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Ernesto Tomasini (born 15 May 1968, in Palermo, Italy) is an Italian actor/singer/writer living in Britain. Best known for his more recent forays into contemporary music, he has also had a 35-year career on the stage.

Ernesto Tomasini
Born15 May 1968
Palermo

Early Performances


Tomasini begun his career at 16 on the Italian comedy circuit. Throughout his teens he devised comedy sketches and sang songs in smoky clubs and small cabaret spaces in his home town of Palermo. On one instance he caused a riot by performing his "outrageous" show at a conservative political party's celebrations.[1] As his acts became more sophisticated (with original songs co-written by himself) he moved up to exclusive clubs until he landed on the legitimate stage, appearing next to one of Italy's leading stars of the time, Duilio Del Prete, in the national premiere of Franz Xaver Kroetz's Death on Christmas Night.[2] After this he performed in numerous theatre productions, never abandoning his first love: Cabaret (something he continues to do to this day). He was the support act for TV comedian Nino Frassica and performed on the televised (RAI 3) Premio Anna Magnani.[3] For the Scuola di Cabaret TV show, he created comic characters that became household names and in 1990 he was awarded the prize for best comedy act from Sicily.


Stage


In 1992 he moved to the UK where, after graduating at the Arts Educational London School, he worked as actor/singer on the West End stage ( Chicago the Musical), in Off-West End productions (Blind Summit's Mr China's Son) and with experimental theatre companies (Lindsay Kemp).[4]

Having made some early experiments in the late '90s with a production called The Other Woman,[5] in 2002 Tomasini started to create (in various capacities) his own shows and first attracted attention with an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival with True or Falsetto? A Secret History of the Castrati.[6] Written by Time Out critic Lucy Powell, the show was a sell out hit not only in Edinburgh but also in London for two seasons and on international tours, in three different languages.[7] This was followed by Ernesto's own script for The Veiled Screen: A Secret History of Hollywood! which has had two London runs in 2006, sponsored by the Arts Council of England.[8] Tomasini's style of performance – an operatic, dark and twisted blend of Italian Cabaret, avant-garde performance art and thought-provoking Vaudeville – has been described "as shocking as it is moving".[9]

From 2013, after a six-year period dedicated almost exclusively to music, he returned to theatre with three new plays written especially for him: Andrea Cusumano's Petit Cheval Blanc, Roberta Torre's Aida and Il Mutamento's Mamma Schiavona. In 2017 he debuted his own musical comedy, Beato chi ci crede, at the Out Off Theatre in Milan.[10]

As avant-garde comedian and cabaret artist he has performed in theatres, museums, nightclubs and cultural institutes in fourteen countries around the world and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Stephen Montague, Ron Athey,[11] Carlos Motta[12] and with the Resonance Radio Orchestra.

Very active in the fashion world, Tomasini performed at the shows of hat designer Nasir Mazhar for the 2008 and 2009 London Fashion Week and for Carlo Volpi at Pitti Uomo 2017.


Music


For the past 15 years he has been lending his wide vocal range to experimental music, singing an eclectic repertoire written by him or for him by a multitude of musicians, and, in the process, becoming an international cult figure.[13] He also performs a more classical repertoire, often alongside opera stars, in opera houses and concert halls. A wide vocal range combined with his melodramatic delivery have interested the press: Frontiers magazine described him as "the most exciting and flamboyant personality to shake up the opera world since Klaus Nomi"[14] and Italian newspaper La Repubblica called him a "prominent figure in avant-garde circuits with his seducing high voice reminiscent of those belonging to evirated singers".[15]

In June 2022 he was among the highlights of the Toscanini Festival in Parma and Reggio Emilia, singing Cabaret chansons from the early 20th Century, with soprano Hila Baggio, directed by Omer Meir Wellber.[16] In 2020 he sang at the end of year concert of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, also under the baton of maestro Wellber, alongside soprano Carmen Giannattasio and baritone Markus Werba. 2020 also saw the release of a second compilation album by the Lacerba label in which Ernesto appears alongside Myss Keta, Federico Fiumani and others. He opens “Amour Braque“, Spiritual Front‘s 2018 album and live shows. The previous year he collaborated with producer Man Parrish on two records[17] and performed his one man entertainment, “One Life To Live!“, at the National Theatres of Germany and Italy.[18] Tomasini collaborated with electronic producer Shackleton, who wrote for him "Devotional Songs“, the critically acclaimed live show and album, which was among the best of 2016 for The Wire, The Quietus and many more.[19] Other collaborations include Marc Almond, the late "father of industrial music"[20] Peter Christopherson (founder of Coil, Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV),[21] Julia Kent (Antony & the Johnsons), Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound),[22] members of Larsen [it], Current 93 (he was special guest at their first Queen Elizabeth Hall concert, alongside Anohni),[23] Rolo McGinty of The Woodentops, Othon, Adam Donen and José Macabra, with whom he opened the 2011 Drop Dead Festival in Berlin.[24] Tomasini is singer/songwriter of the prog-rock band Almagest!, with which he tours extensively, appearing in venues like the Volksbuehne in Berlin[25] and festivals like the Kurt Weill Fest.[26]

He has sung his repertoire in London venues like the Royal Albert Hall (main house and Elgar Room), Purcell Room, National Theatre, Roundhouse, Cadogan Hall, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, and in historical theatres, museums and churches around the world. As a recording artist he sings on 17 albums, four singles, five music videos and on the soundtrack of a film by Bruce LaBruce.

