- Title: ITALY: WOODY ALLEN'S MUSICAL 'EVERYBODY SAYS I LOVE YOU' PREMIERES IN VENICE
- Date: 17th December 1996
- Summary: (FILE) ( JANUARY 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS DAY SHOTS OF LA FENICE THEATRE SHOWING DAMAGE AFTER FIRE
- Embargoed: 1st January 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VENICE, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVABRIZNXFMA4A7BGOL5MH9H42UU
- Story Text: Already well-known to Venetians as a fan of the city, American filmstar and director Woody Allen has become a benefactor as well.
The director, who arrived in Venice on Tuesday (December 17), donated all the proceeds from the premiere of his new movie "Everyone Says I Love You" to the restoration of the city's La Fenice Theatre.
The famous Venetian opera house was gutted by fire in January this year. Its restoration is expected to take until November 1999.
Allen, in Venice with his companion Soon Yi Previn, became involved with fundraising for the 18th century opera house soon after the fire.
He had been due to play there on a tour of his New Orleans Jazz Band but was forced to shift the performance to a nearby venue. He donated the proceeds from that concert to the Fenice's reconstruction.
Now shrouded in scaffolding and roofless, the Fenice was opened in 1792 and burned down in 1836. It rose from the ashes of that fire like the mythical phoenix after which it is named and staged many Verdi operas in the 19th century.
Now, it is again living up to its name.
"Everyone Says I Love You" premiered at the Palazzo del Cinema at the Venice Lido.
Arriving by water taxi for his film's European premiere, Allen told journalists he planned to greet movie-goers butwarned he would slip away before the show because he did not like seeing himself on screen.
"I don't see my own movies after I finish them," Allen said.
"So I would like to say hello and let the audience see the movie and I'll go maybe to a restaurant or take walk on the beach and when it's over come back and say thank you." The film, Allen's first attempt at a musical, has a star-spangled cast including Alan Alda, Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts as well as Allen himself. It uses songs by Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
"Everyone Says I Love You" is set in modern New York, Paris and Venice and follows the amorous exploits of a wealthy New York family, headed by Alda and Hawn.
Allen features as Hawn's luckless ex-husband and father of one of her daughters.
Allen apologised to reporters for his singing in the film.
"At home I sing fearlessly in the shower. I once thought years ago if I could give a concert at Carnegie Hall with the shower it would be perfect," he said.
He said he wanted to make a musical "for people who couldn't sing or dance... The important theme was always the emotional feeling. I didn't want performance-trained voices which would be all technique and no feeling." - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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