MF Production to Present RUGANTINO with Enrico Brignano, 6/12-14

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 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 212.581.1212, 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.

Rugantinois produced by MF Production, with executive producer Music Experience.

Enrico Brignanois one of the most famous comedians in Italy. He has received critical acclaim for his work in theatre, film 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?, which aired on by Canale 5. He played an important role in the television series Un medico in famiglia, which made him instantly 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, Carlo Vanzina chose him for the role as "Francesco" in the film South Kensington, with Rupert Everett. Mr. Brignano put his film career on hold so he could devote himself to his real passion, theatre. He wrote and performed various shows before returning to the screen with Vincenzo Salemme and Giorgio Panariello, with whom he will collaborate on other film projects. Since 2007, he has been part of the successful comedy show Zelig, which cemented his reputation as "one of the best Italian comedians". Brignano's show "Sono romano, ma non è colpa mia" was seen by more than 200,000 people in indoor stadiums all over Italy. The novelized version of the stage play was published by Rizzoli and it sold over 100,000 copies in bookstores. He hosted the television show Le Iene, with Ilary Blasi and Alessandro Gassman. In 2013, Enrico filmed the movie Ci vediamo domani with Burt Young, an Academy Award nominee for Rocky.Between November 2010 and February 2011, he played the title role in Rugantino in the 1962 musical by Garinei and Giovannini . In the past, this role has been played by legendary Italian actors incuding Nino Manfredi, Toni Ucci, Enrico Montesano, Adriano Celentano and Valerio Mastandrea. Mr. Brignano also staged Rugantino, which sold out for more than four months at the Teatro Sistina in Rome. He has recently reprised this role at at Teatro Sistina in Rome, Teatro Degli Arcimbaldi in Milan and Teatro Verdi in Florence. Enrico voiced the character of Olaf in the Italian version of the Disney movie Frozen.