1. art and entertainment
2. music
3. music genres
4. opera

“Intimissimi on ice OPERAPOP”, a unique show,
featuring the top world figure skating stars
accompanied by international classical and pop
music stars will begin on Saturday 20 and
Sunday 21 September 2014, from 9:00 pm at
the Arena di Verona.
Milan 16 September 2014: The battle between
darkness and light, between the coldness of ice
and the fire of emotions, gives rise to the
dreamlike beauty of Intimissimi on ice
OPERAPOP.
as well a fashion alliance with costumes created ad hoc for this unforgettable occasion. For the first time,
Opera, pop concert, show on ice,
“Intimissimi on ice
OPERA POP”: ice has
never been so hot.
the Roman amphitheatre that has become the
Arena di Verona will host and combine all three
genres,
enhancing
their
artistic
aspects.
Intimissimi on ice OPERAPOP featuring world
champion figure skaters, music stars, costumes
never seen before and dazzling special effects.
Creating the right balance between skating,
opera and pop, this is the real challenge. The
aim is to make it the biggest show ever staged
at the Arena.
It is an Italian show concept devised to tour the
world and take it where the greatest figure
skating enthusiasts are: Japan, Russia, Korea,
Uzbekistan… 83 minutes of show thought up as
a fairy tale, with courtships in an icy landscape
and love in a world of passions where the ice
breaks and then melts, in one of the most
romantic cities in the world, Verona.
An empty rink will await the entrance of the
audience into the Arena: but only so that it may
be transformed into a lake and then a waterfall,
while the atmosphere will change from cold, to
snow and wind. The arena will turn to ice, then
into an iceberg, lit up by the fiery tails of
meteorites with flaming dances and finally will
give way to flashes of light, creating
multicoloured
flares
and
diamond-like
reverberations.
Atmospheres
created
to
celebrate the spring of sensuality, in a duet
between dancing bodies, suspended between
dream and reality. Two acts and five worlds: the
world of ice, the power of dreams, the fire of the
soul, the garden of delights and the final
celebration.
The concept In the unique setting of the Arena di Verona, a
new original musical format will be born and,
1 thanks to the perfect mash-up between opera
and pop music, ice-skating, dance, fashion,
design and technology, will give rise to an
extraordinary operation, bound to become a
totally new way of presenting skating and opera.
The poetic and narrative heart of the project is
the constant contrast that exists between human
warmth and the coldness of ice
Darkness and isolation succumb to the luminous
power of the love which shows itself with the
force of fire and light. A match is created, a
couple is born. Woman seeks man and man
seeks woman. It is the spring of sensuality, in a
dance between suspended bodies, while nature
cautiously observes it as a deceptively
supportive onlooker, in a union between dream
and reality. Two acts and five worlds: the world
of ice, the power of dreams, the fire of the soul,
the garden of delights and the celebration.
The unforgettable experience of a gala on ice
created using special effects, with stars from the
sports and music worlds united by the allure of a
historical setting. All this results in a poetical
international show with a high visual impact,
that will be bound to amaze every generation,
drawing inspiration from the success of one of
the most beautiful galas on ice, Opera on Ice,
designed and produced by Giulia Mancini.
Thanks to the modern direction by Francisco
Negrin: chosen by the visionary creativity of
Marco Balich because of his use of innovative
techniques and projections.
The stars
The stars on the ice will be undisputed figure
skating champions at world level: including
veritable stars like Carolina Kostner, bronze
medallist at the Sochi 2014 Olympics and 2012
World Champion. But also Stéphane Lambiel, the
“Little Prince” and the greatest Swiss figure
skating talent, gold medallist at the 2005 and
2006 World Championships, and Olympic silver
medallist at the 2006 Turin Olympics. Some of
the most famous pairs of skaters will be taking
part too, namely Anna Cappellini and Luca
Lanotte, gold medallists at both the 2014
Saitama
World
Championships,
and
the
European Championships in Budapest; Qing
Pang & Jian Tong, born in China, silver Olympic
medallists in 2010 and in 2006, bronze
medallists at the 2011 World Championships in
Moscow and World Champions in 2010; and then
Fiona Zaldua & Dimitry Sukhanov, professional
adagio pair skaters who have starred in some of
the most famous world shows. Lastly, the cast
also includes the very excellent Italian
synchronised skating team, Hot Shivers,
unchallenged Italian champions since 1995 who
are tenth in the world ratings. The team
comprises 16 athletes skating in unison and
harmony to show this recent American
discipline.
