Pinocchio Pop debuts in New York: when theater teaches Italian. For the first time, theItalian Cultural Institute in New York, directed by Claudio Pagliara, takes the field in support of an artistic project by Simona Rodano, Italian excellence in the world of theater in New York.
In New York, the Italian language takes center stage.
On March 18, 2026, “Pinocchio Pop” will debut, a bilingual show designed for schools and families that combines theater, music, and participation to transform language learning into a living experience.
The production, by Incanto Productions, will debut at the Williamson Theatre at the College of Staten Island and then continue with a tour of major theaters in the Tri-State area, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, involving over 4,000 students.
This is not a simple theatrical version of Carlo Collodi’s famous fairy tale, but a true interactive educational show, in which students become an active part of the story. Through music, rhythm, and participatory moments, Pinocchio and the other characters guide the audience on a journey through Italian words, emotions, and imagination.
A double celebration
“Pinocchio Pop” was also created to celebrate two important anniversaries:
the bicentennial of the birth of Carlo Collodi and the 60th anniversary of the legendary Italian band Pooh, whose music has accompanied generations of Italians.
The songs in the show are written by the historic authors of Pooh — Valerio Negrini, Roby Facchinetti, Dodi Battaglia, Red Canzian, and Stefano D’Orazio — and represent one of the narrative threads that link Italian musical tradition to contemporary theatrical language.
The result is a show with an Italian flavor but with a strong New York energy.
Theater as an educational experience
Directed by Simona Rodano, Pinocchio Pop is designed as a sing-along show, where the audience sings, responds, and interacts with the actors.
The goal is not only to entertain, but to make the Italian language an emotional experience, capable of remaining in the students’ memory much longer than a traditional lesson.
The script is written by Simona Rodano and Sebina Montagno, with multilingual adaptations by Pasqualino Beltempo.
The cast includes:
Simona Rodano (also known as The Italian Fairy), Pasqualino Beltempo, Arianna Stendardo, Giuseppe Agostaro, Giorgia Picano, Jasmin Cicchino, Emanuele Fiore, and Giovanni Soave. Production management is supervised by Luigi Rosa. Set design and animation, makeup by Angie Valentino, costumes by TDF Costumes (New York).
The visual component of the show combines theatrical sets and digital technologies, with graphics and 3D mapping by Ryve Obien, set design by Christian Tourdot, costumes by TDF Costumes, and props curated by Johna Mancini, known for her work on Federico Fellini’s film E la nave va.
A project supported by Italian institutions
The production is being carried out in collaboration with important cultural institutions, including the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, directed by Claudio Pagliara, and the School Office of the Consulate General of Italy in New York, led by Daniele Castellani.
“We are happy to support Pinocchio Pop, a lively and imaginative show performed by extraordinary artists, capable of engaging students in the study of the Italian language in a dynamic and creative way,” said Pagliara.
Castellani also emphasizes the educational value of the initiative:
“It’s the kind of activity our students deserve. Projects like this make learning Italian more creative and effective.”
Simona Rodano’s idea
Behind the project is Simona Rodano, an artist and producer born in Turin, who has been a leading figure in the Italian cultural scene in New York for over twenty years.
A singer, actress, and educator, Rodano studied singing at the International Academy of Music in Milan and acting at the Centro Teatro Attivo, combining her artistic training with a degree in biology from the University of Turin.
After moving to the United States to study medicine, she definitively chose theater.
For over a decade, she was a regular presence on Italian television RAI, in the program Ci Vediamo in TV hosted by Paolo Limiti. She was later chosen by the band Pooh to play the role of Angela in the international tours of Pinocchio – Il Grande Musical.
Throughout her career, she has received numerous international awards, including the STAR KING International Award in Seoul and the IBLA Grand Prize at Carnegie Hall.
Today, she is the founder and director of Incanto Productions, a Queens-based theater company that produces multicultural and multilingual shows for schools and families.
Through its educational programs, the company’s productions have already reached over 100,000 young viewers in the Tri-State area.
A bridge between languages and imagination
For Rodano, theater is above all an educational tool.
“We want to bring a multicultural show to schools and families that conveys the value of the encounter between languages and cultures,” he explains. “When children learn through music and theater, language becomes something alive.”
With “Pinocchio Pop,” the most famous fairy tale in Italian literature continues its journey—this time through the schools and theaters of New York—reminding us that imagination can still be the most powerful way to learn.
For thousands of students, this may be their first encounter with the Italian language. But if the theater does its job, it will not just be a lesson: it will be a discovery. Because sometimes all it takes is a story, a song, and a stage to spark a passion that will last a lifetime.
And as the curtain closes and the theater lights dim, something more than a show remains. What remains is the echo of a language, a culture, and a story that, more than a hundred years after its birth, continues to speak to the future.
