Raffaella Valentini, Consul General of Italy in LA to discuss the Vespucci Ship

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please join me in welcoming Raffaella Valentini, our esteemed Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles, who joins us to discuss a monumental event that soon grace our shores at the Port of Los Angeles – the arrival of what’s been called “the most beautiful ship in the world,” the Amerigo Vespucci.

The Vespucci is the historic and iconic training ship of the Italian Navy, and it will be accompanied by a special flyover by the “Frecce Tricolore” Acrobatic Team of the Italian Air Force on opening day.

We will discuss with Raffaella the history of the infamous explorer that the ship is named after, as well as the world voyage the Vespucci has traveled, and of course the significance of this moment in highlighting our Italian culture.

Los Angeles is the first city in the world to host a maxi exhibition space called “Villaggio Italia” that will open from July 3rd-8th in front of the Vespucci ship at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro at Berth 50. This is something you will not want to miss, and will want to bring your family and friends. There will also be food, cooking shows, art exhibitions, concerts and more for all to enjoy.

There’s lots to talk about, and much to share about the upcoming events, and we are honored to have Raffaella Valentini join us to discuss the Vespucci. Please find our interview on all platforms or #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, and #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s my pleasure to have you join us. Please invite your friends and family, too !

Anna Harsh, Director of Allegro Dance Company & Author

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please join me in welcoming Anna Harsh, author, professional dancer, award-winning choreographer, and founder of the Allegro Dance Company, a dance troupe that teaches and performs traditional dances of Italy, region by region. They perform throughout the country and internationally, and their work is absolutely spectacular!

The mission of Allegro Dance Company is to preserve and perpetuate traditional Italian dances from the twenty regions of Italy.
As an Italian American, Anna has been passionate about her dance and art since she was a small girl, and she wants share that passion with the rest of us.

She and her team have also produced a documentary, “La Danza – Bridging Time Through Dance,” and her goal is to share these lively and fun dances in theaters and schools across the country, keeping the tradition and heritage of Italian dance alive for generations to come.

Please join Anna Harsh on my #LittleItalyPodcast #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast and #DeborahKobyltLIVE and invite your friends, too. It’s always special when someone turns their passion into a living that others are excited about, and that’s exactly what Anna has done. Thanks for joining us🇮🇹

Melissa Errico, Broadway superstar and NYC treasure

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please welcome to our show Broadway superstar and NYC treasure Melissa Errico, recently hailed as “a unique force in the musical life of New York City.” And she’s related to me by marriage, so I can call her my “cousin,” too, although the theater
genes didn’t get passed down to me!

Melissa just launched her latest album, Sondheim In The City, a jewel that celebrates New York “as it was, might still be, and will yet become,” through the words and music of one of the City’s most enduring poets, Stephen Sondheim.

Melissa has been a Broadway classic since she debuted in Les Miserables in the 1990s. She also starred in My Fair Lady with Richard Chamberlain (who was my neighbor in LA when I first moved here), as well as the title role in One Touch of
Venus. She’s earned two Tony nominations, and often tours the country and internationally singing and performing. In addition, Melissa is a contributing writer to the New York Times, has served on the National Endowment for the Arts, went to
Yale, has three beautiful daughters and is married to broadcaster and former professional tennis player Patrick McEnroe, whom she’s known since grade school. Melissa has two siblings, her dad is an orthopedic surgeon and concert pianist, and
mom is a sculptor and former teacher. Her great Aunt Rose had a big career in the Ziegfeld Follies, too. In fact, Melissa is the spitting image of Aunt Rose. Clearly, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

To say she’s led a blessed life would be an understatement, but it’s all because of the love and passion she brings to her life and work. She’s a quintessential New Yorker, lover of theater and the arts in a way that makes New York great. And I’m beyond thrilled to be speaking with Melissa on our show.

There’s lots for us to talk about, from family to her early years, growing up Italian, marriage into a legendary tennis family, raising three girls and work that she not only enjoys but embodies. Please find our full interview with Melissa on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to have you join us!

Lena Prima, Jazz Singer, Recording Artist, & Daughter of Jazz Legend Louis Prima

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please welcome to our show one of the most dynamic jazz performers of our time, Lena Prima, daughter of jazz great Louis Prima, who has clearly carved out a name for herself in New Orleans and around the globe for her electrifying stage performances and albums.

I grew up with Louis Prima’s music playing in our Italian household. My parents, aunts, and uncles would dance to his music late into the evening on many weekends. So I was thrilled to meet Lena at the Italian American Museum in LA where she performed a few months ago, celebrating the Louis Prima exhibit currently on display there.

Lena is a one-of-a-kind of jazz singer and performer, much like her dad. Her energy is the kind that comes around once in a generation, and watching her perform with her band, I can only imagine what it was like for her on stage with her dad when she was a kid. Sadly, Louis Prima died when Lena was 11, complications from a benign brain tumor. But everything about him in those eleven years made a permanent impression on Lena to this day.

Lena grew up in Vegas but frequented New Orleans where her dad grew up. And her mom, Gia Malone, was also a singer and performer. Lena started her career in rock, but got the calling to perform jazz, and eventually plant roots in New Orleans, where she performs to this day.

There’s a lot to talk about with Lena. Please join our conversation on all video and audio platforms of my #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, & #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I thank you for being here. Please invite your friends, too! We’re so excited to have Lena Prima joining us !