Last Show of Season

As we get ready to embark upon the next adventure in Italy, one final show was produced using a compilation of older material acquired over several years. I was going to produce a show focusing on the streets of Rome, but found one of them so interesting, that my focus changed to just that street, the via dei Fori Imperiali. The street which connects the Ancient Roman iconic Coliseum with the Medieval Palazzo Venezia, the venue in which Mussolini spoke from its balcony has played a very large role in my exploration of Rome since my first trip in 1992. In fact it was on this street that I had one of my first Italian meals, as did my wife, and others on the corner of via dei Fori Imperiali and via Cavour. The street has enough history to merit its own special museum right on the avenue. The dichotomy of the splendor of a monumental street for the egomaniacal Mussolini and the destruction he wrought on an historic location is ever present throughout this show. Nonetheless, whether the street continues to become the focal point for millions of visitors to Rome trying to imagine the magnificence of the Ancient World or the current mayor gets his way and recreates the famous avenue remains to be seen. Nonetheless, this is my take on one of the most famous places in Rome.

Meanwhile back at the studio, we knew that there would be no live broadcast due to a problem with a Time Warner problem. The tech people indicated that broadcasting live produces a green screen. Since I never recalled this being an issue before, I once again came to the conclusion that no matter what the problem may be, it will always be unique; a stunning reminder of the ever present challenge of public access that I apparently (and a bit bewilderingly) find so appealing to me! Then we lost our color, but finally everything was straightened out, and off we went with a perfect production, except for some mistakes I made along the way. I don't think I was in a sharp frame of mind considering the various flubs I made in a few places. Probably I had the upcoming trip on my mind, which after 20 years of travel still is a challenge for someone like me. It is complicated anyway traveling on one's own around Italy for two weeks, but throw in my usual bit of anxiety and voila, my mind was diverted for sure. Anyway a nice show, featuring yet another of my favorite topics, streets of Italy, unfolds very nicely.

Off we go back to what a former Italian friend of mine used to call "the homeland" when we spoke and then there will be a hiatus of several weeks, perhaps months, until the new material, whatever that will be, will be broadcast. All I have currently on the drawing board are two shows, Italian Renaissance Art at the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Bridges of Italy. The former is quite ready to go and the latter in its infant stages of development. Plus we never know the status of the new studio which is scheduled to open around now. If we get the go ahead for that, it could take quite a while for the tech people to move everything back in and connect the wires. I will continue to keep my followers posted on the status of Alan's Italy via the Blog. I will probably not be blogging on my Travel Pod site, so this could it for a couple of weeks. Ciao!

In The Heat of the Night

The studio was perhaps 100 degrees when I arrived at 4:35 PM. Ellen indicated that we should perhaps forget tonight, but we trudged on only to find that it became unbearable. I shed my jacket, and tried to deal with the intense heat. There were a few glitches clearly caused by the equipment being too hot as well. Therefore during the show the viewer gets to see some strange things such as close-ups and then a quick reversal on my image, unique fading in and out, a blacked out image of me, colorful lines going every which way. Ellen just asked me if we should do it over, and I said, nah, it's part of the charm and aura of public access and I want to keep it just as it is. In the future, however, it would be folly to try such a thing again, but for health reasons. Ellen and I became physically ill when we got home from the intense and extremely uncomfortable heat.

Meanwhile, the show carried itself through the maze of shopping that makes Florence, Italy not only the center of the Italian Renaissance, repository of some of the greatest art in history, but also what I referred to as "one giant department store." Leather goods, clothing, jewelry, food, and just about anything you can think of is exhibited in every venue, markets, stalls, department stores, along the Ponte Vecchio, via Tournabuoni, via della Scala, piazzas and the sides of the river called Lungarni. Featured is a ten minute video interview of one of the nicest stores in Florence, Dolceforte at number 21 via della Scala. The owner of the food specialty store is Elena who gives a wonderful tour of her amazing gourmet food. I also have a pasta making video from a nearby osteria, and finally a great video of street performers entertaining the people along the via Pallazuolo.

We have one more show, My Favorite Street in Rome, via dei Fori Imperiali, and then we are off to Italy for my 23rd and Laura's 16th trip. Hopefully we will bring back a lot of great stuff. Now I will submerge my body in ice water to cool off.