Aggiungi un posto a tavola


Aggiungi un posto a tavola is a musical comedy written by Pietro Garinei, Sandro Giovannini and Jaja Fiastri, with music by Armando Trovaioli. It debuted in 1974 under the direction of Garinei and Giovannini.
An English version called Beyond the Rainbow, adapted by David Forrest with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, opened in November 1978 at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End and ran for six months.

Production history

Between 1973 and 1974, Sandro Giovannini and Pietro Garinei wrote a musical comedy inspired by the novel After Me, the Deluge by David Forrest with Jaja Fiastri, with music from jazz player Armando Trovaioli. The total cost of the staging was about 250 million lire, due to the complicated wooden pieces in the scenery of the show, and used the turning stage of the Sistina theatre in Rome.. The show received its title after a vote of the company, who preferred Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola to the alternatives.
The first edition of the show debuted on 8 December 1974 and included Johnny Dorelli as Don Silvestro, Paolo Panelli as the mayor and Bice Valori as Consolazione. The show was a success and lasted for six months, something that never happened before in Italian theatre.
In 1977 the show toured internationally in London, where it wasn't very successful, because of one of it central themes - catholic priests celibacy - Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
In the most recent edition of the show the voice of God is that of Enzo Garinei, brother of the writer of the show Pietro Garinei.

Characters

  • Don Silvestro, the local priest
  • Clementina, daughter of the Mayor
  • San Crispino/Crispín, the Mayor
  • Totó, the village fool
  • Consolazione/Consuelo/Consolation, woman of ill-repute
  • The voice of God
  • Ensemble

Plot

Act 1

Don Silvestro, priest of a fictional village in the mountains in Italy is organising a show called Aggiungi un posto a tavola. After rehearsal one night, Silvestro is talking to Toto, a villager, and explaining what love is. They're interrupted by young Clementina, daughter of the Mayor and in love with Don Silvestro, who uses the excuse of confessing to be close to him. After Clementina leaves, Silvestro receives a phone call from God himself, who has decided to send a second universal flood on earth, having chosen the small village to repopulate earth. Don Silvestro has to build an ark, like Noah's, to save the people and animals of the village. God also says that the following night will be destined to procreation and all men will have to lay with their wives.
The following day God wakes all villagers by sounding the church bells and forces Don Silvestro to share what will be happening, to which no one believes him. God performs a miracle, allowing Silvestro to ring the bells with a simple gesture of his fingers, which convinces everyone of the truth. The atmosphere gets romantic, but suddenly everything is interrupted by the arrival of Consolazione, a woman of ill-repute, whose arrival distracts all the men from "their duty". Don Silvestro asks for God's help, who performs another miracle, boosting the manhood of Toto in order to distract Consolazione.
When Toto announces he has fallen in love with Consolazione and wants to marry her and take her with him on the ark when it sails, the village people are not accepting, but Don Silvestro reminds them of the meaning of Aggiungi un posto a tavola, to be able to forgive. The villagers are still not back at building the ark, but thanks to Clementina everyone restart working on the ark, supporting each other like little ants.
Act one ends with everyone discovering that the Mayor has gone missing.

Act 2

The Mayor is spotted hiding behind the statue of San Crispino, patron saint of the village, hiding from everyone and especially Ortensia, his wife. Because of his allergy to candles he's almost found out by Consolazione, whom he tricks pretending to be the voice of San Crispino. Silvestro starts to board everyone on the ark that night, when Clementina arrives to declare her love for him, but he dismisses her because he has to remain celibate due to his ecclesiastical vows. In a moment of weakness Silvestro kisses Clementina and confesses this to God, who shares to be against celibacy as well, as his "closest collaborators" should be the first to be able to marry and have children. After the flood Silvestro will be able to be with Clementina.
Toto and Consolazione are getting married, when the Mayor is found and kept in the canonica. The ark is ready to leave, but the cardinal suddenly arrives, trying to convince the villagers not to believe in Silvestro and get off the ark.
The flood starts and everyone tries to get back on the ark, but in vain. Silvestro asks God to stop the rain and save everyone, to which request God reluctantly says yes. Everyone is celebrating with a big meal and they add a place at the table for God, joining them in the shape of a dove.

Musical numbers

Act I

Aggiungi un posto a tavolaPeccato che sia peccatoSono calmoConcerto per prete e campaneButtalo viaNotte da non dormireConsolazioneNotte da non dormire L'amore secondo me
  • ''Una formica è solo una formica''

Act II

La ballata di San CrispinoPeccato che sia peccato ClementinaTi voglioQuando l'arca si fermeràL'amore secondo me
  • ''Aggiungi un posto a tavola''

International productions

Spain

A Spanish production of the show was staged in 1977 at the Teatro Monumental of Madrid with the same crew of the Italian version, Giulio Coltellacci for scenography and costumes, Gino Landi was the choreographer and Garinei and Giovannini directed the show. In the cast Franz Johan as the Mayor, Crispín, Lia Uya as Consuelo, Lorenzo Valverde as Don Silvestre, Manuel Zarzo as Totó, María Elías as Clementina, Josefina Güell as Hortensia, Franco Ricchio as the Cardinale and José Guardiola as the voice of God.
Two more versions were produced in Spain, in 1995 at the Teatro Calderón in Madrid, led by Carlos Marín as Don Silvestre, and one in 2004 in Valencia with Gisela, Paco Morales, Mamen García and José Luis Gago.

Mexico

Known as El diluvio que viene, it premiered in 1977 and lasted until 1981, with over 1,800 performances. Between its actors, Manolo Fabregas led the cast as Don Silvestro.
The cast of the more recent version of the show in 2007 included Jaime Camil as Don Silvestre, María Filippini as Consuelo, Maria Ines Guerra in the role of Clementina and Patrick Castillo, who played the same role in the original version, as the Mayor. This version of the show played at the theater of San Rafael. Camil was then replaced by Ernesto D'Alessio.
The Association of Theatre Critics and Journalists XXV awarded María Inés Guerra as Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Clementina, she also won a "Bravo Award" in the same category. The show also won the "Lady of Victory Award" for Foreign Musical, Best Ensemble and Musical Co-actor, Newcomer, Co-actriz, Actor in a Musical. El Diluvio que Viene closed after a great success after eight months and 2,639 performances.