Famous Italian Tenor, Joseph Spinella, Opens Mystical Magic and Music Show in Venice, Florida

SARASOTA, FL, February 19, 2013 (Press-News.org) Joseph Spinella, international tenor sensation, performs a special music and magic show in Venice, Florida for 16 shows starting on March 7, 2013. Returning from his recording sessions with the Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Spinella sings classic Neapolitan songs from his latest album and performs exhilarating magic illusions on-stage.

The show starts out with a spot-on impersonation of Luciano Pavarotti and goes into a quick-change to a Venetian gondola. He sings in this magnificent tenor voice and performs magic as his assistant comes on stage and then disappears before your very eyes.

The story line starts out: Boy meets girl. Girl runs away. Boy finds girl. Momma has problem with girl. Boy marries girl anyway. Girl cheats on boy. Boy attempts to kill girl. Boy gets beheaded. Somehow the tarantella dancers and the hand-balancing strength acrobats from Cirque du Soleil fit in. The specter of death and a Chinese dragon dance is thrown in for good measure. Then a big finale rounds out the show.

The show is delightfully entertaining with a stream of consciousness theatrical flair enveloping the entire show. It all works, but how it works is something you'll have to find out for yourself. The music is incredible and was especially formulated with the Emmy-award winning Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra in Skopje. The sound system and lighting are impeccable.

Already producers and theater booking agents are calling about the show. Groups and organizations are purchasing tickets and coming in to see the show by the busload.

So how does an original Jersey boy, born in Paterson, NJ end up as a renowned opera singer who performs magic in Florida? It all started when he enrolled at community college. He was a percussionist major and wanted to become a drummer.

"Even as a child, I was always fascinated with the drums," Spinella recalls. "Every time I would hear a band, I could feel the beat of the drums."

The college had a required voice class for all musicians getting a degree in music. When Joe sang, the professors knew he had something special. The college's director of voice, Alex Lewis, urged him to pursue a singing career.

The professors arranged for an audition; and Joe was awarded a scholarship at the prestigious Manhattan School of music in New York City. Thus began his vocal training and his performing career. He appeared in light-hearted operas such as 'Orpheus and Eurydice' and more dramatic pieces such as 'Lucia di Lammermoor.'

As a young student, Joe went backstage to a performance that Luciano Pavarotti had given. Pavarotti always seemed to have time for his fans and even signed Joe's program. "I spoke to Pavarotti in my Sicilian dialect," recalled Joe. "And I told him I was studying to be an opera singer. He was very gracious with his time, and he gave me one bit of good advice. He said, 'You must practice your Italian every day and always speak the good Italian.' Something I remember to this day. I always watch my language skills. I craft the pronunciation and diction on all my songs - even the ones where the regional dialect is intrinsic to the song."

But getting back to the story, after graduating from Manhattan school of music, Joe's singing career started to take off. He did concert performances world-wide and garnered a large following overseas. He sings in six different languages and has been invited as guest soloist by many symphony orchestras, most notably the Israeli Philharmonic under the baton of famed-conductor, Zubin Mehta. Through his concerts, he connected with the Emmy-award winning Macedonia Radio Symphony, which later provided the orchestrations for his albums and shows.

In addition to performing, Joe is also a vocal coach for young students. He is an ardent believer in preserving the tradition of classical music and is constantly introducing younger audiences to classical and operatic works. He feels a classical voice training enhances vocal skills, no matter what genre of music the student ultimately chooses.

All the concerts and performances eventually led Joseph to being discovered by Paul Nadler, one of the Metropolitan Opera conductors. It's rare to find someone with the superlative vocal characteristics demanded by the New York Metropolitan Opera. Yet after hearing Joe's voice, Nadler invited Joe to work with the Met's opera coaches in NYC. He was introduced to Joan Dorneman, Luciano Pavarotti's vocal coach of thirty years. This began his regular coaching sessions with her.

In the meantime, demand for his shows was growing. One night while performing in a restaurant, Joe did some magic tricks to add a touch of levity to the songs. The audience laughed; and at the end of the show, he received a standing ovation.

"Well, magic was my other childhood love," he explains. "Magic and drums. I was always fooling around with cards and magic tricks, making my sisters and Nonna laugh. And I was a professional magician and percussionist thru my college years, but gave it up to pursue a vocal career."