A show between tradition and modernity
Talent and creativity will go on stage in one of
the holy temples of bel canto, directed by the
modern director Francisco Negrin, to pay tribute
to the artists of ice. The artistic project will
consist in the extraordinary performance of the
world ice skating champions, in the seduction of
bodies finely redesigned by Ali Mahdavi and
inspired by the sensuality of the Intimissimi
world, in the choreographies of Nathan Clarke
emphasized by the original compositions of the
great John Metcalfe, who reinterpreted famous
pop songs with a symphonic arrangement giving
life to a unique music project. Spectacular stage
effects, sketched by the pencil of the great
Micheal Curry in collaboration with Giò Forma,
will give a new shape to the ice track which will
involve the audience in the show and facilitate
the performers’ wonderful manoeuvres without
interrupting the story. A magnificent multimedia
show between tradition and contemporaneity,
where the video projections by Kate Dawkins will
tell the warmth of the bodies on ice and the
emotions coming out of fire. Between lights and
shades by the light designer Bruno Poet, in a
starry night, incandescent meteorites will
witness the rebirth of spring, lighted by the
effervescence of a colourful surprise ending and
embellished by the outstanding performance of
international pop stars.
SPECIAL GUEST
20 /21 September, In the two evenings
nominated for the MTV awards for the best
choreography, the former marine who has
climbed the charts with her pop single, and
describes herself as a pop creator and inventor,
twenty-five year-old Kiesza, who will perform on
both dates, could not but be there,
20 September, Giorgia, one of the best singing
voices on the world scene, will make the opening
night even more memorable.
2 21 September, another gift for the audience in
the Arena, loved by the public all over the world,
the great pop queen Anastacia.
passion for electronic and new wave music,
ranging from the rock music world to that of
classical music.
The artistic team
Marco Balich entrusted him with the writing and
creation of this ambitious musical project,
Intimissimi on ice Opera Pop.
Marco Balich, the creative brains and beating
heart behind Opera on Ice: winner of an Emmy
Award, one of the leading professionals at world
level for creation and production of Olympic
Ceremonies, with over twenty years of
experience in the entertainment world.
The
director is Francesco Negrin, a theatre director
who works mostly in opera, at prestigious
venues like London's Royal Opera House and the
Sydney Opera House, the New York City Opera
and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Two acts
and five different spectacular scenic effects,
designed by the incomparable Michael Curry:
visual and concept designer for big names like
Cirque du Soleil, The Metropolitan Opera,
London’s Royal National Theatre, leading a team
of over 50 scenery designers and makers who
design
and
make
creations
for
live
entertainment. A backdrop for the magical
choreographies, devised by another big name:
Nathan Clarke, the famous dancer as well as
Associate Director and Choreographer of the
closing ceremonies for the London 2012
Olympics and Paralympics, a role he has also
played for some of the best known TV talent
shows in the world. John Metcalfe, on the
contrary will coordinate the music direction. One
of the most sought-after arrangers in the United
Kingdom, he is most famous for his work with
Blur, Morrissey, George Michael and the
Pretenders. A spotlight on fashion too, with
costumes designed by Ali Madhavi, the wellknown
artist
and
photographer
dubbed
“Ambassador of Glamour” as well as Artistic
Director of the Crazy Horse Paris who, for this
show, took inspiration from the sensuality of the
Intismissimi's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection;
and lastly projections designed by multi-awardwinning Londoner, Kate Dawkins, expert in
innovative shows using projections and LEDs,
but also the lights and shade by the renowned
Light Designer Bruno Poet.
After a couple of meetings between Marco
Balich, Creative Director of BWS, Francisco
Negrin, director and author of Intimissimi on Ice
Opera Pop and John Metcalfe, on the preliminary
choice of music, the composer immediately
began looking for various sound solutions, which
would not confine the show within the
boundaries of a single musical genre, but would
expand its horizons and the international feel of
the whole project.
Thanks to an incredibly clear vision of what they
wished to create, with a continuous exchange of
ideas the team arrived at the final sound track
for the show, giving the right balance of sound
and groove, and above all remaining close to the
meaning of the original song, without losing the
pop feeling of the music. The tunes chosen
reflect the heart of the project and describe the
moods of the characters with their words; the
phrases of the songs and of the arias become
the words of the ice stars and all that remains
for the audience to do is to drift into a
contemporary fairy tale.
In this complex musical operation, the real
challenge has been to combine opera arias with
very famous pop tunes, maintaining the great
value of a musical score that is intimate and
sophisticated, yet not excessive and pompous,
as often is the case with orchestral music.
