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ACT 1

OVERTURE
Star of Love is an opera in two acts for young audience. The opera opens with a brief overture introducing the motif of love as represented by the three notes D, A, and B flat.

SCENE ONE: LORENZO
Lorenzo enters singing “One coin, one song” as he wanders through the streets of the village, over the stone bridge, and into a park-like setting. Under the star lit sky, Lorenzo plays his hurdy-gurdy and sings the praises of his carefree life as a wandering minstrel but this joyful refrain turns into a song of lament. Lorenzo has no one to love on this beautiful night.

SCENE TWO: LITTLE VINA
The vinetender Little Vina, answers Lorenzo’s call of “One coin, one song” and enters from the vineyard holding a coin for all to see. Lorenzo assumes the young maiden also has thoughts of love “on a lovely night like this,” but Little Vina needs a miracle. She believes San Geno, the patron saint of the vineyard, has sent Lorenzo to sweeten her grapes with music. Lorenzo obliges with a lively jig and the vinetender exits the stage dancing.

SCENE THREE: BISCOTTI
The baker Biscotti, has answered Lorenzo’s call and enters from the village holding a coin. The fiercely proud Scottish-Italian now sings of his noble ancestor Scottie and loudly proclaims that the song Lorenzo played for Little Vina was the Royal Jig of the Family Biscotti. With another coin in his pocket, Lorenzo replays the jig as the sentimental baker exits the stage weeping tears of joy.

It’s not so bad
An Italian in plaid
Wearing a skirt with a garedine shirt
Brown loafers and socks to his knees all the tassels and wool make me sneeze…
Unfortunately, the entire cast is allergic to the wool… the Achoo Chorus.

SCENE FOUR: SIGNORE LIRA
The banker Signore Lira, now enters. Lorenzo hails the well-dressed gentleman but Signore Lira completely ignores the minstrel. A man of Lira’s position has no time for sentiment. Feeling sorry for the banker’s inability to appreciate the beauty of life, Lorenzo plays the ballad “Ah beauty…” for Lira. Maybe the music will ‘open his heart to love.’

SCENE FIVE: PEPPERONI AND RAVIOLI
Lorenzo now speaks about the beauty of this Tuscan night. Suddenly, a shooting-star streaks across the sky. This sign of good fortune lifts Lorenzo’s spirits and he relates to us in song the legend of the great lovers Pepperoni and Ravioli. “Now all I need is a girl!” Lorenzo says with great anticipation. He waits… and waits… and waits… until he falls asleep at the base of the statue of San Geno.

Act 2

SCENE ONE: THE ARGUMENT
Signore Lira returns to speak to Lorenzo but retreats into the shadows when Bella Spaghetti and Fettuccine Alfredo enter. Unaware of the sleeping minstrel and the curious banker, the young couple speak tenderly of love but their conversation rapidly escalates into a silly argument. As the lovers’ musical spat builds to a crescendo, Lorenzo wakes up and he is immediately smitten by the strong-willed Bella.

SCENE TWO: BELLA SPAGHETTI
When Fettuccine Alfredo rides off on his horse, the chorus of trees and grapevines coax the shy minstrel into action and in a comic duet, Lorenzo and Bella Spaghetti explore their hopelessly romantic visions of love and their mutual admiration for the lovers Pepperoni and Ravioli.

Bella is overcome with emotion and she breaks down. Lorenzo tries to soothe her with a love song but he is humorously interrupted by Little Vina, then Biscotti, and finally by Signore Lira. Yet Lorenzo endures the many distractions and sings a lovely reprise of “Ah beauty…” to the distraught maiden who has fallen asleep.

SCENE THREE: THE GRANDE BALLET
The Grande Ballet is the climax to the opera. In a dream, Lorenzo and Bella Spaghetti have fallen in love but as the ballet unfolds, they are torn apart by the appearance of the Black Knight who has come to kidnap Bella. Lorenzo defeats the Black Knight then imitating the Great Lover Pepperoni, Lorenzo tries to pluck a star from the sky and give it to Bella. Unfortunately, the star hits Lorenzo in the head and he is dazed. Alfredo returns and picks up the star and presents it to Bella. The happy couple is reunited and they exit the stage.

SCENE FIVE: CONCLUSION
In appreciation for opening his heart to love, Signore Lira sings a lovely song in praise of the kind minstrel and places a coin at Lorenzo’s side. Biscotti follows with a song and a loaf of bread. Little Vina brings a bottle of wine as a gift. Then Bella Spaghetti and Fettuccine Alfredo appear. Bella lays the star next to Lorenzo and kisses him on the forehead. The entire cast now raise their voices in a stirring lullaby to Lorenzo. `Wish on a star and your dreams will come true, some day love will come.’