So the concept of combining magic and classical music into the 'illusionAria' show was born. Two years in the making, it began with an album of music and orchestral scores to be used in the show. One of his fans even commented on YouTube that his voice was "better than Pavarotti." When questioned about comments like these, Joe laughs.

"It's a great compliment," he says smilingly. "I'm happy people like my music. And I do perform an homage or impression, if you want to call it that, of Pavarotti in the show. But I think he was one of a kind."

Yet, Joe has a distinct power and strength of voice that is evident the moment he begins to sing. The 'squillo' is unmistakable. In old Italy, they referred to 'chiaroscuro,' which literally means light-dark. Musically, the tone produced is a clear harmonic with bright overtones while simultaneously adding depth into the sound. The ability to do this properly requires years of training and a precise control of the larynx. While difficult to explain technically, the incomparable characteristics of his voice are easy to recognize by listening. Fans habitually say they feel goose bumps when he sings, even when listening to his recordings.

His album, Tenor of Illusions, was released in 2011 and became the musical basis for his 'illusionAria' show. However, the other half of the show still had to be created. Special magic tricks had to be custom-made to specific requirements and built by craftsman familiar with magic props.

Storage and transportation of the illusions requires special attention. It takes a semi-truck to load and deliver the majority of props. He also has to employ a skilled carpenter for smaller props to be used onstage.

In the summer of 2012, Joe had a serendipitous meeting with Joe Vulpis. Joe Vulpis is an extraordinary songwriter and music producer who has written songs for Bon Jovi, Al Martino, Garth Brooks and Lady Gaga, among others.

Vulpis wrote a new song, 'Trust in Me,' which Joe Spinella loved and recorded at Avatar Studios in New York. Again, the orchestration was recorded in Macedonia and the song was released in February 2013. The song was so perfect for 'illusionAria' that it was inserted into the show during the try-outs.

'illusionAria' is a big-stage production; and a special arena is being erected with a 650-seating capacity for the show. The stage is custom-built for the show; and special equipment is required for the lighting director, musical director, soundstage director, costumer - not to mention a few cast members. Final rehearsals for the show began the first week of February. The show combines powerful, tenor vocals and orchestral music with jaw-dropping magic illusions and the gravity-defying hand-balancing act from Cirque du Soleil. Imagine Pavarotti meets David Copperfield at Cirque du Soleil during a folk dance festival. It is innovative and unlike any other show today.

It's a musical journey where magic illuminates the meaning of each song. Although the repertoire is mostly Italian, the imagery of the costumes and illusions perfectly illustrate the emotions and feelings of each song.

"My goal is for people leave the show feeling better than they did when they first came in," admits Joe. "The show is light-hearted and uplifting, although it does have a few dramatic moments. But the music is so beautiful. The songs are some of the most frequently requested songs whenever I perform concerts. So I'm hoping that they are also favorites for the audience, as well. And the magic just makes everything more memorable."

'illusionAria' is set to open on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at the illusionAria Theater, located at 1687 US Highway 41 Bypass S. in Venice, Florida. Tickets for the show are $40 for front row seating, $30 for center stadium seating and $20 for side stadium seating. Part of the proceeds goes to Venice Circus Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization helping to preserve the historic Venice Circus Arena. Call 941-275-4150 for show information. The show starts at 7:30 pm and doors open at 6:30 pm. Matinees start at 1:30 pm. Tickets can be ordered online at http://illusionaria.ticketleap.com/

Songs from show are available on his CD, 'Spinella Tenor of Illusions.' The CD, available on Amazon.com and iTunes, has been featured on various radio stations in the U.S. The album features poperatic arias and traditional music that exemplifies classic Neapolitan songs. Backed by the Emmy-award winning, Macedonia Radio Symphony Orchestra, this all-Italian album contains 13 songs and displays Spinella's mastery of bell'arte del canto.

Spinella Tenor of Illusions, is managed by Pava Nella Entertainment, whose mission is to deliver quality entertainment through music and magic to our customers and fans. For further information or to schedule events, please contact Pava Nella Entertainment at 941-587-2192. For additional information on upcoming tour dates and concerts, please join us on http://www.SpinellaTenorofIllusions.com and like us on http://tinyurl.com/FB-Tenor !