Marisa Laurito

WOMENS OF NAPLES

“I was born in Naples and I wouldn't have wanted to be born anywhere else in the world”
Born in Naples in 1951 Marisa Laurito embodies all aspects of art: she is a theater and cinema actress, cabaret artist and presenter on television, singer, photographer, painter and doesn't even disdain the arts of cooking. In its website, in fact, there is a section dedicated to cooking with the recipes it creates.
Marisa Laurito's career began in Naples very early, joining Eduardo De Filippo's theater company and making her debut in 1969, at just 17 years old, in the comedy “Lies have long legs” and then continuing with other theatrical performances. In 1972 he joined the group "I Cabarinieri”, staging some shows in the San Carluccio cabaret theater and remaining until the end of the season in 1973. In the same years he took part, as an extra or secondary roles, in numerous television adaptations of De Filippo's works, broadcast by Rai.
In the cinema he made his debut in 1976 with the film “Even and odd” by Sergio Corbucci followed in ’78 by “La mazzetta” by Corbucci himself alongside Nino Manfredi and Ugo Tognazzi. Other cinematographic films followed, more than thirty, such as “I guappi non si toccano”, “Cafè Express” by Nanni Loy, “The mystery of Bellavista” in 1985 directed by Luciano De Crescenzo until he was the protagonist in “Tierra Nueva” alongside by Antonio Banderas in 1991, a film for which she received the Award for best foreign leading actress at the Bogota International Film Festival.
From the theater stage to the television stage the step is short and Marisa Laurito is first hired by Ninni Pingitore, director of the Bagaglino theater in Rome, as a prima donna and then from the mid-1980s her popularity explodes with the program by Renzo Arbore ‘Those of the Night“, “Marisa la nuit” (for which she won the Telegatto as female character of the year 1987) and participated in “Fantastico” together with Adriano Celentano (season 1987-88). She hosts “Domenica in” (1988-1989 season, directed by Gianni Boncompagni) winning a second Telegatto as female character of the year, “Fantastico” with Pippo Baudo, “Serata d'Onore” by Gino Landi, “Paperissima” by Antonio Ricci. He brings his passion for cooking with the programs “Casa Laurito”, “Pasta Love e Fantasia” and “I Fatti Vostri” where he holds a specific column. Marisa Laurito also acts in some TV series since the recent “Mina Settembre”, adaptation from the novels of Maurizio De Giovanni, a “God sees and provides” (1997), “Kissed by love” (2011).
The love for the theater is constantly cultivated by bringing Sistine “900 Neapolitan” theater by Bruno Garofalo to the stage, a success that lasted 10 years around the world, and then again with “Menopause The Musical” and with “Show! All together abundantly” directed by Manuela Metri and “Cabaret Burlesque” for the Napoli Teatro Festival, “Add a seat at the table” by Garinei and Giovannini. She is also the author and performer of the comedy, “Pazza d'amore” directed by Vincenzo Salemme. She played the role of Niegus in “La Vedova Allegra” directed by Gino Landi at the Arena di Verona.
Since 2020 she has been artistic director of the Trianon Viviani theater in Naples which she directs with competence and passion, enhancing the Neapolitan culture of tradition and contemporary.
Marisa Laurito's artistic creativity is also manifested through photography, paintings, the installations and decorations of vases and lamps. He has five monographic exhibitions to his credit in Rome, Milan, Treviso, Syracuse, Noto.

Trianon Viviani Theatre

The Trianon Theatre, dedicated to Neapolitan song, was built in 1911 to enrich the cultural offer of the new building redevelopment area of Corso Umberto I. The name Trianon recalls the Grand and the Petit Trianon, places of royal delights created by King Louis XIV of France inside the park of the palace of Versailles. The theatre, which is located in Piazza Vincenzo Calenda, near Forcella, is located in front of some remains of the walls of ancient Neapolis (between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. (C), which popular tradition calls “or cippo a Furcella” to indicate something very old, and has within it the only existing watchtower in Neapolis, placed to defend the Furcillensis or Herculanensis gate, and incorporated into the structure by Amadio Salsi, builder of the property and first owner of the theatre: the Mermaid Tower, so called to recall the founding myth of Parthenope. The first show, Miseria e Nobiltà by Eduardo Scarpetta starring his son Vincenzo in the role of Felice Sciosciammocca, was staged on ’8 November 1911, and the theater became a stage for the representation of operas, operettas, dramas, comedies and variety shows, as well as than traditional Neapolitan music. In the years ’30 of ‘900, in fact, the stable company of Salvatore Cafiero and Eugenio Fumo gave space to scripted song, the genre of musical theater that would then be revived in the years ‘70. In the fascist era the Trianon became “Trionfale”, and was then transformed into the cinema “Splendore” in 1947 by the new owner Gustavo Cuccurullo. From the years ’50 to ’90 it has hosted great artists such as the De Filippo family, Nino Taranto, Totò, Pupella Maggio and others. In the years ’90 it became a red light cinema but starting from 2000, the hall was restored to its former theatrical function by Gustavo Cuccurullo, great-grandson of the same name of the previous owner. The Trianon is completely renovated by architect Massimo Esposito. The structure hosts 530 seats, in its classic form of Italian theatre, with three tiers of boxes. The Greek exhibit of the Mermaid tower is highlighted in the stalls of the theater, and the building is equipped with a modern air conditioning system that allows continuous activity throughout the year. It is equipped with several rooms for various activities, used for exhibitions, seminars and conferences. In 2006 the theater became public with the participation of the Campania Region and the Metropolitan City of Naples and was named after Raffaele Viviani, thus becoming “Trianon Viviani Theatre”. Nino D'Angelo was appointed artistic director until 2010. After further administrative events related to financial problems and an attempted auction, in 2016 the Campania Region financed further modernization works. Since 2020, the artistic director has been Marisa Laurito, who aims to create an active space of cultural and social animation. Brilliant artists such as Rocco Hunt, Peppe Barra, Lina Sastri, Enzo Gragnaniello, Raiz, the Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare, Gennaro Cosmo Parlato, Sal da Vinci and Almamegretta also passed through Trianon Viviani.