The Teatro Gerolamo, Milan’s Belle Époque

The Jerome, brother of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Built not far from the rubble of a theater and nearly the same age as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Gerolamo Theater since 2017 has finally reopened to the public, returning to the Milanese a true jewel that preserves the history of Milan from the Belle Époque to the present day and is definitely worth a guided tour. Since its founding, the Teatro Gerolamo has been staging Milanese life through the puppet shows of Giuseppe Fiando, who also gave space to dialect theater in collaboration with the Accademia del Teatro Nuovo, where several Scapigliatura figures and many dialect companies operated, among others. Even after his death, the theater remained a point of reference for puppets, hosting the shows of many important companies such as the famous Carlo Colla & Figli, which was entrusted with the management of the Gerolamo in 1911. These were the Gerolamo’s golden years, until 1957, when it was forced to close for about a year due to its serious dilapidated condition.

The Jerome Theater: from puppets to the great actors of Milan

From 1958 until the 1980s, the theater’s stage was more alive than ever, hosting the greatest contemporary performers such as Franca Valeri, Tino Buzzelli, Enzo Jannacci, Dario Fo and Franca Rame, Ornella Vanoni, Domenico Modugno, and again a few years later, Giorgio Gaber, Maurizio Micheli, Paolo Poli, and Livia Cerini. Closed again in 1983, it reopened after a lengthy restoration only in 2017. Today, the Teatro Gerolamo, called the little Scala because of its structure reminiscent of the great Milanese theater with two tiers of boxes, a gallery and stalls, is considered a jewel of 19th-century theater architecture and is ready to welcome you to relive the magic of yesteryear. Our guided tour, accompanied by the performance, will be the perfect opportunity to have amagical experience.

2024/2025 PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 20, 2:30 p.m. – CARLO PORTA’S STRAMILANO. Poems with Marco Balbi and the Verzee’s Ninetta (original version)

With Marco Balbi, Domitilla Colombo and Piero Colaprico, Guido Baldoni on accordion Carlo Porta is a much-loved Milanese poet, even by Stendhal. Among his most memorable poems is “La Ninetta del Verzee,” a story of a commoner who, despite an adverse fate, resists with strength and independence, anticipating themes of modern literature. The version presented is original and complete, with songs in Italian and Milanese and speeches by a dicitore so that everyone, even non-Milanese, can understand the power of Porta’s words.

Saturday, November 30, 6:30 p.m. – Herodias

By Giovanni Testori with Francesca Benedetti. Directed by Marco Carniti. The play explores the biblical figure of Herodias, mother of Salome, with dramatic intensity and deep symbolic meanings. Testori reverses the myth, attributing ambition and passion to Herodias instead of Salome, and analyzes her complex relationship with her daughter and her total love for the prophet Jokanaan. The play explores universal themes and moral dilemmas, with Herodias emerging as victim rather than executioner. Testori, like Victor Hugo, combines writing and drawing, creating pictorial panels depicting the metamorphosis of John the Baptist’s head. These images flow across the backdrop during the performance, symbolizing pain and despair. Testori takes on the role of the executioner, representing the condition of corrupting human blood. His visual works depict the prison of blood, burying the image of the living God and symbolizing our callousness.

Saturday, December 21, 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 22, 2:30 p.m. – A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens, with Arianna Scommegna, on accordion Giulia Bertasi. Production Atir – Teatro Gerolamo “A Christmas Carol” is a universally known tale, often encountered in schools, TV, movies or storybooks. Despite its popularity, some find the story now predictable and boring, similar to how Mr. Scrooge hates Christmas and its celebrations. Many find the Christmas season stressful, between traffic, company dinners, gifts, lights, and family obligations, to the point of wishing for a post-holiday vacation. This play is dedicated to those who can no longer stand either Dickens or Christmas, those who find good feelings boring, and those who make excuses to avoid Christmas dinners. These are the contemporary protagonists of Scrooge’s story of rebirth and hope.

Saturday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m. – ONCE UPON A TIME…THE FOUR SEASONS. The wonderful fairy tale of nature

With the Carlo Colla & Figli Marionette Company The marionette show Once Upon a Time… the Four Seasons is loosely based on the musical composition by Antonio Vivaldi. Through puppets and an off-screen narrative voice, the show tells the tale of nature and the succession of seasons, emphasized by climate change. The text, simple and didactic, but also ironic and critical, guides the audience in listening to the music performed by piano and solo violin. Shepherds, nymphs, villagers, hunters, vine-dressers, birds, woodland animals, flowers, plants, skies, clouds, sunny horizons, thunderstorms, frost storms and snowflakes come to life through storytelling, narration and dance, making the show suitable for all ages.

Sunday, March 23, 2:30 p.m. – HELLO LOVE HELLO. An investigation of Luigi Tenco

By Filippo Paoloasini and Fabiola Fidanza with Filippo Paoloasini and Lucia Bianchi. In collaboration with NoveTeatro. Directed and produced by Asini Bardasci. On January 27, 1967, during the Italian Song Festival in San Remo, Luigi Tenco was found dead in a room at the Savoy Hotel, thus ending his artistic revolution and cementing his myth in the history of Italian music. The show “Ciao amore ciao” explores the life of Tenco, a romantic and tormented songwriter, through music, words and historical research. With a cinematic edge, the show combines storytelling and engaging staging, thanks to Filippo Paolasini who plays Tenco and Lucia Bianchi who represents the women in his life. A band of three musicians accompanies the performance, creating an evocative atmosphere of the 1960s and celebrating Tenco’s artistic legacy.

Sunday, May 11, 2:30 p.m. – DICTIONARY OF MALAVITA SIGNED FILIPPO CRIVELLI

By Filippo Crivelli with Valentina Ferrari Filippo Crivelli, a famous director and author, debuted at the age of 34 at Teatro Gerolamo as a cabaret director with the show “Milanin Milanon,” achieving great success. Few know that he left behind an unpublished text entitled “Dizionario di Malavita.” This work, an example of song-theater, has recently been recovered. What else is there to add?