Rigoletto Lost His Moustache
One of the most popular tenor Voices in New Zealand today is that of the Italian Luigi Infantino. Hundreds of his records are sold annually, including a large number in the Bay of Plenty, and he is heard almost daily from one or another radio station.
He was born in Sicily, also the birthplace of the celebrated author, Luigi Pirandello who, hearing the small Infantino singing in a street one day, said: “Nice, nice. Maybe some day you’ll be a tenor.”
Some day he did become a tenor but not before he had had to surmount many difficulties, one of the most trying being in the year of his first professional appearance. v He was 21, and playing Rigoletto at the Bologna Opera House. As he had no moustache of his own, he wore a large false one. He began to sing and at the same time twirled his beautiful moustache. One side came off.
He turned his head sideways so that the audience should not see. Then the other side of his moustace came off and he had to finish with as good grace as he could muster as a clean shaven but still harmonious , Rigoletto.
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Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 75, 12 December 1949, Page 5
Word Count
201Rigoletto Lost His Moustache Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 75, 12 December 1949, Page 5
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