DR MBarnum et al (et frank et louie et joe...) - I used to play for the annual dinner of the National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF) here in DC. Quite the big to-do. Usually some major celebrity (Tony Bennett, Stanley Tucci (soooo sexy in person), etc.) was featured/honored, and a U.S. President would appear - in person or by videotape. It was a full day affair. A medium-sized luncheon, and a major-sized dinner that evening in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton - or the "Hinckley Hilton" as it unfortunately has come to be called by some of the locals. Well...
Part of the day's entertainment consisted of a few selections sung by some young, up-and-coming opera singers. And these talented young men and women were chosen by none other than Ms. Sergio Franchi - Eva Franchi. And I was the accompanist for them.
Putting the whole "show" together was quite the ordeal - but fun. Lots of phone calls from Ms. Franchi about who was singing, and what they were singing.. or might be singing. Then the day would arrive, and we would rehearse at 10:00am, and she would tell us what to sing and not to sing. Then we would perform a few numbers at the luncheon - where she would present the very generous scholarship checks to the singers. Then we would wait around - or go back to wherever - before returning that evening to perform at the dinner.
The dinner was always very "interesting"... and for some strange reason, they would always put us in a weird slot. One year we were scheduled after some "cultural dance" demonstration - the tarantella - the tarantula dance. Well, the dancers performed/demonstrated it... then performed/demonstrated it again... Then they got audience volunteers up on stage to dance with them... First the children... Then more children... Then the adults... Then more adults... Then the adults and the children... So... about an hour(!) later we finally went on. Of course, by this time, most of the audience was leaving and/or too tired out by the dancing, or, worse yet, talking about how cute/stupid/handsome/gawky they looked while dancing. *And earlier in the evening that had supped on some major amounts of food, and danced to the current configuration of the Louis Prima Big Band - those cats really know how to swing! They wouldn't even get quiet during the introductions! In any case, the singers sang, I played for them, then we went home.
Oh - I was talking about Ms. Franchi... She really was/is quite the bundle of enegy, and still very devoted to her husband and his work after his death. If I remember correctly, if she had not lobbied RCA so actively, they would not have had released any his recordings on CD - even though he was a best-selling artist for them on vinyl, and there was interest from the general public to have his recordings transferred to CD. And the Sergio Franchi Foundation still grants scholarships to deserving young singers every year.
*Sidebar: Each of the singers I accompanied when I did these functions has gone on to some nice careers at La Scala, The Met, etc. I can say, "I played for them when..."
