Somebody has been very busy lately and that someone is Riccardo Vino, that Italian singer with the velvety smooth voice who never misses a beat or a note or a concert – his, of course. One of the projects he’s been working on, (yes, there are more than one) is called Swing Al Dente. This great show is a musical journey through three decades of Italian radio hits in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Swing Al Dente also tells the story of a young Italian man who chases his dreams with a great deal of passion and confidence. The character lives in Italy at a time when the American Dream became the thing to shoot for and he is ultimately seduced by the America’s “New Music” and that country’s incredible mesmerizing film industry. The music from across the seas has conquered the radios, along with Ricardo’s character and he finds that the attraction and the pull of Hollywood is just too much for him. He moves to Hollywood to make his musical dreams come true but soon discovers that it’s not everything his imagination thought it might be.
It’s a great show and Riccardo can belt out those terrific vintage songs as if they were written expressly for him. He has toured with Swing Al Dente to sold out audiences in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. Riccardo has an enormous amount of talent and an unending supply of energy, both creative and physical. When he walks out on the stage the audience is thrilled when he smiles and begins singing. It’s all Riccardo up there and his talent for sculpting those old songs into new and popular ones is amazing. The lyrics are classic and Riccardo’s interpretation of each word is Perfection personified.
Swing Al Dente is one of those shows that make you feel good and affirms your faith in live talent. Riccardo, of course, can take the credit for that because he is the front man who can act and sing and draw the audience into his very charming web only to sprinkle happiness and enjoyment on them. If you get the chance to see Swing Al Dente go see it and you’ll be glad you did. You’ll also be happy that someone like Riccardo has taken the time to dust off those well-written pieces of musical art and give them a new life back on stage where they belong.
