Pop superstar Madonna spent her 66th birthday at Pompeii and donated to a local theatre project supporting at-risk kids, the archaeological site said Saturday.
The Material Girl visited the famed UNESCO site Friday night with her entourage, meeting a group of teenagers involved in “Dream of Flying”, a theatre project organised by the Pompeii museum that involves local youth in cultural presentations.
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“As made known during the meeting, the artist decided to support the project… financing the entire year 2024/2025,” wrote the museum in a statement.
Pompeii’s director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, gave Madonna and her group a private tour, after which some of the young actors presented a sampling of their work.
Fans had waited for hours outside the complex’s entrance to catch a glimpse of the singer.
Organisers said the project, now in its fourth year and with a budget of about 250,000 euros, has involved about 300 teenagers and children from the area, who take part as actors, musicians and writers.
After a premiere at Pompeii’s large theatre this year, the project toured Bologna and Ravenna, with a performance in Vicenza scheduled for the fall.
Next year’s play has not yet been chosen, but would likely be a comedy by Aristophanes, Pompeii site organisers said.
The text will be amended by the children “to give voice… to their experiences in a mixture of classicism, contemporaneity and jokes in Neapolitan”, the statement said.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD sent a giant cloud of gases and volcanic ash over the city of Pompeii, burying and preserving its buildings and objects, and even residents itself.
AFP