever in the morning, fever when it's late at night, etc)...

... and five minutes later she was still snapping her fingers. But she had turned around.


This guy was an accountant (with actually similarities to the one I use...) and he read poetry that he had also written -- this was the expression on his face the whole time, and the poem he read was called "Baciami (Kiss Me)". Ooof.


This couple was of interest. They both appeared to be only about 4½ feet tall, and the woman was exceptionally capable at bending over backwards, like limbo-style. The guy had a combover that beat most that I've ever seen. Note the look of horror on the Maestro's face -- you can see it even better if you click on the picture to enlarge it.


This guy played "O Sole Mio" with his nose. I'm not making this up.


This woman played "Great Balls of Fire" on the clarinet. Again, I'm not making this up.


The La Corrida show has a corps de ballet in-house. Their choreography is amazing, as is their costuming. I'm not posting the picture, but they also did a Rocky number with everyone, even the men, in red, white, and blue Daisy Dukes.
Above, they are doing the Can-Can in costumes that are Napoleon and Josephines.

Here, they are doing a tango as Cleopatra and male attendants, and there's also a serpent dancer involved. The creativity is astounding!