All Roads Lead to Rome

All Roads Lead to Rome;

On March 17, 2005, Craig and I left from Newark Airport on Alitalia flight #645 for Rome and for meetings about "Stargazer" with people from the Vatican. The flight left on time. Craig went to sleep the second we got in our seats; I, despite having taken an Ambien, was up the entire 8 hour plus flight. We arrived at Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 7:40 a.m.., I was in my usual delirious state after an international flight, Craig was fresh and ready to go. We were met by a driver sent by  Giorgio Fanara(our guide and "consigliore" for all things Italian and the Vatican especially), and taken to the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi. When I heard we were staying at the Grand Hotel, I thought it was THE Grand Hotel --- but....as all the more well known big hotels in Rome were booked up, Giorgio had to put us up here (he explained that normally he would have put us in the Excelsior on Via Veneto), and all I remember about the hotel is 1) they weren't very welcoming, b) the rooms were tiny with not a lot of electrical outlets -- Craig had to re-charge his blackberry in his bathroom and at some point it almost got flushed down the toilet and was rendered useless for the entire Roman stay -- and c) while watching MTV Italia on TV in the room, I saw James Blunt for the first time, singing "Beautiful," and thought he might make a good candidate to play Galileo in something.....
The purpose of the trip was to meet with Stefania Scorpio, whose Prime Time Productions produced the Pope's annual Christmas concert, and to visit the "Braccio di Carlo Magno" (a wing of the Vatican Museum in St. Peter's) about an exhibit of original Galileo artifacts. Such an exhibit  (with artifacts from Pisa) could possibly coincide with a "Stargazer" concert in the theater down the block from St. Peter's.

In a stupor, we met Giorgio and went to the divine Cafe Antico Grecco near the Spanish Steps -- where I'd once seen Federico Fellini sweep in and survey the place -- for coffee. From there, it was on to a lunch at the Atlante Star roof garden, with its unbelievable views of Rome -- and St. Peter's in
particular. Much wine. More jetlag delirium. Then, onto the Vatican.

Craig, Stefania, Giorgio, Rabbi Irwin Kula (who'd arrived from Boston)  and I toured the Braccio di Carlo Magno with Fausto Sobrini and Eligio Ermeti.
After a tour of this wing of the Museum, I think we went to the Theater down the block from St. Peter's -- I remember very little, except clapping my hands inside the empty auditorium to hear the acoustics (they were good), and that the theater was under some sort of renovation. (It also was on the block where, when Pope John Paul II  died less than a month later, was on TV constantly as reporters broadcast from the Vatican, waiting for that puff of smoke that would signal the selection of the man who became the new Pope -- Pope Benedict -- more about that later).

There were more meetings: specifically with Maestro Renato Serio, the musician who
conducted the Vatican Christmas concerts; he had ideas about how to incorporate Craig's rock song from "Stargazer" with Renaissance musical treatments. There was an unbelievable meal at a restaurant in Trastevere -- the name I can't remember -- with a bunch of fabulous people whose names I don't remember -- it was a two day whirlwind of coffee, wine, jetlag, Italian,
Great food, much talk about science and religion and the Vatican and music and of course -- the man behind all of this: Galileo Galilei.

The following day, Saturday, we went to the airport to go back home on the day Mercury went into retrograde. Craig said he likes to fly on Saturday, because the flights aren't as full. Our plane was delayed seven hours -- there was a lot of screaming and carrying on by disgruntled passengers -- we werent getting any real information from Alitalia....it was a mess. I remember that still in my jetlag stupor, I bought an Hermes bracelet in the duty free shop (what was i thinking?) and I finally broke down and bought a paperback copy of Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code."

And then, two weeks and one day later, on April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II died. To be continued.
      --- Lisa Robinson

All Roads Lead to Rome: Part 2

The purpose of our trip to Rome was to meet with Stefania Scorpio, whose Prime Time Productions produced the Pope's annual Christmas concert, and to visit the "Braccio di Carlo Magno" (the building to the left at the Basilica in St. Peter's Square) to discuss a potential exhibit of original Galileo artifacts -- and documents that the Vatican would make available for the first time in history.

Such an exhibit could possibly coincide with a "Stargazer" concert. In a stupor, we met Giorgio and went to the divine Cafe Antico Grecco near the Spanish Steps -- where I'd once seen Federico Fellini sweep in and survey the place -- for coffee. From there, it was on to a lunch at the Atlante Star roof garden, with its unbelievable views of Rome -- and St. Peter's in particular. Much wine. More jetlag delirium. Then, onto the Vatican. Craig, Stefania, Giorgio, Rabbi Irwin Kula (who'd arrived from Boston)  and I toured the Braccio di Carlo Magno with Professor Morello (same name as my friend Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against the Machine) and Eligio Ermeti, a former editor who worked with Stefania at Prime Time.

