PROGRAMMA
Masters of Ceremony
Delia Socci Skidmore and Netta Mallozzi
Music provided by – Keyboard: -Bruno Macari
Accordion: - Joe Socci
Netta: welcome everybody – Introduce Delia
Delia: Delia give background on Italian costumes.
Italy and it’s Regions is as colorful and as diversified as they come - and this diversity
is reflected in it’s antichi costume they wore. Each Region is divided by
Provinces and each town has something that distinguished them in the way they dressed. Some towns favor brilliant colors others more subdued ones. Even the Jewelry they wear varies from town to town .
From the northern regions, the middle, the south and even the island of Sicily we will present costumes that reflect their colorful ways and fashion. Pausa.
This will be followed by a presentation of modern fashion hosted by The
“Dress Barn of Stamford.”
And of course no Italian show would be completed without dancing of the Tarantella. Ladies and Gentlemen: The
GRUPPO FOLCORISTICO MINTURNESE
PERFORMING “TARANTELLA NAPOLETANA”.
After performance dancers go backstage to prepare for modeling
Delia will tell personal story of high heels shoes.
Delia: when I came over many, many moons ago, (looking around) yes I see many of you here tonight that came around the time I did. Remember that day when we landed in the bay of New York? Well I remember very well.
It was on a Thursday morning, cloudy and humid.
Before I left, my mother had bough me my first pair of high heels shoes. They were black lather -hand made pointy toes much like the ones that are in stile now. I also had a two-piece suit of blue color and I was to wear it with the new shoes the day I arrived in New York. That day before we went ashore I dressed with care. I had to make a good impression my mother said, no body should say I was not in stile.
When I prepared to disembark the boat: “Christoforo Colombo”, I looked at myself and pleased with my appearance, I thought God who I was!
When we arrived at the home of my aunt and uncle, the relatives my father and I would live with, they all looked at my shoes but said nothing.
The first Sunday in America I asked my cousin Lenny if he would walk me to church. He agreed.
The church was the famous Sacred Heart Church of Stamford commonly as the Italian Church and only a short distance from the house.
Of course I wore the black high heels shoes, the blue suit and a ridiculous
Black hat my aunt made me wear.
In the church I set in the first row of pews but my cousin disappeared I don’t know where.
After Mass I went outside and was relieved to find that Lenny was waiting for me.
He started walking head of me with great strides and so fast I had trouble keeping up with him. When we got home, my now new home, I saw Lenny whisper something to his mother, my aunt Giovannina. They could have spoken as loud as they wanted I did not understand a word of English.
But I knew that whatever they were talking about had something to do with me. Some time later my aunt Giovannina called me by her side and told me that I could no longer wear the black shoes. Stunned, I asked: why? She said that Lenny was embarrassed to walk with me because I looked like “I just got off the boat”:
“I did!” I said,“three days ago.” Well there was no arguing with her “this is America” she said. Apparently Lenny’s friends had teased him about “his cousin, Delia just off the boat. And at church that Sunday, too embarrassed to be seen with me, went upstairs with the chorus even if he did not know how to sing.
A few days later we went down town Stamford. The center of Stamford commonly called “ The Village” “Yes you remember Down Town” I said addressing the present. The Mall had not been invented yet. We went to the shoe stores, I tried many pairs but I did not like any of them. Finally after much agonizing I settled on a pair of white sandals. I remember like now I paid $1.99 for them.
Now I had a pair of plastic sandals, machine sewed and low heels and a pair of fine Italian lather shoes beautifully handmade with heels. There was no comparing the two. But this was America and the plastic shoes were in stile. I put the black leather shoes away in the closet. I noticed the young teen age girls dressed in ankle long puffy skirts. Under the skirt they wore wide crinoline, which made the skirts very wide falling from the tiny waste line.
They were very beautiful I though. I began to think about
that and wandered how I could get one of those ample crinolines .
I did not know it yet but my Americanization had already started.
Two years passed and now I too had ample skirts flat shoes and bobby socks. And guess what was the latest stiles of shoes? You guessed it, high heels pointy toe imported from Italy. Soooooooo two years later I dusted off my Italian high heels shoes put them back on again and was in stile and did not look like “I just got off the boat”. Many of the present applauded because that had similar experiences when they first came in America, others laughed amused.
(“Just got off the boat” was a derogatory phrase used to describe low class, dirty immigrants that landed at Ellis Island many years ago)
The Models Are Ready To Start
First model: Laurie Lombardi escorted by her proud father .
