Festa Entertainment Lineup Filling Up

 

Michèal Castaldo, who released his fourth album, a CD titled “Olive You – Classic Italian Songs to Feed the Heart and Soul” on Jan. 31, is booked for his first Festa appearance.

 

Born in the Calabria region of Italy, Castaldo was raised since he was three years old in Toronto, Canada and now resides in New York City. Trained in opera, Castaldo performs as a classical crossover pop artist, whose music is along the lines of Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Il Divo. Besides being a singer, he is an award-winning songwriter, producer and arranger. He has served as a producer/mixer and songwriter for six-time Grammy award winner Jose Feliciano and has recorded with trumpeter Chris Botti.

 

Samples of Castaldo’s music can be heard through his website, www.michealCASTALDO.com or www.Amazon.com and www.iTunes.com. One of his latest videos, “Il Mondo,” can be viewed on YouTube.

 

Prior to his Festa shows, Castaldo will be performing in the the Italian regions of Calabria and Sicily, June 25-July 3.

 

Alfio, a native of Sydney, Australia who released his second album, “Tutta Italiana,” on Mar. 1, is also booked for his initial Festa appearance.

 

A classical singer/songwriter, Alfio reminds his fans of a young Dean Martin. Critics have described his style as “Josh Groban meets Andrea Bocelli.”

 

His first album, “Classic Rewinds,” released in 2009, pays tribute to the artists who influenced Alfio and his passion for music. This includes Alfio’s remakes of classics from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Mario Lanza, Jerry Vale, Bobby Darin and others. One of the final tracks on this CD, “Voce Pura,” Alfio wrote as a tribute to the late Luciano Pavarotti.

 

Samples of the tracks from both of Alfio’s albums can be heard on his website, www.alfiomusic.com.

 

Alfio headlined at a National Italian American Foundation event in New York City on May 28, 2010.

 

Before coming to Festa, Alfio is performing in northwest Australia and in cities along the East Coast in the United States.

 

Louis Prima, Jr.  is a Las Vegas-based entertainer best known for carrying on the legacy of his late father, Louis Prima, the original “King of Swing.” Born on Father’s Day in 1965, he is the youngest of Louis and Gia (Maione) Prima’s children and their only son. He is a trumpeter, singer and bandleader.    www.louisprimajr.com

 

Here’s what one reviewer had to say about the Louis Prima, Jr. Band: "Louis Sr.’s legacy is in good hands...Louis Jr., with a swinging and rocking band, will “Jive” you crazy with the feel of the wildest show in Las Vegas." - Robin Leach, Vegas Delux.com.

 

The Louis Prima, Jr. Band, which is making its Festa debut, is performing across the nation with vocalist Sara Spiegel. Among their largest venue engagements are ones at the Riviera Theatre and Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, N.Y. on May 19 and at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. on June 20.

 

Prima’s sister, Lena, has previously performed at Milwaukee’s Festa.

 

Also in the Lineup

 

Festa officials have also announced the bookings of the following acts:

 

• Mario Manzini, an escape artist, has performed his “Tribute to Houdini” act all over the United States and Canada. Missouri-based Manzini is known as “The Guinness World Champion Escapologist,” a title he has proudly held for over 25 years.  He performs a family-friendly show complete with illusions, magic, levitation tricks and dramatic escapes.

 

• New York City Opera tenor Matt Morgan has performed with the American Symphony Orchestra, the National Chorale, and the Bard Music Festival.  He is also an accomplished actor, appearing in several stage musicals around the country. 

 

• Aaron Caruso, a classically-trained opera tenor, who specializes in singing classical Italian arias with a twist.  He is known as a combination of “Pavarotti and the Rat Pack.”

 

• The Bronx Wanderers will once again be performing the greatest hits from the ‘50s and today.  Most popular for their rendition of Frankie Valli medleys, the Bronx Wanderers bring an infectious energy to each performance that has garnered them the nickname “The Ultimate Tribute Group.”

 

• Arrival: The ABBA Tribute Band  from Sweden  is making their second straight appearance at Festa Italiana.  Last year, the group performed before standing-room-only crowds.  Arrival has toured in 35 countries and is the only band in the world granted exclusive rights to make exact copies of ABBA design-protected staging clothes.

 

• Dick Contino, “the legendary virtuoso of the accordion” will grace the Festa grounds once again this year.  Contino is famous for his musical stylings of such classics as “Lady of Spain” and “Tico Tico.” This year’s Festa appearance will mark his 33rd in the 35-year history of the festival.

 

• Tenor Chris Macchiois coming back  to Festa for the second year in a row.  A New York native, Macchio released a new album, “Dolci Momenti” (Sweet Moments) which he has spent much of the last year promoting. 

 

• Giada Valenti, a Venetian singer/songwriter, has been busy promoting her latest album, And I Love You So. In October of 2011, she sang the Italian National Anthem at the National Italian American Foundation’s 36th Anniversary Awards Gala in Washington, D.C.  On May 9, Valenti will perform in concert for the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York City.

 

• Chicago-based singer Iliana Incandela, who simply goes by the first name “Iliana.”  A singer, dancer, and actress, she can often be seen performing with her father, singer Enzo Incandela.  She wowed Milwaukee audiences in October of 2011 as the opening act for the ICC-sponsored performance of Il Volo.

Incandela was the 2010 Italo American National Union Foundation David Award winner for Achievement and Professional Promise in the Field of Entertainment.  She had the honor of being named the 2010-2011 Columbus Day Queen by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.

 

• Sandra Mandella, a jazz vocalist and national recording artist, who hails from Milwaukee and still has many relatives and friends in the Milwaukee area.

 

• Dominic Mantuano, a singer who is known for his cabaret-style presentation of the classical songs on Mario Lanza. This will be his third consecutive appearance at Festa.

 

• Frank Tenaglia, an opera and classical singer who hails from Philadelphia, Pa. He is a three-time winner of the Mario Lanza Institute Award.

 

• John Ciotta has been enthralling audiences world-wide for many years
as an entertainer, singer and percussionist. From Atlantic City to Las Vegas, Hong Kong
and Singapore to Europe and Scandinavia, Ciotta has managed to find his way into the hearts of every nationality and culture, no matter how diverse. Whether he's performing in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German (or even
Cantonese and Mandarin), Ciotta’s emotion-charged deliveries and broad appeal
move every member of his audiences right to the heart.

 

• Tony Spavone, a singer who also owns a restaurant bearing his name in Bloomingdale, Ill. A regular in the Festa Italiana lineup, Spavone’s latest CD is titled “With Love.”

 

• Peter Guerin, a Chicago-based singer, who performs a variety of music from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to the best of the ‘60s and ‘70s and his trademark Elvis Presley tribute.

 

Local Acts

 

A variety of acts from southeastern Wisconsin have also been signed for Festa Italiana. They include: the Doo-Wop Daddies, the Russo Brothers, Tom Anthony with the Tom Sorce Band, Tradizione Vivente: The Italian Dance Group of Milwaukee, the Elegant Gypsies, Jayne Taylor, Grace McDonnell, the Festa Regional & Renaissance Dancers, Hadleyand Zola Performance Group.

 

A complete entertainment schedule is expected to be announced soon, including the performance times and stage locations for all acts. As always, the entertainment schedule is subject to change.