NEW YORK. After last May’s debut with Incredible Stories by Aldo Nicolaj, as of October 16th Italytime starts its ongoing activities on the stage of Our Lady of Pompeii Theater, which is at last the theatrical home that its Artistic Director Vittorio Capotorto has always been looking for in the Big Apple and that will soon become the new Italian Cultural Center of New York.

And he does it, as always, with an original show, “Performances in Color, ” with the presence of the pianist Philip Carroll, the actors Nedra Morgan, Fulvio Della Volta, Joanna Milstein and Maureen González, the mezzo soprano Benedetta Orsi, the dancer Francesca Silvano, and the painters Lisa Zaccaria and Matthew Lahm.

The originality and, thus, the new spectacular nature of the event, materialize in the painter’s creation of a painting on stage while being observed by the audience. The painter will be inspired by the performances that take place around him during about 90 minutes and at the end he’ll show his finished work of art.

The performances offered to the audience will include dance, music, acting, and singing, alternating between classic and modern, and stimulating the painter’s fantasy in the composition of an unrivaled painting because of its uniqueness and preciousness.

In fact, and this is the “multicolored” cherry on top (which is the reason for the title “Performances in Color”), at the end of the show the painting, signed and dated, will be auctioned among the public, to whom refreshments will be offered.

It is without a doubt a unique experience, as it offers the possibility of taking to your home an unparalleled painting whose creation you have observed with your own eyes.

For the painters this is an unusual challenge since everything happens in a contest contrary to the creative process of painting, which usually requires an intimate setting.

“When I paint I generally find myself following a flow of inspirations, thoughts, and experiences—says Lisa Zaccaria—letting the paintbrush move spontaneously, like if it were following impulses from the subconscious, finding its language in each of the forms. The live performance is an unknown, an adventure, another occasion to emanate colors and forms that dance in my imagination, giving them the needed space to tell us a story from their point of view”. For Matthew Lahm “the effect music has on me when I paint helps me to seize the moment’s intuition completely. When I paint this way the canvas paints itself. I feel like if I’m running, chasing what is happening at the moment. The image tells me what’s in there. The show’s music and ambiance translate themselves into the visual elements of the painting. The musical movements are the colors, the forms, and the peculiarities of my painting style.”

When asked about the reason why he has chosen to open the Fall Season with this show, Capotorto points out that “‘Performances in Color’ announces in advance the program that Italytime will present in the coming years. In other words, a series of initiatives that include acting, dancing, music, singing, a drama school in Italian, teaching Italian through theater, workshops for children, painting and photo exhibits, and Italian cinema somewhat unknown to the general public. We will also give space and voice to young and new artists and authors.”

The performances will take place on Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th of October and Friday the 6th and Saturday the 7th of November, at 8:00 p.m. (238 Bleecker Street, and Carmine Street).

For information and reservations: BUY TICKETS HERE