BocelliOnline

[Janice]

I was in downtown Chicago on Saturday and happened to pass by the Borders. There was a big poster in the window advertising an in-store appearance by Mario on Monday the 7th. Hmmm, I thought. I knew I had Monday off and I enjoyed his last cd so I figured, "why not?".
Although it was smack on the poster, it didn't register with me until I got down there today and looked at it again--Mario would be performing! :) I was thinking I was just going down for an autographed cd. A performance, too? What a swell bonus! The in-store appearances always take place on the third floor. I entered the store. I wasn't surprised to hear Mario's voice playing when I got inside but I was surprised to hear it so LOUD. They don't usually play the music at that high a volume in the store. I went up to the third floor and found out why it was so LOUD. Mario was rehearsing. It wasn't a cd playing but the real thing. Pretty neat. He finished up and then disappeared to wherever they were keeping him until noon.
I was feeling bad at first. There were only about 5 people there. There wound up being around 50-60 people I'd say. There were chairs for us to sit in. I sat in the second row. At around 12:15, with no fanfare or introduction, Mario himself strolled up to the microphone and said hi. He said the in-store appearance was the first time he'd ever done anything like it and it was terrifying because we were so close. He said it was also pretty nice, though. He sang two songs from the new cd, "Come What May" and "Follow Your Heart". He had the lyrics on a stand in front of him and said it was because singing them in front of people was still so new for him. After the singing, Mario went over to a table to do the signings. We were told to form a line. People would get to go up to him and talk if they wanted while he signed. I was thinking of what to ask while I was waiting. Thought of lots of different questions but didn't want to be ASKED TO LEAVE
so I settled on one.
It was my turn! He shook your hand when you approached and again when you left. :) He asked your name so he could personalize the autograph. I began by telling him his mini performance was really great. He said, "thank you, I was terrified!". I told him it didn't show and he said "thank you" again. I then asked my question, which was if he preferred singing in any particular language over any of the others. He said he was used to singing in the various languages because he's been all over the world. I then said, "so you are comfortable in all the languages?". He said, "the only one I'm not comfortable in is English because I have an accent and I know you can still hear it". I told him it works and we love to hear the accent! He said "thank you" again and that it was a pleasure to meet me. :slick My cd says, "To Janice with all my love--Mario Frangoulis". Pretty swell, eh?
One more thing---while I was waiting my turn, I heard a person that was up at the table. She asked if he was going to have a concert in Chicago. He said, "no, but we are going to be very close by in...Illinois". :D I thought that was too cute. He meant to say Indiana. His "person" jumped in then and said "Indiana" and told the lady when and where the concerts were going to be.
It was a pretty swell way to brighten up a dreary day in Chicago!

[Tina]

Wow Janice! Thats great! He seems a very nice little Tenore!
_________________
La tua voce e come un dolce dolores nel mio cuore! Non c'e nessuno migliore di te!!

[Melodie]

What a great story, Janice! And a great experience for YOU! Thanks for sharing with us.

I'd planned on seeing him in concert, but now I want to locate a "signing" too!! :slick

[Janice]

[O Sole Mio]

Dear Janice,
I am a HUGE Frangoulis fan and I don't know about the contact lens but have seen some recent pictures where his eyes are bloodshot like that (and too thin, the poor boy). What I do know is that your first-class reporting has my heart palpitating!! I belong to the only 2 Frangoulis sites on the web and no one has provided such detail. In fact, only one or two others have even mentioned the Borders appearance.

I would like your permission to share your story with the other FranFans. Either cut'n paste or give them link to this page (I know Melodie, that's the best way to share it, right?). You would make a lot of folks happy to read about it.

Thanks in advance

[Janice]

O Sole Mio--I'd be happy to have the FranFans come over here and read about my swell time. As you said, I'm sure Melodie would prefer you provide a link over a cut'n paste. Besides, if the FranFans read my story here and have any other questions or comments, I'll be right here to answer them!

I mentioned above that I'd come back with any more details if I remembered them. I did--Mario said that although this was his first tour in the USA, he'd been to Chicago some years ago for three months to study with his mentor, Alfredo Kraus while Kraus was appearing at the Lyric Opera. He mentioned the role AK was performing at the time but I forget that part.

[O Sole Mio]

Thanks again Janice and since I was too excited to say it in the earlier response, congratulations on your close encounter with MF. This experience probably made you think of what it would have been like to hear Andrea in the piano bars in the early days of his career, right? Mario is very popular in his native Greece and throughout Europe but still being "discovered" here in the US. Maybe after this concert tour there will no longer be the small audiences and someday you will say "I met him when".

~~ a grateful friend
(PS I've met you in person at a Bo concert Janice. You've made me so giddy I may just give up my secret O Sole Mio alias after this post, LOL)

[Melodie]

[dottie]

Dear Janice,
Wow, You met my "other" tenor Mario.How exciting.If you notice I've been writing about him for a long time and put a notice about Chicago
Isn't his voice awesome? Did you get his CD Follow Your Heart?I wish he kept his face "beard".I thought he looked cool.Finally he has a US manager from Sony,I presume,Brian.
His eyes are probably bloodshot,because he is traveling with Jim Brickman's show in a huge bus.haha.He did lose weight,I thought from
the pictures we received. from fans that attended his concert in Saginaw
MI.His next appearances will be Feb.10 in Des Moines,IA---
Feb.11 in Merrillville,Indiana--Feb12---Milwaukee.WI.I have his schedule
posted in previous posts.
Melodie, thank you for letting me go on and on about Mario(Andrea is
my first "love") I hope to see you at Carnegie Hall,May 6.
Janice,I think he's kidding about his accent.He spent years at Julliard
in NY and many years in England on the stage.Thank you for your
wonderful post Dottie

[O Sole Mio]

[Janice]

[Janice]

[MK]

I've read some where that Mario used to sing live opera in Europe. I wonder if he has given up on an operatic career or is he performing live opera in the States?

[dottie]

Mario did a few stage plays in England-Grease-West Side Story-Phantom
of the Opera.His singing in them is brilliant.On a CD Acropolis Cincert
he sings Phantom and Miserere and Ne Quitte Pas (I melt) the songs from West Side Story and many more gorgeous songs.He did one opera
and I can't remember the name. Might have been Macbeth.He was Achilles in a Greek play-the pictures are fabulous.
He won a Maria Callas scholarship to study at Julliard-also won a scolarship from Luciano Pavoratti and studied in Philadelphia.He's been around and I think he will a star in America and then we won't get to him
as much.
He's offered to take Jim to Greece with him in October.We have fans
from Turkey and Israel that are anxious to see him there.
Dottie

[Anna in NY]

Janice,
What a nice encounter! And to think that you were just passing by!
Am I mistaken in thinking that he sang "Per Noi" at one time? I'm not sure.
Be well,
Anna