Conceived to celebrate an Italian Christmas in Sydney, the project placed children firmly at the centre, highlighting their commitment to an artistic and cultural journey that was anything but simple.
The performance unfolded as a carefully structured journey through spoken word, music and song, alternating narrated scenes, choral pieces and live musical moments.
The storytelling moved through poetic texts, rhymes, Zecchino d’Oro songs and traditional regional Italian music, creating a continuous dialogue between past and present.
The true protagonists were the choir’s children, who approached the experience with dedication and seriousness, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience. Their work involved rehearsals, memorising texts, singing and acting, all brought together with confidence and energy.
The choir included Amelia and Joanna Honkisz, Ruggero Iandolo, Keana Riccio, Alice and Chiara Romani, Gabriel and Elisa Bougoukas, Kayla Cagnola, Rebecca Coianiz Campbell, Matilde Corradin, and Azzurra and Valentino Dormio.
For all of them, the performance was an important moment of growth, combining play, discipline and a strong sense of teamwork.
One of the highlights was the well-known Zecchino d’Oro song Caro Gesù ti scrivo, sung by Kayla Cagnola with the choir. The blend of solo voice and choral harmonies drew the audience into a message of peace and hope carried by the children’s words.
Another powerful moment came with the poem Natale! Cos’è per me?, written by director Santo Crisafulli and performed by the children. It opened with the line Natale! Che festa! Ma non è per tutti uguale (Christmas! What fun! But it’s not the same for everyone), inviting reflection on the deeper meaning of Christmas as a time of care for others, solidarity and sharing.
Music played a central role throughout the performance, under the choral direction of Lydia Donato and with the contribution of accomplished musicians including pianist, violinist and conductor Carlyn Chen, tambourine player Si Costello, flautist Christina Rakvin and guitarist Laurie Pizzuti.
The children were joined on stage by vocalists Sarah Arnold, Elizabeth Hylton and V Nesci. Particularly evocative was the section dedicated to regional traditions, featuring the sound of the zampogna played by young Christopher Lampropoulos, accompanying songs from Sicilian and Campanian traditions, including Quanno nascette ninno.
The finale was enriched by a performance from the Troupe Viva choir, which delivered Handel’s Hallelujah under the direction of Maestro Xiaoming Lan, offering the audience a moment of striking musical intensity.
From both an artistic and organisational perspective, È Natale anche qui bears a clear and recognisable signature. Direction, set design and dramaturgy were all overseen by Santo Crisafulli, the driving force behind the production, who guided every phase of the project and every detail of the staging.
Crisafulli’s constant presence and vision helped hold together a complex structure, shaping a performance conceived above all as an act of love for the community.
The initiative was supported by Italian and local institutions, with the patronage of the Italian Consulate General in Sydney.
“As parents, we can only express our deep gratitude to Santo and Amelia Crisafulli and to Lydia Donato for this project. Seeing our children engage, many of them for the second time with Bottega d’Arte Teatrale, in learning Italian through theatre and music with such passion and dedication has been truly moving,” one parent said.
They also noted that the project allowed the children not only to grow culturally, but to form friendships with other bilingual children who share the same roots.
In a season rich in meaning, È Natale anche qui showed how Christmas, even far from Italy, can remain a time of connection, memory and shared experience.
And when that message is carried by children, with their sincerity and commitment, the result is an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