After a tour of this wing of the Museum, I think we went to the Theater down the block from St. Peter's with an eye out towards having a possible "Stargazer" concert there. Craig had already visited the Aola Nervi Hall -- the venue that housed the Pope's annual Christmas concert -- on a previous trip. I remember very little about the theater, except that it was under renovation and I clapped my hands inside the empty auditorium to hear the acoustics. They were good. (This theater also was on the block where, when Pope John Paul II  died less than a month later, was on TV constantly as reporters broadcast from the Vatican, waiting for that puff of smoke that would signal the selection of the man who became the new Pope -- Pope Benedict. To be continued.

-- Lisa Robinson

All Roads Lead To Rome

On March 17, 2005, Craig and I left Newark Airport on Alitalia flight #645 for Rome and for meetings about "Stargazer" with people from the Vatican. The flight left on time. Craig went to sleep the second we got in our seats; I, despite having taken an Ambien, was up the entire 8 hour plus flight. We arrived at Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 7:40 a.m., I was in my usual delirious state after an international flight, Craig was fresh and ready to go. We were met by a driver sent by  Giorgio Fanara (our guide and "consigliore" for all things Italian and the Vatican especially), and taken to the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi. When I heard we were staying at the Grand Hotel, I thought it was THE Grand Hotel; alas, all the more well known big hotels in Rome were booked up, so Giorgio had put us up here (he explained that normally he would have put us in the Excelsior on Via Veneto), and all I remember about the hotel is they weren't very welcoming, the rooms were tiny with not a lot of electrical outlets -- Craig had to re-charge his blackberry in his bathroom and at some point it almost got flushed down the toilet and was rendered useless for the entire Roman stay -- and while watching MTV Italia on TV in the room, I saw James Blunt for the first time. He was singing "Beautiful," and I remember thinking he might make a good candidate to play Galileo in something.....In another room, Craig was also watching MTV Italia, and asked me later if I'd heard of Hoobastank.

To be continued.
                         

 --- Lisa Robinson
      December 5, 2009 

Galileo & "Stargazer": Casting, Rock Stars and Other Thoughts

I always thought that if "Stargazer" became a theatrical production, someone like David Bowie should star as Galileo. There is so much about Galileo himself, and Craig Hatkoff's take on the story in particular, that fits into the rock star mold: a rebel, someone who defies authority, a womanizer.......it would be a way of making science (and its conflicts with religion: i.e. "Faith or Truth and Reason") sexy.

And it all goes back to when the genius inventor Dean Kamen said to Craig; "Why don't we treat our scientists like rock stars?"

Why, indeed.

The conflicts that exist in the Galileo story-- his relationship with Pope Urban VIII, his relationship with his daughter -- his rogue-ishness -- are right in line with all of the lovable, slightly dark, classic rock stars. Think of the young Mick Jagger (who, when he first came to the US with the Stones in the 1960's, got such bad press -- the "lock up your daughters" mentality was out in full force), Keith Richards always, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon ("the Beatles are bigger than Jesus"), Bowie (flirting with his flamboyant image), Freddie Mercury.  Prince (before he got religion), and so many more. (Even pop stars: Adam Lambert, anyone?)

To me, Craig's take on the Galileo story was an unusual, and compelling one. The Church wasn't wrong (What?). And while he was correct of course, Galileo didn't prove his theories -- he hadn't held up his end of the bargain with Pope Urban. He wasn't great with women (although at that time, who was?) All told, the truth just wasn't so simple. So, the possibilities of where this story could go -- science and religion, power struggles, government authority, space exploration -- all relevant today, along with rock music that tells a story -- were irresistible.

And then, in March 2005, we went to the Vatican. To be continued.

 ---- Lisa Robinson 

Lisa Robinson Commentaries: Entry #1

From our archivist and historian Lisa Robinson

Save the World:

Lisa Robinson

I remember when I first heard the demos for "Stargazer," and I immediately thought that the song "Save the World" -- especially during those dark days in 2003 (after 9/11, the Iraq War, the Bush Presidency) --  was a slamdunk hit. The melody was undeniably catchy, a trademark of the Hatkoff-penned tunes in the rock opera. (And let me digress for a moment; I'm someone who rolls my eyes at the concept of a "rock opera" to begin with; I never even liked "Tommy." But this story, this unique way of looking at the Galileo story - and myth -- the discussion about what it all means in terms of science and religion even today, as well as all these melodic, Beatlesque songs, really captured my attention.)

     Then, at the mini-performance at the Asia House, when the performers did that song, I whispered to Jane (Rosenthal), "This song is a hit." I was so convinced that there really was something special about the combo of the message as well as the melody, that I had a CD of just that song run off from the demos and gave it to Bono when he came to New York to appear at the the Tribeca Film Festival that year. Bono- Galileo-Save the World.....it still works. To be continued.

Lisa Robinson