Anthony's Aria

Opening in mid-1990s Ireland at the height of football fever, Anthony's Aria follows a young working-class man from Dublin who drunkenly, and unintentionally reveals on a night out with his beautiful, head-strong girlfriend, Clio, and his best friend, the comical but damaged Maggot Maguire, that he can sing Italian opera as brilliantly as the great Luciano Pavarotti. After being convinced by his friends to enter a karaoke competition in a local men's working club, Anthony is unwittingly discovered by the Irish-American, Austin Cooke of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Upon hearing Anthony's mispronunciation of Puccini's famous aria, "Nessun dorma", butchered by Anthony as, "Nestin doorman," Austin sneeringly begins to video-tape Anthony's performance. However, Anthony's singing is so brilliant that the intended mocking recording of his performance is immediately sent to the director of the Metropolitan Opera House, Hilary Hadrian. So taken by Anthony's pure voice and even purer soul, Hilary soon sends Anthony to study in Italy under the famed Italian Maestro, Mr. Strozzapreti. Hillary grooms Anthony Pygmalion-style for stardom, much to the annoyance of star tenor, the racist, wealthy, snobbish, cruel, and misogynistic Sebastian. After two months of intense study, and some cultural comical misunderstandings, Anthony is ready to take the opera world on. But is the opera world ready for him?