On radio he has sung, acted and was interviewed on all the BBC stations, Classic FM, RAI Radio3, Radio Nacional de España, Radio New Zealand and on major stations in France, Germany, Brazil and the US.


Other


In 2012 he was included in the Theatre/Music section of Eccellenza Italiana (Italian Excellency, with presentation by the President of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano), for representing Italy in the world.[27] In 2013 he was awarded the prize "Sicilian in the World" and in 2016 received the keys to the city by the mayor of his hometown of Palermo.[28]
A lecturer on theatre history and techniques he has given master-classes to drama students in England, Spain and Mexico. Tomasini is the only Italian to have given a masterclass at RADA Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[29]
His work and performance style are discussed in four books and an academic essay.[30]
For two years (2010–2012) Ernesto was the London correspondent of the Italian magazine Musical!.[31]


Discography



Bibliography



Selection of Work in Variety, Cabaret and Performance Art



Selection of Theatre Work



Selection of TV, Film and Radio Work



Selection of Concerts and Recitals



References


  1. Gottert, Michael (April 2010), "Ernesto Tomasini Interview (article)", Black Magazin, archived from the original on 8 July 2011
  2. Alaimo, Roberto (25 November 1988), Morte nella notte di Natale (article) Giornale di Sicilia
  3. Longo, Piero (1 September 1991), Si conclude domani con il Genio di Palermo Montepellegrino '91 (article) Giornale di Sicilia
  4. Shuttelworth, Ian (2 October 1996), Kemp's camp mime to music (article) Financial Times
  5. The Other Woman (article) Evening Standard, 10 June 1998
  6. Costa, Maddy (12 August 2002), True or Falsetto? (article) The Guardian
  7. Nicholson, Colin (14 April 2003), Hitting the high notes (article) Daily Mirror
  8. The Veiled Screen (article) Time Out, 5–12 April 2006
  9. Phillips, Giovanna (13 April 2006), Hollywood Unveiled (review) What's On
  10. Vivi Milano Corriere della Sera 2017
  11. De Ciuceis, Franco (8 June 2009), "Ron Athey, la body art come scena della crudeltà (article)", Il Mattino
  12. Torchia, Franco (14 October 2016), "Parte de tu religión (article)", Pagina12
  13. "La voce di Tomasini "perle nere" in falsetto (article)", La Repubblica, 20 February 2007
  14. Clare, Lenora (2008), "Naked City: Informer (article)", Frontiers, vol. 27, no. 02, archived from the original on 31 May 2008
  15. Campo, Alberto (16 April 2008), Threshold House, suoni e voci per Jarman (article) La Repubblica
  16. Bonfrisco, Stella (26 May 2022), Il Festival Toscanini fa tappa alle Reggiane (article) Il Resto del Carlino
  17. Nobile, Laura (8 October 2017), "Tomasini: Musical, dischi e poi torno a Palermo (article)", La Repubblica
  18. Pasta, Rosanna (29 March 2016), "Ernesto Tomasini al debutto live Concerto al Teatro Biondo (article)", LeiSi
  19. Sherburne, Philip (18 July 2016), "Shackleton Devotional Songs (article)", Pitchfork
  20. Petridis, Alexis (28 November 2010), "Peter Christopherson Obituary (article)", The Guardian
  21. Ferrari, Paolo (11 April 2008), "La memoria dei Coil per Balance e Jarman (article)", La Stampa
  22. "Caprichos esquisitos (article)", La Vanguardia, 21 February 2007
  23. Diana, Barbara (September 2008), "Ernesto Tomasini, una voce extraordinaire (article)", Il Giornale della Musica, no. 251, archived from the original on 27 May 2009
  24. Sherburne, Philip (29 August 2011), "Festival: Kreativer Krach an der Schillingbrücke (article)", Berliner Morgen Post
  25. "Italienischer Theaterherbst (article)", Volksbuehne.de, October 2010, archived from the original on 4 September 2010
  26. Campo, Alberto (29 April 2009), "Brillano sul festival le stelle di Canes Venatici (article)", La Repubblica
  27. "Eccellenza Italiana (article)", Eccellenze Italiane, 24 March 2012, archived from the original on 23 December 2014
  28. Comune di Palermo
  29. ADKronos
  30. Guarracino, Serena (Spring 2010), "Of Castrati, Angels and Simians (article)", Anglistica, archived from the original on 23 July 2012
  31. Tomasini, Ernesto (July–August 2010), "Con la voglia di sognare ancora (article)", Musical!


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