Enrico Brignano Stars in RUGANTINO at New York City Center This Weekend

Straight from engagements in Rome, Milan and Florence, MF Production presents Enrico Brignano in Rugantino, in celebration of 50th Anniversary of the show's Broadway debut, from today, June 12, 13 and 14, 2014 at New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street, NYC. Tickets start at $35 (premium seating is also offered) and are available at nycitycenter.org, by phone at 212.581.121, or in person at the box office. Performances are on Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm. Rugantino will be performed in Italian with English subtitles.

Rugantino, one of Italy's most successful musicals, comes to New York City Center to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its Broadway debut. The show stars Italy's top comedian Enrico Brignano as Rugantino, with 50 actors, dancers and singers, including Armando Silverini, who played Cardinal Severini in the original production. The tour will bring eight containers of equipment including updated costumes and hand-painted sets that were restored from the original production.

Set in 19th century Rome, Rugantino tells the story of a fun-loving rogue who has plenty of ruganza, or arrogance. When he makes a bet that he can seduce the wife of one of Rome's most prominent citizens, he gets more than he bargained for. The musical is created by Garinei and Giovannini and written in collaboration with Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa and Luigi Magni with music by Armando Trovajoli. Rugantino debuted at Teatro Sistina in Rome on December 15, 1962. It later opened on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theater, where it played an exclusive three-week engagement in February of 1964.

Rugantino was celebrated not only for its storyline, but also for the accuracy of the scenery, the gorgeous costumes by Giulio Coltellacci, the choreography by Gino Landi, and the melodies of the maestro Armando Trovajoli that reign supreme in the picturesque set of the vanished Rome.

The show was revived in 2010 at the Teatro Sistina, where Enrico Brignano took on the title role that had been played by such famous performers as Nino Manfredi and Enrico Montesano.

The 50th Anniversary production of Rugantino stars Enrico Brignano as Rugantino, with Serena Rossias Rosetta, Vincenzo Failla as Mastro Titta, Paola Tiziana Cruciani as Eusebia, and Armando Silverini as Banditore/Vegliante/Conte Leopoldo.

Book and Lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. Book in collaboration with Pasquale Festa Campanile and Massimo Franciosa. Artistic Collaborator: Luigi Magni. Music by Armando Trovajoli. Choreography by Gino Landi. Scenery and Costumes by Giulio Coltellacci. Original direction by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini, with Mise-en-Scene by Enrico Brignano.

Rugantino is produced by MF Production, with executive producer Music Experience.

Enrico Brignano is one of the most famous comedians in Italy. He has received praise for his work in theatre, his most innate environment, as well as in cinema and television. Born in Rome in 1966, he studied at the Academy for Young Comedians founded by Gigi Proietti, and took part as a comedian in the first edition of the television program La sai l'ultima?, aired by Canale 5. In 1998 and 2000, he was Giacinto in the television series Un medico in famiglia, which gave him greater visibility and made him especially recognizable to audiences. In 2000, he shot his first film as director and actor, Si fa presto a dire amore, with Vittoria Belvedere. In 2001, he was chosen by Carlo Vanzina for the role as Francesco in the film South Kensington, with Rupert Everett. He interrupted his cinema career to devote himself to his real passion, theatre, and wrote and performed various shows before returning to cinema with Vincenzo Salemme and Giorgio Panariello, with whom he will make other films in coming years. Since 2007, he has been part of the cast of Zelig, a successful comedy show, which cemented his reputation as one of the best Italian comedians in recent years. Between 2010 and 2011, his show "Sono romano, ma non è colpa mia" was seen by more than 200,000 people in indoor stadiums all over Italy. The novel version of the stage play was published by Rizzoli and sold over 100,000 copies in bookstores. Since the end of 2011 and in 2012 he has hosted the show Le Iene, with Ilary Blasi and Alessandro Gassman. Between November 2010 and February 2011, he played Rugantino in the 1962 play by Garinei and Giovannini by the same name. In the past, this role had been played by great Italian actors such as Nino Manfredi, Toni Ucci, Enrico Montesano, Adriano Celentano and Valerio Mastandrea. He was also responsible for the staging of the play, which sold out for more than four months at the Teatro Sistina in Rome. From November 2013 to February 2014, he reprised his role as Rugantino at Teatro Sistina in Rome, then in Milan and Florence.

For more information, visit http://www.rugantinointour.com/en.