June 2016 Italian Times

Page 1

ITALIAN TIMES THE

Published 11 times annually by the Italian Community Center 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 www.ICCMilwaukee.com JUNE 2016 • VOL. 38, NO. 1

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Cirque Italia coming to ICC’s free Courtyard ICC grounds June 3-5 Music Series gets

underway on June 9

Cirque Italia – the first traveling water circus in the United States – will be making a return visit to the Italian Community Center grounds, Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5. Tickets for Cirque Italia’s amazing and magical shows are available now. Details on obtaining tickets and the shows can be found inside this issue. A story with photos appears on page 12. Cirque Italia thrilled audiences in its debut here last year.

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor The wait is nearly over for Milwaukee’s favorite free weeknight outdoor music series. We’re talking about the Italian Community Center’s 2016 Courtyard Music Series, presented by The Bartolotta Restaurants. The 17th season will get underway on Thursday, June 9. The series opens with one of the longtime favorite good-time rock and roll bands, the Oldies But Goodies Spectacular. Like every show in the four-month long series, this one begins at 6:30 p.m. in the ICC’s beautiful and spacious courtyard. Whether you are a fan of traditional or contemporary jazz, the big band sound, any of the genres of blues or rock and roll, the ICC has something for you this summer in the Courtyard Music Series. Best of all, every show is offered with no cover charge. Parking is also free.

The series is scheduled Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights through the end of August. The shows are consolidated into two nights – Tuesdays and Thursdays – in September. Every night that Mother Nature cooperates, the shows will go on in the courtyard, which is next to Cafe La Scala. The restaurant will have its staff on duty from 5 p.m. each night to take food and beverage orders either indoors or outdoors. When Mother Nature delivers rain or cold temperatures, the shows are moved indoors to the Festa Ballroom, which is on the other side of Cafe La Scala. While being a longtime sponsor of Festa Italiana, this year marks the first for Bartolotta Restaurants as the presenting sponsor of the Courtyard series. To make sure you and your party get the best table seating for any of the shows, it is important

Tuscan flag-throwing group to return to Festa

by Thomas Hemman Times Editor If you were impressed with acrobatics, athleticism, synchronized marches and pageantry of the Sbandieratori dei Borghi e Sestieri Fiorentini at last year’s Festa Italiana, you will have chances to see them perform again this year. The flag-throwing troupe, hailing from Figline Valdarno in the Florence province of Tuscany, was founded in 1965. Its debut performance in Milwaukee came at Festa Italiana 2015 as part of the unit’s 50th anniversary celebration. This year, you will be able to witness Sbandieratori dei Borghi e Sestieri Fiorentini on the T.J. Bartolotta Sports Court at 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23, and 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 24. The flag throwers will also perform at various intervals in open locations on the Festa grounds, in the parade on Saturday and Sunday, and participate in the Sunday procession. Flag throwing has a long history in Italy, dating back to the 11th century when flag throwers accompanied armies throughout central and northern Italy. Since soldiers had no uniforms, the flag was the sole element of recognition, a source of civic pride and a useful tool for communication between army units. The flag itself was of utmost importance, and the brave flag throwers had the obligation to protect their flag with their lives, if necessary, and never let the flag Please turn to page 13

Times photo by Tim Townsend

Please turn to page 14


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