VALENTINO THE MUSICAL ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF EAST AND WEST COAST CELEBRATIONS OF RUDOLPH VALENTINO'S 105TH BIRTHDAY AND THE RELEASE OF SILENT LYRICS

Valentino the Musical / Hollywoodland Productions is pleased to announce their official sponsorship of two Rudolph Valentino film festivals in New York and Los Angeles to commemorate the 105th birthday of Rudolph Valentino, the original romantic screen icon and world's greatest lover. Valentino, whose untimely death at the age of 31 shocked the world and prompted numerous suicides among his most devoted followers, continues to fascinate and inspire legions of fans seventy-four years after his death.

Valentino the Musical will sponsor a 105th birthday celebration open to the general public in honor of Rudolph Valentino on Saturday, May 6th beginning at 10:00 AM at Manhattan's world famous Veniero's Pasticceria located at 342 East 11th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues. Following the celebration Valentino the Musical will host a special 11:30 AM screening of Rudolph Valentino's The Son of the Sheik. For more information on the New York film festival call Hollywoodland Productions at (212) 228-0962.

The Silent Movie Theater located at 611 N. Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles will play host to the Rudolph Valentino Film Festival May 3rd - 7th with Valentino the Musical as its official sponsor. The five-day film festival will offer screenings of the leading man's most popular and enduring films, highlighted by the special May 6th birthday screening of The Sheik at 8:00 PM. For more information on the Rudolph Valentino Film Festival in Los Angeles contact the Silent Movie Theater at (323) 655-2520.

Hollywoodland Productions is also pleased to announce the release of Silent Lyrics, the instrumental recording of Valentino the Musical, heralded by Access Hollywood's Pat O'Brien as having, "a score as lush and romantic as old Hollywood." The compact disk recording of Silent Lyrics is currently available in New York and Los Angeles Barnes & Noble bookstore locations, as well as other book and music stores throughout the country and on the worldwide web. A limited number of Silent Lyrics CD's will be given away at both the New York and Los Angeles screenings.

VALENTINO THE MUSICAL
ORIGINAL RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE
ON THE WEB AND IN MUSIC STORES
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

The concept recording of Valentino The Musical, heralded by Access Hollywood's Pat O'Brien as having a, "score as lush and romantic as old Hollywood," is now available in Virgin Record Megastores, Footlights Records in New York and Medium Rare Records in San Francisco among others, as well as through its website.

Valentino The Musical brings the life of Hollywood's most legendary star to the musical stage. Rudolph Valentino's incredible journey from a youth in Castellaneta, Italy, to his meteoric rise to fame as the world's first true superstar is captured in the music of Charles Mandracchia and lyrics of Francesca Di Giosa, the shows creators. Years of detailed research that led them from the streets of Castellaneta to the studios of Hollywood, inspired the team of Mandracchia and Di Giosa to faithfully bring the life of the romantic icon- a life arguably more dramatic than any of the character's he portrayed on the silent screen - to vibrant realization on the musical stage. Valentino The Musical was originally workshopped in a series of readings at New York City Opera and subsequently produced Off -Broadway, prompting such praise as, "Bravissimo! Valentino sings his way into your heart!" - Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair. This high quality studio recording brings the best of these productions together to sing the life of this shining star and features the voices of Megan Thomas, Shea Curry and Jonathan Stewart among others.

Valentino's death at the age of 31 incited riots, suicides, and a media feeding frenzy worthy of today's tabloid culture. Valentino The Musical explores the man behind the celluloid myth, and the men and women who loved and betrayed him along the way. The musical, set against such backdrops as Manhattan's notorious Maxim's Dance Hall and the silent film sets of Valentino's greatest triumphs, investigates the rumors and innuendoes, as well as the real life and loves of this honest and self-effacing man, whose destiny forever cast him in the role of the world's greatest lover.

Composer Charles Mandracchia, whose music is described by David Roberts of Theater Reviews Limited as "not only heart felt, but gets to that place in the soul where all love begins and ends," began his career as an actor and singer on the Broadway stage. He appeared in such original Broadway productions as Tommy Tune's Grand

Hotel, and the revival of South Pacific, before turning to his true passion of composing music. Lyricist and librettist, Francesca Di Giosa brings to the table twenty years of creative experience in television, film and theatrical productions. Di Giosa's exhaustive research yielded such finds as the long forgotten letters and diaries of Rudolph Valentino, and presented her with such interesting opportunities as a tour of his rarely, if ever visited childhood home in Castellaneta. These elements along with others, contributed to the authentic recreation of the legend's life for the musical stage.

To listen to the Musical's score click here