NINE - MARIO FRANGOULIS

"MARIO"

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MARIO FRANGOULIS

IN CONCERT

2002

"SOMETIMES I DREAM"

THEATRE OF THE EARTH

THESSALONIKI

GREECE

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Review

Passion, talent, and a voice that will leave you dreaming. I am crossing all fingers and toes in the hope that this amazingly talented young man will receive the recognition that he so deserves. Sometimes I Dream: Live In Concert was filmed in Thessaloniki, Greece at the beautiful Theatre of the Earth. Mario is joined by a lovely orchestra and a couple of different choirs. The audience is made up of all ages, from teenagers to young couples to senior citizens. This is singing at its purist - no overblown pyrotechnics or crazy lighting, no dancers, no smoke. It is a man on a stage, singing with a passion that will leave you almost breathless. While watching Mario sing, you can tell that he feels every note of the music and every emotion that the song addresses. His face, especially his eyes, are so expressive. His training in acting and his experience in theatre (Phantom, Les Miz) have given him an incredible ability to become a different character within each song. The voice of the Moody Blues, Justin Hayward, makes a special appearance to join Mario for Nights In White Satin. Mario gives an introduction for most of the songs. The picture quality and sound are first rate. The concert portion is just about an hour. Mario is an amazing talent and he blows the "competition"  out of the water with his vocal talent, passionate interpretation of songs, and amazing stage presence. He is charming and attractive and will hopefully introduce a new generation to the operatic/pop classical hybrid of music.

(5 STARS)

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EARLY LIFE

Mario was born on 18 December 1967 in Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) of Greek parents. When he was four years old he was sent to Athens, Greece to live with his maternal aunt Loula and her husband George. The couple adored him so much and Mario considered them as his parents. At the age of eight he began singing in various choirs and at the age of eleven he played the part of Issachar in a school production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. This was to be followed by many different roles in several other school theatrical performances, including the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret. At sixteen he played Tony in West Side Story.

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MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL STUDIES

When Mario was six years old, he started violin lessons, which he continued for twelve years, receiving a first prize when he was as young as fourteen. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1984, and although he did not further his violin studies, this particular musical training assisted Frangoulis with his operatic studies later in life.

In 1985 Mario moved to London, where he attended a three-year-long professional acting course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 1988, during his final year, he played Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, a production in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company for the Arundel Festival. Mario played the lead in the James McConnel/Kit Hesketh-Harvey musical Orlando. He was spotted by Cameron Mackintosh, who after an audition offered him the part of Marius in the West End production of Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre (1988–1989) under the direction of Trevor Nunn.

Also in 1989, Mario, who had never studied classical singing, received the Maria Callas Scholarship for Opera. After finishing Les Misérables, Mario moved to Italy where he studied with tenor Carlo Bergonzi at the Verdi Academy in Busseto, graduating six months later. After a successful audition with conductor Nicola Rescigno and the renowned tenor Alfredo Kraus, Frangoulis moved to Rome in 1990 and became Kraus' first private student, traveling with him around the world to study vocal techniques and repertory.

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CAREER AND FURTHER STUDIES

1990 to 1995

In 1991, Mario was invited by Andrew Lloyd Webber to star as Raoul in Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater. The same year, he appeared alongside Montserrat Caballé, Samuel Ramey and the British Youth Opera in the charity gala 'Serenade to a Princess' at the Whitehall Palace, celebrating the birthday of Diana, Princess of Wales.

In 1992, Mario moved to The United States to continue his operatic studies. With the suggestion of his mentor Marilyn Horne, and with the help of the Onassis Scholarship, he completed a three-year long program of vocal courses at the Juilliard School of Music, in New York City, as well as studying with soprano Dodi Protero.

In 1992, Mario also traveled to Liverpool, where he performed in an Opera Gala celebrating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America, hosted by Sir Peter Ustinov. Appearing artists for this event were as well: Montserrat Caballé, Dmitri Hvorostowski, Julia Migenes-Johnson, Dennis O'Neil, Rita Hunter and the late Alfredo Kraus, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus conducted by Robin Stapleton. This was in the presence of His Majesty Juan Carlos of Spain and HM Queen Sophia, and HRH Prince Andrew of England.

In the summer of the same year, along with stars of the Greek National Opera, he sang at the Athens Concert Hall in an opera gala dedicated to the memory of Maria Callas. In the summer of 1993, Frangoulis returned to the role of Marius as he starred in a touring cast of Les Misérables, at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. In 1994 he was the first Greek to become a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti International Competition.

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1995 to TODAY

Thus, a most extraordinary and illustrious career of tours and concerts and theatrical performances over the course of over thirty years...which still continues! Over the course of his long career Mario has also performed for dozens of major charity functions. So for all of his world-wide fans...the magic continues!

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MARIO

FRANGOULIS

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"THE CONCERT"

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LUNA ROSA

(1)

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BUONGIORNO PRINCIPESSA

(2)

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NON SARA

(3)

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VINCERO PERDERO

(4)

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TON EAFTO TOU PAIDI

(5)

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HIJO DE LA LUNA

(6)

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"NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN"

NOTTE DI LUCE

(7)

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A LA LUNA DE VALENCIA

(8)

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"NIGHT WANTS TO FORGET"

(9)

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NATURALEZA MUERTA

(10)

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"SOMETIMES I DREAM"

(11)

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ENCORE!  ENCORE!

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THE FOLLOWING SONG WAS NOT IN

THE LIVE CONCERT OR DVD.

IT IS ON THE CD.

CANZONE ARRABBIATA

(12)

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DVD

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CD

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Published by

WORDS OF WILLIAM™

©2018

     William F. Carawan

      "Poetry Guy"

All rights reserved

Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.

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 COMMENT SECTION

I interviewed and hired a blue cow (see picture below) with a one of a kind attitude! Her name is Sally, although she says "sassy" is what most people call her...and I can understand why.

She recently arrived in the USA from a very tiny country called Kows'r'blu. In fact it is so tiny...that no one seems to know where it is located. Sally says its' one claim to fame is a small population (or herd) of blue cows which are not found anywhere else in the world. She says that makes her very rare and special! And I might add...seems to be the main cause of her attitude.

Sally has agreed to manage the "Comment Section" of my blog. She will get paid by commission based strictly on the tally of comments for that months' blog post. She seems to think that her attitude will be a big help in reaching that goal. And I can only imagine that it certainly will.

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