Franco Dragone, one of the world's greatest show makers, died on September 30.
Dragone, an Italian-born Belgian, would have been 70 years old on December 12, his oeuvre boasting the direction of memorable Cirque du Soleil shows, the Céline Dion show, and many other spectacular performances from Los Angeles, to the Paris Lido, to China.
He was the head of the Franco Dragone Entertainment Group, one of the world leaders in theatrical events and performances: a 'multinational' of fantasy, joy and dreams, capable of continuously renewing the great tradition of global entertainment.
Joining in on the condolences for his passing was the Pergolesi Spontini Foundation, which dedicated "a last, great and moved applause" to the artist.
Dragone was invited to the Pergolesi Spontini Festival 2016 to take part in a creative workshop open to 100 non-professional performers, and to helm the artistic direction of the festival’s inaugural event 'Il volo dell'aquila', a theatrical feast with voices, polyphonic choirs, electronic instruments, contemporary circus artists and bells. The concert was staged in Piazza Federico II in Jesi to celebrate the great Swabian emperor Frederick II.
In February 2017, he directed 'La traviata' for the Teatro Pergolesi's Stagione Lirica di Tradizione, placing the character of Violetta at the centre of the new production, who, Dragone explained, “reminds us that life is not a race against time, it is not a lonely climb, it is not a challenge, but a long act of love to which one must do nothing but abandon oneself.”
