band playing live arrangements of Italian film scores

Once upon a time in Italy

Music
South Australia • Adelaide Fringe Premiere

Once Upon a Time in Italy' is a series of shows that blend music, cinema and theatre. Choosing from popular movies and hidden gems of Italian cinema from the 1950's-1970's, the Nanni Calandro's Cinematic Gang performs arrangements of the original movie scores, alongside rare visual material. Each song is interwoven with dialogue about the genesis of the movies and scores, anecdotes and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories. The show is a unique, contemporary take on some of the most exciting Italian movies and soundtracks from the last century. Each 'Once Upon a Time in Italy' show creates its own journey, that guides the audience through a cinematic universe made up of stories, sound and vision.

Presented by: Nanni Calandro's Cinematic Gang

Giovanni 'Nanni' Calandro is a musician and educator from Italy based in South Australia. He has a 25-year career as an all-around drummer, playing jazz, funk, blues, rock, reggae, ska, and pop. Italian cinema enthusiast, he earned a Bachelor of Music Performance in Italy with a dissertation titled 'Big Deal on Madonna Street: Jazz as Soundtracks in Italian Style Comedy.' Since 2015, Nanni showcases Italian films and soundtracks with his Cinematic Gang and is excited to bring his new show 'Once Upon a Time in Italy' to the Adelaide Fringe.