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Italian Flavour for Christmas Concert

 Media Release

November 25, 2008

Italian flavour to  

Christmas Concert

A SPOILT Rudolph who won’t share his sweets and a Christmas fairy

who casts a spell on his lolly bag feature in a Christmas play with a strong Italian influence in Kings Square on December 5, starting at 6pm.

Generosity, fun and creativity are the essential themes of the Christmas performance by Commedia Academy and actors Sanjiva Margio and Giri Mazella, both Italian, hope children will take the morals of the story with them into the festive season.

They promise loads of audience interaction, games and songs culminating in the Christmas Tarantella, a traditional dance that builds pace to a fun and frantic climax.  

The Christmas concert is hosted by the City of Fremantle. Alongside Santa the performance features La Befana, a witch from Italian folklore who climbs down chimneys to reward good children with sweets and bad ones with coal.

Also in keeping with the Italian theme, the stars will arrive at Kings Square in a bright red Fiat 500 Bambino.    

As a prelude to the performance a special Christmas craft workshop will run from 4 to 6pm, where children can make their own jingle sticks and reindeer ears so they can be part of the Christmas Show.

Entertainment begins at 5.30pm and there will be exciting performers making appearances over the evening, with a special appearance from the Starlight Hotel Choir.

The audience will enter the enchanted world of Christmas where fairies and forest creatures shower audiences with gifts and magic. Children can make a special wish for all the children in the world with the help of a fairy at the Wishing Tree.  Face painting will also be available and a free sausage sizzle will be held after the festivities for all to enjoy. 

Carols by Candlelight at the Fremantle Arts Centre on December 21 is another highlight of the City’s Christmas celebrations.  Fremantle Arts Centre Manager Pete Stone says Hip Mo’ Toast Quintet lead by the smooth vocals of Libby Hammer and supported by the beautiful sounds of the Arcadian Voices Choir will make it a truly melodic and memorable event.

Gates open at 6.30pm for an 8pm start, admission is free and the bar is open. Food will be on sale or people can bring their own picnic for what promises to be an inspiring family event. 

Fremantle Library has a Christmas crafts morning on Friday, December 19 between 10am and 12noon where children will be guided through Christmas bon-bon and decoration making.

Mayor Peter Tagliaferri will flick the switch on the Christmas lights at Esplanade Park on December 11 at 8pm. 

Caption: Picture shows Sanjiva Margio and Santa (alias Giri Mazzella) from Commedia Academy rehearsing for their Christmas concert play. 

For enquiries about the Christmas Concert , please contact Gina Knight on 0438 431 192 or by email festival2@fremantle.wa.gov.au.

Press release prepared by Kerry Faulkner, media officer City of Fremantle on 9432 9827.