Intimissimi on ice OPERAPOP includes pop songs
and opera arias, masterfully performed by 5
incomparable singers and one musician:
CONDUCTOR: Alessandro Cadario
VIOLINIST: Catharina Chen
OPERA SINGERS Elisa Balbo, Trine Bastrup
Møller, Sara Hershkowitz, Enrique Ferrer, Palle
Knudsen
THE MUSIC PROJECT
The Musical Director of
“Intimissimi on Ice
Opera Pop” is John Metcalfe, the composer born
in New Zealand, but settled in England. An artist
who has combined academic training with his
Repertorio opera eseguito
INVERNO - LE QUATTRO STAGIONI, A. Vivaldi
Catharina Chen, violinista
3 SÌ, VENDETTA! - RIGOLETTO, G. Verdi Palle
Knudsen, baritono Sara Hershkowitz, high
soprano
A LITTLE PARTY NEVER KILLED NOBODY
(All We Got) THE GREAT GATSBY, Fergie
EBBEN, NE ANDRÒ LONTANA - LA WALLY,
A.Catalani Elisa Balbo, lyric soprano
INTIMISSIMI ON ICE OPERA POP
EBBEN, NE ANDRÒ LONTANA - LA WALLY,
A.Catalani Elisa Balbo, lyric soprano
LA CI DAREM LA MANO - DON GIOVANNI, W.
Mozart Palle Knudsen, baritono Sara
Hershkowitz, high soprano
VEDI, LE FOSCHE NOTTURNE SPOGLIE / STRIDE
LA VAMPA - IL TROVATORE, G. Verdi Trine
Bastrup Møller, mezzo soprano
VIVA LA VIDA, Coldplay Arrangiamento di John
Metcalfe Catharina Chen, violinista
FLOWER DUET, Lakmé Trine Bastrup Møller,
mezzo soprano Elisa Balbo, lyric soprano
DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND - GLI
UOMINI PREFERISCONO LE BIONDE, Jule Styne
e Leo Robin Sara Hershkowitz, high soprano
Arrangiamento di Steve Sidwell
LARGO AL FACTOTUM - BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA,
G.Rossini Palle Knudsen, baritono
NESSUN DORMA - TURANDOT, G.Puccini Enrique
Ferrer
Repertorio pop
TITANIUM & STRONGER mash up,
Kelly Clarkson, David Guetta feat Sia
Arrangiamento di John Metcalfe
A TIME FOR US ROMEO E GIULIETTA, Nino Rota
Arrangiamento di John Metcalfe
“Ice has never been so hot”
Spettacolo in due atti
ACT 1
I . THE ICE WORLD
Il suono pungente di un violino svela un mondo
di ghiaccio in cui uomini e donne combattono tra
loro, senza dialogo e senza emozioni.
II . THE POWER OF DREAMS
I sogni sono visioni che danno speranza e
liberano l’uomo dalla morsa del gelo, una
pioggia di meteoriti si insinua come un fiume di
lava, nelle trame del ghiaccio, creando immagini
di un amore.
III . THE FIRE IN THE SOUL
Con tocchi leggeri le due anime accendono il
fuoco dell’amore, in un vortice di sensualità e
passione: l’oscurità e l’isolamento soccombono
alla forza luminosa dell’amore.
INTERVALLO (25MIN)
ACT 2
IV . THE GARDEN OF DELIGHT Una natura
complice e festosa sboccia dal ghiaccio. Intrecci
leggeri e colorati tessono una trama preziosa e
caleidoscopica.
BURN, Ellie Goulding
Arrangiamento di John Metcalfe
V . THE CELEBRATION
VIVA LA VIDA, Coldplay
Arrangiamento di John Metcalfe
Catharina Chen, violinista
Nasce l’unione, nasce la coppia, è la primavera
della sensualità, in una danza tra corpi sospesi,
come in un concerto tra sogno e realtà inizia la
festa.
DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND –
GLI UOMINI PREFERISCONO LE BIONDE,
Jule Styne e Leo Robin
Sara Hershkowitz, high soprano
Arrangiamento di Steve Sidwell
Advance sales of tickets
Advance sales of tickets for Intimissimi On Ice
OPERAPOP are available on the Ticketone and
4 Geticket circuits
branches.
and
from
Unicredit
bank
Ticket prices will start at 38 euros for a not
assigned seat on the gradinata up to 140 euros
for a poltronissima - 1st row seat.
Some figures for the show:
11 Olympic Figure Skating Champions plus many
other Champions
12,000 seats for each show
Over 200 hours of rehearsals by the skaters to
prepare this show
13 of the greatest works of classical music will
be performed
1,200 sq. m of ice for the set
Over 300 light fixtures for the light design
A total of over 210 people working on the
project
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