Current:Home > ContactAndrea Bocelli on working with Russell Crowe, meeting the Kardashians and new concert film -Stellar Financial Insights
Andrea Bocelli on working with Russell Crowe, meeting the Kardashians and new concert film
View
Date:2025-04-24 17:23:00
Pop quiz: What do Ed Sheeran, Russell Crowe, the Kardashians, Sofia Vergara, Johnny Depp and Will Smith have in common?
All of the aforementioned celebrities, and many more public figures, appear in a new concert film celebrating Andrea Bocelli's 30th anniversary in music. The three-day concert took place in July and was attended by over 30,000 people at an outdoor amphitheater in Tuscany. Bocelli teamed with director Sam Wrench, who directed Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" movie, for his film. "Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration" receives a theatrical release this weekend.
The tenor has three children, all of whom appear in the film. So of course he's aware of the global phenomenon that Swift and her "Eras Tour" became.
"Virginia and Matteo went to Taylor Swift's concert in Milan," Bocelli, 66, reveals to USA TODAY before adding with a laugh, "and they told me every detail, of course."
Both Virginia, 12, and Matteo, 27, accompanied their father to the Academy Awards earlier this year. Bocelli kicked off a year-long celebration of his anniversary in music with a performance of "Time to Say Goodbye" alongside his son during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment. For the performance, Bocelli reimagined the song with Matteo and two-time Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
For "Andrea Bocelli 30," the singer shared the stage with two Oscar-winning actors in Crowe and Smith. The "Gladiator" actor performed "Take This Waltz" with the tenor. Smith took the stage with a spoken-word rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone." Bocelli met both for the first time during the concert.
"Beautiful," Bocelli recalls of the performance with Crowe, "because he was very excited. Me too." And the tenor believes the audience in Tuscany also felt that same emotion.
Kim and Khloé Kardashian also appear in the film, receiving flowers from Bocelli at the stage. Then in a scene taped away from the amphitheater, the sisters reflect on Bocelli's accomplishments. A common theme throughout the piece is the idea that the tenor's career is defined not just by his nearly 90 million albums sold, but the way in which he's represented both Italy and classical music throughout his three-decades in the public spotlight.
"You shouldn't take anything for granted," Bocelli says of the compliments, before using an Italian expression with the help of a translator. "The reality of my life has superseded, has gone beyond every expectation of life."
Bocelli, who became completely blind at 12, was encouraged by his father to pursue music in the United States. Now in "Andrea Bocelli 30," he passes down that gift to his three children. In one scene his son Amos, 29, chats with Queen's Brian May. Amos studied piano but is now pursuing a career in spacial engineering. He and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer were able to strike common ground: in addition to his music, May is an astrophysicist.
May also joined Bocelli on stage, performing Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever." Bocelli is certainly not focused on the end: he just released a "Duets" album that featured both previously recorded songs and new collaborations. Bocelli will also play 10 shows across the U.S. this December, with additional dates across the country announced for February and June of next year.
But when asked about his music living on forever, he offers a succinct observation.
"I try to inspire peace and serenity. This is my goal."
veryGood! (15637)
Related
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- It seems like everyone wants an axolotl since the salamander was added to Minecraft
- Maryland is the latest state to ban TikTok in government agencies
- Meet The Everyday Crypto Investors Caught Up In The FTX Implosion
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Pregnant Jessie J Pens Heartfelt Message to Her Baby Boy Ahead of His Birth
- Why Bad Bunny Is Being Sued By His Ex-Girlfriend for $40 Million
- Israel strikes Gaza homes of Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, killing commanders and their children
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Kourtney Kardashian Reveals the Secrets Behind Her Guns N' Roses-Inspired Wedding Dress
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Padma Lakshmi’s Daughter Krishna Thea, 13, Is All Grown Up in Glamorous Red Carpet Moment
- The new normal of election disinformation
- Tunisia synagogue shooting on Djerba island leaves 5 dead amid Jewish pilgrimage to Ghriba
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Pregnant Jessie J Pens Heartfelt Message to Her Baby Boy Ahead of His Birth
- Transcript: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Face the Nation, May 7, 2023
- Fears of crypto contagion are growing as another company's finances wobble
Recommendation
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
Lucy Liu Reveals She Took Nude Portraits of Drew Barrymore During Charlie’s Angels
San Francisco considers allowing law enforcement robots to use lethal force
The fastest ever laundry-folding robot is here. And it's likely still slower than you
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Serbia gun amnesty spurred by mass shootings sees 3,000 weapons and parts handed over in just 2 days
U.N. calls on Taliban to halt executions as Afghanistan's rulers say 175 people sentenced to death since 2021
Why Olivia Culpo and Padma Lakshmi Are Getting Candid About Their Journeys With Endometriosis