middletowneye

Italian opera, Italian theater, fine wine and food from Middletown’s best Italian restaurants await the guests at ARTFARM’s Shakespeare Goes To Italy Gala in the rooftop garden of the Community Health Center on Friday, June 17.

After ten years of presenting professional outdoor Shakespeare each summer in Middletown, ARTFARM will be transporting Shakespeare in the Grove to Italy this summer with a production of Carlo Goldoni’s classic comedy The Servant of Two Masters. The production will run July 13 – 24 on the campus of Middlesex Community College.

Shakespeare Goes to Italy promises to be an unforgettable evening in the unique rooftop garden overlooking downtown Middletown and the river valley. Guests will be treated to a selection of Italian wines, hors d’ouevres and antipasta from many of Middletown’s famous Italian eateries, a festive atmosphere and entertainment. Guitarist Enzo Boscarino will play traditional Italian folk songs, actors of the ARTFARM Ensemble will present a preview of scenes from The Servant of Two Masters, and soprano Thalia Berardozzi will perform a selection of Italian opera and art songs.

Ms. Berardozzi has performed with the Connecticut Opera, the Opera Academy of California, the Rimsky-Korsakov String Quartet and the Lamplighters in San Francisco. She possesses an elegant, rich soprano voice and is noted for her “brilliant timbre.” Mr. Boscarino, a native of Italy, is popular regionally for his authentic renditions of songs in folk traditions from all over Italy.

ARTFARM is a non-profit organization, based in Middletown, which cultivates high-quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice. ARTFARM has been offering Shakespeare in the Grove annually since 2006, tours the environmental Circus for a Fragile Planet, runs the youth circus program Circophony, and offers workshops, residencies and events to adults and young people throughout Connecticut as well as being engaged internationally.

Invitations to this Gala Fund Raising event may be received by contacting ARTFARM at info@art-farm.org or by calling (860) 346-4390. The Gala will run from 7 – 9 pm on Friday, June 17. A minimum donation of $100 per person is requested. The event will be held on the rooftop of the Community Health Center, 675 Main Street, Middletown. Space is limited. Patrons are requested to RSVP by June 10 by emailing or reserving through JustGive on the ARTFARM website. For more information, or to reserve your place at the Patrons’ Party, go to www.art-farm.org. 

Below, Thalia Berardozzi will be performing selections of Italian opera and art songs.