Pasquale and Me

Andiamo!

Last night was the BEST night ever at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom. Pasquale Esposito was incredible to watch, and he was super sweet during the post-show meet-and-greet.

During the opening number, the band (which consisted of a drummer, a keyboard player, and 2 guitars) started to play before I looked around for where Pasquale was, and I let out a gasp when I saw him in the middle of the audience-area. As he started singing "Il Mondo (My World)," I was super shocked when I saw that he was walking toward our table. As he approached my side of the table, I gasped when he shook my right hand while smiling with a twinkle in his eyes. As he walked to the stage, I kept freaking out over the handshake and couldn't stop smiling.

The concert was all themed around Italian piazzas, and Pasquale told stories and showed clips from his upcoming PBS special between songs. His special guest that night was Angela Theis, and she blew all three of us (as well as the rest of the crowd) away with her performance of "Think of Me." The two of them sang a couple of duets, including "The Prayer." Pasquale ended the show with multiple songs, including a marvelous rendition of "The Lord's Prayer."

At the post-show meet-and-greet, I met Pasquale's manager at the merchandise table before purchasing a DVD copy of his special on Enrico Caruso and handing my phone to dad with the camera ready, where we waited to meet him. When it came to our turn to meet him, I made sure my camera was on video mode before giving Pasquale a hug, which he happily received. After I told him how his music helped me these last two summers (Dad losing his job and Hayden's death in 2015 before mom's TIAs and cataract surgery in 2016), I handed him a manila folder that contained paper copies of a couple poems I sent him, as well as a drawing I did of him. When he saw the drawing, I let out a giggle as he said, "Wow. It looks like me!" before asking if he could keep it, to which I said that he could, because I made it for him.

After he met my parents, we had a couple pictures taken before he signed the DVD. Once he finished signing it, Pasquale told me the sweetest thing ever: after I told him about how his music helped me, he would be thinking of me whenever he sang "The Lord's Prayer." Once he said that, I felt like bursting into tears, but I somehow kept my composure as I gave him another hug. I then complimented on his Ravazollo blazer before we had to part ways, so I gave him one last hug (during which, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek) before my parents and I headed to the car.

Before the show began, my parents and I wondered why we were alone at our table (our table was one for 8 people), but we figured out a possible reason on our way home: I had some email correspondence with Pasquale's manager before the show, so we wonder if she told the crew that plans the seating to put us at our own table so Pasquale could find us during the opening song.

Thank you, Pasquale, for a show that tops my list of best concerts ever. You were so INCREDIBLE and exciting on stage, and that incredibleness was there after the show, as well! I can't wait to see you again in the near future.