2024-25 Season
After the triennium dedicated to the nature that surround us, from water to space, passing through the earth, Teatro Sociale di Como is ready to dedicate the next three Seasons to Mankind. Everything starts with the 2024/25 Season entitled Humanity.
Humanity aims to focus on those who inhabit our planet, a world made out of different people, different languages and traditions, with the aim of promoting comprehension, respect and the establishment of opened relations between various communities.
Humanity, a dense and multifaceted word, calls us to question what makes us as such, what defines our experience in the world. It is not a static definition, instead a constantly evolving concept, shaped by our actions, by our interaction and by the issues we find ourselves dealing with, a mosaic full of experiences and opportunities.
Humanity is confronted with complex and interconnected challenges, such as climate change, social inequalities, wars and threats to democracy. Facing them requires a common commitment, based on cooperation, solidarity and the search for innovative solutions.
Humanity is also the bearer of an immense potential for goodness. Our capacity for innovation, creativity, compassion and resilience allows us to overcome difficulties and build a more fair and sustainable world.
The 2024/25 Season has the aim of reflecting on its meaning, by embarking on a journey to discover ourselves, others and our place in the word. A trip that invites us to cultivate values that make us human and to create a better future for everyone.
Therefore the programming will host International companies and authors all coming from various parts of the world, who will bring music and art from their Countries to Como; the shows proposed will address different and increasingly topical themes, such as active ageing, disability, gender affirmation, environmental and social sustainability.
Two events will introduce the 2024/25 Season in September.
After the great success of last Season, Bianchi Group once again renews its decade-long support for culture and theatre, returning to place a container in Piazza Verdi, with an immersive video-installation inside curated by OLO creative farm, titled Ark. A molecular journey between cosmos and humanity.
In the Foyer will be set up Human Touch, a photographic exhibition by Gin Angri, from which the cover image of the Humanity Season was chosen. The photographer, born in Como, has always found trough photography the most immediate way to get into things and narrate others, just as a kind of pass. A great expert in “social photography”, he often aims his lens at those whom society relegates to the excluded or invisible. Human touch is the caress that Angri feels he receives when he photographs those situations that are sometimes harsh, difficult and put on the fringe, but from which that humanity that is otherwise often difficult to grasp leaks out, as a caress is the image of a little girl offering him a necklace of jasmine flowers.
Humanity is a complex and fascinating kaleidoscope of countless facets. Lella Costa, actress and writer, this season’s testimonial, will talk about it on the evening of 2 October, with free admission.
Different cultural expression will be welcomed to Teatro Sociale, each with its own traditions and costumes, such as Jakarta Concert Orchestra (October 25th), one of the most prestigious professional orchestras in Indonesia, that will perform together with the Batavia Madrigal Singer choir. Sentieri (23 January) will be a concert ranging from Israeli to Salento music, from ancient to traditional music and experimentation, featuring Israeli mandolin player Avi Avital, the great cellist Giovanni Sollima, Alessia Tondo, one of the most important voices on the music scene in Apulia, and Luca Tarantino on guitar and theorbo. And again, the Arcadia Orchestra (9 March) will offer an interesting combination of contemporary and classical works by Swiss composers, while Chinese Spring (12 May) will present a series of lyrical and traditional melodies, performed by Liao Changyong, the most illustrious baritone in modern China and internationally renowned opera performer, accompanied on piano by Hartmut Höll.
As for the dance, the National Opera of Ukraine’s Ballet, one of the most distinguished Europeans companies, will stage Giselle (October 24th), the famous masterpiece on Adolphe Adam’s music, besides Fernando Anuang’a, renowned Kenyan artist that has given a significant contribution to dance for its unique artistic expression, with the solo We are nomads (25 February) expands the boundaries of traditional dance and questions those who are searching for something, like nomads who go in search of new pastures.
Humanity unfolds, through the performances, topics that are being addressed all around the world.
From disability pointed out in the Opera Rigoletto (November 28th -30th), directed by Matteo Marziano Graziano, young avant-garde opera director, known for his artistic, innovative and transformative approach, up to disability that is instead overcomed by different actors and musicians of Othello Circus (October 26th -27th ), show full of stories of redemption, of men and women that finally get to be something else instead of only being identified by their disease or their pathology.
