Moccia musical has Rome's teens swooning

By Rubina S.

ROME, OCT. 29 -- On Saturday night Rome's Teatro Olimpico filled with enthusiastic teenagers eager to see the stage performance of "Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo", the modern-day teen romance that has captivated a nation.

More than 800,000 copies of the book have sold across Europe and the movie version brought in nearly 16 million euros at the box office and on home video. "Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo," (also known as "3MSC") is now being presented to the Italian public as a musical.

"Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo", translated to English as 'Three Steps Over Heaven', is a novel written by Federico Moccia. It is a story about two teenagers, Babi and Step, who fall in love despite having very different backgrounds. The story, filled with passion, romance, and a fair share of drama, has drawn a cult following in Italy.

Indeed, turning '3MSC' into a musical is challenging. Will it be able to capture the fans' hearts as the books and movie did?

Massimiliano Varrese, the actor who plays Step, conceded it is a challenge. This role was originally played by Riccardo Scamarcio , the Italian heartthrob. As Varrese said in an interview with Feltrinelli , he is concerned about how much the audience will appreciate him in this role.

Varrese has nothing to worry about because Rome's audience was far from disappointed. During the musical, the crowd heaped on the actors cheers, laughter and even tears.

According to 15-year-old Laura Cucchi, who was in attendance on Saturday, "sono particolarmente soddisfatta con Martina Ciabatti, ha una voce stupenda", meaning, she is impressed with Martina Ciabatti (the 20-year-old actress who plays Babi) and her magnificent voice.

A group of 20 cast members had recently begun their tour of the show on Oct 5 in Prato, a city north to Florence. They arrived in Rome on Oct. 9 (remaining until Nov. 4). The group will go on to 17 more theaters across Italy, ending in Milan from Feb. 12-24. Check here for the exact tour dates.

On Saturday, it was hard to find a single person who left the theater without a smile, not so common for a performance that doesn't include a happy ending.