From theater to cinema, opera to circus, stand-up comedy, concerts, and park readings, Villa Venier welcomes the arts with Palco Venier, Sommacampagna’s cultural festival. This year’s edition will include 40 events with varied activities. The extensive program, which was presented yesterday at Custoza’s Villa Vento restaurant, is the product of different cooperations between the Municipality of Sommacampagna, ArteVen, Verona Box Office, Verona Green MovieLand, and the Scuola di Musica e Teatro Antonio Salieri.
First highlights
One of the early highlights is the theater-musical production “Noi Veneti,” which will enliven Sommacampagna tonight, Thursday, June 27. David Conati, Giordano Bruno Tedeschi, Marco Pasetto, and Gianluca Passarelli will lead a funny musical voyage through the virtues and vices of Veneto’s past and present. Circo Bipolar will perform “Café Rouge,” a variety show with acrobatic circus acts, street theater, and a mix of lyrical and comic elements, on Thursday, July 4.
Music, theater, and park readings
The festival also has several musical activities. On Thursday, July 18, the piano pair Laura and Beatrice Puiu will play at the thirteenth edition of “The Energy of Music – FUEGO español.” The program continues on Saturday, July 20, with the Bifo Band & Friends giving the memorial performance “Una notte per Bifo,” in memory of Claudio Bassi, also known as “Bifo.” The Verona singer-songwriter Gilberto Lamacchi will return to Palco Venier on Saturday, July 27, with the show “E spararono al cantautore,” which will include songs by Lucio Dalla, Francesco De Gregori, Roberto Vecchioni, Ivano Fossati, and Fabrizio De André.
On Thursday, July 26th, the theatrical troupe El Gavetin will present its new amusing comedy “La sfortuna di chiamarsi Felice.”
Unique Triveneto stops: Giorgia Fumo and Gio Evan at Villa Venier
Another important tandem is with the Verona Box Office. Villa Venier will host comic Giorgia Fumo and artist Gio Evan on Tuesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July 17, respectively, with tickets practically sold out. The first evening will take the audience on a funny tour through the lives of today’s thirty-somethings; the show is part of the seventh edition of “Venerazioni,” a female-centric festival highlighting the various talents of modern Venuses. Fumo will tell about millennials managing workplace life, social media breakups, weddings, irritable coworkers, decluttering, and personal development.
Gio Evan will perform “Moksa Bar,” a blend of music, stand-up comedy, and poetry about bathers, rescues, holidays, and oceans to live by, on Wednesday, July 17. Following the theatrical tour “Fragile/Inossidabile,” which sold out 16/16 shows, the singer-songwriter will focus on universal themes such as love, sorrow, perseverance, and hope.
AI and sustainability in cinema: four days of screenings and meetings at the first edition of Sommacampagna Film Festival
From July 10 to July 13, Palco Venier will host the Sommacampagna Film Festival, a new addition to the Verona Green MovieLand program. In addition to the movies that will fill the festival’s four evenings, there will be expert discussions, author encounters, and music. The speakers include RAI journalist Barbara Carfagna, movie influencer Mattia Ferrari, and director Eleonora Errico. The festival, directed by Nicolò Bottura of Movie Pillows (The Cinema Community), is organized by My Planet 2050 APS, the promoter association of VGML (Verona Green Movie Land), and the Municipality of Sommacampagna, with collaboration from local entities such as the Antonio Salieri School of Music and Theater.
Palco Venier at the Antica Fiera di Sommacampagna
More music and comedy will be performed from August 23 to 27 at Piazza Castello and other venues across Sommacampagna. Following an evening with the Corpo Bandistico di Sommacampagna on Friday, August 23, the TeatroImmagine company from Salzano (Ve) will perform a humorous and superb Veneto’s rendition of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, adapted in the style of “Commedia dell’Arte.” On Sunday, August 25, there will be a concert with “EUSEBIO MARTINELLI GIPSY ORKESTAR,” and on Monday, August 26, a children’s show called “Stravaganza Magica.” Lastly, on Tuesday, August 27, the modern circus will return with the show “Terra!” A journey through air and fire, discovering a new world.”
New musical festival: “Hi-Fi Live Festival in Villa Venier 2024”
Palco Venier will continue until September when three music evenings will be held, each featuring an exceptional tribute band: the Division Band with “The Wall” (September 6), Samantha Iorio with “Remembering Whitney” (September 7), and PDEX with Pino Daniele Experience (September 8).