Different ages and problems related to them are discussed on the one hand by Age Pride (October 18), which states that seniority doesn’t have to be frightful, and part, on the other the young award-winning Niccolò Fettarappa and Lorenzo Guerrieri with Sparanoia (April 15th) narrate young people struggle to find their own path; Marco Paolini with Boomers (8 April) talks about real life memories transformed into virtual realities in the present day.
With the performance La madre di Eva (february 20th) Stefania Rocca talks about the strong generational contrast and transgender themes explained from the point of view of those who are directly concearned.
The cinema evening Photograms of Humanity (22 February) will also be in theme with the Season, with film screenings in collaboration with the Circolo Arci Xanadù.
Obviously there will be no shortage of OPERA, that will inaugurate the Season with La bohème of Puccini (September 26th -28th), with the setup of the creative team, winner of the tender dedicated to under35s for the selection of a directing project, therefore entrusted to Maria Luisa Bafunno, while M° Riccardo Bisatti will be conducting. Andrea Chénier (November 15th -17th) of Umberto Giordano, that will entrusts the direction to Andrea Cigni and the lead to M° Francesco Pasqualetti. Following the already mentioned Rigoletto. After Le nozze di Figaro staged in the OperaLombardia’s theatres in 2015/16 Season, and Don Giovanni in 2022/23 Season, Così fan tutte (December 13th -15th) closes the Mozart-Da Ponte triptych in the historic setting productions of Mario Martone, M° Federico Maria Sardelli being the director. Lastly I Capuleti e i Montecchi of Vincenzo Bellini (January 17th -19th), with the new setting productions edited by Andrea De Rosa, directed by M° Sebastiano Rolli, and Caterina Sala, winner of AsLiCo Competition, as the main actress.
The PROSE will begin with La locandiera by Goldoni (October 29th -30th) which Antonio Latella puts on stage in a contemporary setup, produced by Teatro Stabile dell’Umbria that will also bring to Como Il giardino dei ciliegi by Čechov (December 18th -19th).
In addition to the classic genre subscriptions and the tried-and-tested dynamic subscriptions, the various ‘formulas’ to make the theatre experience the theatre in a different way, especially for younger audiences, also continue.
For young theatregoers from 18 to 30 years old, we have created the Under30 Subscription, selecting 6 shows of different genres – at only 60€ – each linked to tailor-made evenings, such as games, aftershows, aperitifs, insights, etc., in collaboration with local juvenile associations, to which each subscription evening is linked.
For UNDER40s there is the 4x40Under40 club, a subscription for four evenings reserved for only 40 people up to 40 years of age, again in collaboration with RIVO Gin! Like a small private club, four evenings to share, starting with an aperitif and then moving on to the show.
NEW IN
Among the new features of this Season, a particular mention goes to TSC CLUB: three concerts on the Theatre stage, which the public will be able to attend while sipping a drink just like in a live music venue, but surrounded by the magic of a nineteenth-century theatre. Appointment at the club, then, on January 9th, February 27th and April 17th.
For the first time, Como becomes satellite of BookCity Milano, widespread and participatory book fair, aimed at promoting the world of book and reading. The thirteenth edition will be held in many places in Milan and the province, and from this year also in Como, from 11th to 17th November, in collaboration with Parolario. The main event in Como will be at the theatre: On 14 November, Nello Scavo, international reporter, war correspondent and writer, will present his new investigative-reportage book.
Teatro Sociale “launches” itself into the world of podcasts with the creation of Un caffè all’opera, with support by Caffè Milani. Six episodes, 15 minutes each, dedicated to the five titles of the Opera Season (La bohème, Andrea Chénier, Rigoletto, Cosi fan tutte, I Capuleti e i Montecchi) plus a “bonus” dedicated to Falstaff, the opera chosen by Opera Education for the 2024/25 projects.
The voice and curator of the podcast will be Valentina Anzani of Opera Meet.
The Season of Teatro Sociale Como, promoted in collaboration with the Società dei Palchettisti and the Municipality of Como, with the support of the Lombardy Region, the Ministry of Culture and the Cariplo Foundation, is all this and more.
Musicals, dance, concerts, meetings, family shows, a Season that embraces all genres to satisfy every type of audience.
The complete calendar on www.teatrosocialecomo.it.
Browse the programme as PDF