Costume from North Italy Piemonte/Lombardia
Joe Socci accompanies model with the accordion playing “Piemontesina”
The model stops on the stage –Netta Mallozzi describes the various parts of the costum.
Second Model: Rina Vitti e Giovanni De Rubies in costum Settefratese .
SETTEFRATI:To the southeast of Rome, a small region called Ciociaria is home to some of the most striking and unspoiled landscape in Latium. The hills and prestine valleys are often thickly wooded dotted with little lakes and rivers that reflect the deep blue Skies and allow for some remarkable natural sightseeing.It is in the REGION OF LAZIO this is where FEDERAZIONE LAZIALI D”AMERICA takes it’s name. Roma besides being the Capital of Italy it is also the capital of Lazio Region.The Ciociaria or Comino Valle is where you’ll find The ancient Monastery of MONTE CASSINO FOUNDED BY SAN BENEDICT. This is also the Region where you’LL FIND A LITTLE TOWN CALLED SETTEFRATI or SETTE FRATELLI or SEVEN BROTHERS.It’s been called all those names. Settefrati (show picture) To all settefratesi living abroad, Settefrati is the most beautiful place in the world. It is build on the side of a mountain and offers a breathtaking view of the Valley below. The green wooded mountains are crossed with natural green pathways where ancient Faggi grow tall and nature is protected. The Melfa River runs across the Valle of Canneto. At times the river seems to disappear suddenly only to reappear further down in the form of beautiful “cascatelle”.
Delia describes the costume:
The shoe characteristics of the Central Region Costume is the soft black leather “CIOCIE” .The ciocia is an ancient kind of shoe, with a simple and primitive form, that doesn't wrap completely the foot, because the upper part is open. The foot is anchored to the ciocia by an interlacement of leather laces, inserted in special side holes; so the foot sticks to this special "sandal making it sure and comfortable. This type of shoes wore worn by shepherds and local farmers.
Another symbol of Ciociara is a copper amphora called "Conca", used in the old times by our ancestors, to carry water from the fountains, when there was no running water inside houses; such containers are still made today by the artisans of the area. The conca is carried on the head and was held in place by olling a rag tightely on top of the head and balancing the conca on it.
It always amazed me how they carried it on their heads with poise e confidence without holding it. The settefratese costume consist of a long pleated skirt and sleeveless bodice, blouse and apron. Under the bodice a white blouse with ample pleated sleeves. The front of the blouse was finely embroidered by hand as were the end of the sleeves. The bodice closes in front with regular safety pins. The reason for safety pins is simple: When young women married and had babies it was easy to undo the pins and nurse the baby. A scarf called “SCOLLA” was worn over the bodice. The “scolla” was made with a silk ribbon and fine handmade lace. It decorated the front of the bodice and covered the safety pins. A black pleated apron called “zinale” covered the front and completed the costume.
A pair of old ciocie.
CONCA
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Bruno plays: “il fazzolettino” and Joe: “ quel mazzolin di fiori “
Third: Maria Pensiero in costume minturnese or “campagnola” escorted by Nicola Corrente.
While model shows the dress Bruno sings “ Reginella Campagnola”
Forth: Josie Anne Masotti in “pacchiana minturnese”escorted by Mark Orsaia.
Fifth: Natasha Russo in costume calabrese escorted by Tony Conte
Joe plays “ Calabrisella”
Sixth Model: Tina Orgiera escorted by Nicola Corrente.
Bruno: Sciuri Sciuri ~~~~and accordion alternating.
Netta: Tina Orgiera is wearing a Sicilian costume. Because of an obvious Spanish influence
The Sicilian woman wears a most striking and colorful costume. The full skirt is made of silk taffeta with three bands of embroidered ribbons. A short lace apron covers the front. The bodice in black velvet is also decorated with splendid embroidery. The mantellina covers the head and shoulder completes the outfit. Nicola Corrente models the men’s outfit which consist of knee breeches knitted stockings, full sleeved shirt and stoking cap.
This ends the first part of the show. The second part will be a presentation of modern fashion
Presented by: “ DRESS BARN” of STAMFORD.
Joe and Bruno will play a medley .
Delia: introduces second part: And now for the modern woman we present modern fashion from “Dress Barn” of Stamford. Take it away Dress Barn!
Bruno: plays soft background music.
Yong women model spring and summer attire
The show ends with applauses and standing ovation for the models the musicians and organizers.