TONY. Joe! Joe Green - is that you?
JOE. Avè Father Tony! Si, it’sa mio.
TONY. What brings you to Venice, Joe?
JOE. I’ma comma mounta La traviata.
TONY. You’re going to jump on a fallen woman? Joe, you shouldn’t.
JOE.
’At’sa so mala, I’ma ignora. La traviata - she’sa mia fabula opera presta.
Tutti gonni veepi. I’ma gonna mangia multi florini. [ sighs ]
TONY. In Firenze, they make florins. In Venice, we eat ducats.
JOE. Ducati too fasti. Moto Guzzi la Vespa.
TONY. Yes, I’m going to evening prayer at the orphanage.
JOE.
Mama mia, you stilla teacha bambina singing? [ grins lewdly ] TONY.
[ interrupts nervously ] You look - er - sinful, Joe.
JOE.
I’ma cheer upa justa thinka abouta bella donna. [ sighs ]
OK, Father Tony, let’sa go. [ points at Tony’s manuscript ] TONY.
[ listens to whistles from prompter’s box ] Art says, “Parma - 2, Venice - 1.”
JOE.
Why’sa Art echo, “Duè verso uno?”
TONY.
I was born in Venice. You and Art were born in Parma.
JOE.
’At’sa so mala, I’ma ignora completa. What’sa you porta?
TONY.
It’s my latest recipe. I call it The Four Seasonings.
JOE.
Why’sa ’ata?
TONY.
It’s four concerti named Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Parmigiano.
JOE.
’At’sa so cheesy, I’ma mangio pronto. Echo - ’at’sa, “Parma - trè.”
I’ma heara abouta thosa bella donna -
Come to mass and confess. You’ll cheer right up, my son.
La donna deli multi florini
Echo - what’sa il scorè?
Primavera seasonings
they laugh and go into the orphanage
Scene II
in the Ospedale della Pietà chapel
TONY sits on the left side of the confessional JOE sits on the right 1
Scene III
in the Ospedale della Pietà sacristy
JOE stands on the left side of the bar TONY sits on the right 1
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1 Although the author has beaten him fortissimo, the Librettist has procrastinated,
promising The Libretto Scenes II & III “realla soona”.
