Amateur dramatics have never been so lively and stylish in Bagni di Lucca as in last Saturday afternoon’s performance by the local branch of the Red Cross of ‘La Bella e la Bestia’ (Beauty and the Beast) in the utterly packed Teatro Academico.

It’s several years that Croce Rossa volunteers have been putting on a winter show at Bagni di Lucca. I’ve described last year’s one, which was ‘La Sirenetta’ (The Little Mermaid), at:

https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/of-young-mermaids-and-aged-crones/

The combination of song and dance was quite magical and the technical back-up was superb. Every cast member pulled together in a musical enactment of Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve’s fairy tale, written in 1740, which was second to none. Two students from Lucca’s ballet school participated and our friend Roberto Lucchesi, nick-named ‘Coco’, was his inimitable self as the beauty’s dad.

Specially performed for the day of’ La Befana’, the show ended with the star appearance of the Italian children’s favourite witch who distributes sugar and spice and all things nice to them. She was also able to meet my 96 year old mother-in-law who thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.

Well done Croce Rossa Italiana Bagni di Lucca branch.  A volunteer is worth ten pressed men but in your case a volunteer is worth a hundred. I hope you received record donations for your worthy cause from the capacity audience.

Long may your tradition of Befana-celebrating-musicals continue !