A Double Standing Ovation for Al Pacino as he Thrills the Audience with European Premiere of ‘An Evening with Pacino’, The London Palladium.
Hollywood screen legend Al Pacino lit up the London Palladium stage as he thrilled a captivated audience with his critically acclaimed one-man show ‘An Evening With Pacino’ on the 2nd June 2013.
The Oscar-winning actor brought his celebrated show for its European premiere to the iconic world-famous London Palladium. The one-off performance provided a special opportunity for fans of the silver screen legend to see and interact with their hero up close.
'An Evening with Pacino' explored the myriad highlights of one of the most celebrated careers in acting history, from his time off-Broadway in the 1960s right up to the present day, with the actor himself in intimate theatre surroundings. The evening included an on-stage interview projected on a state-of-the-art large screen, bringing the action closer to the audience. The show also gave the public a rare chance to speak directly to Al Pacino in a Question & Answer session.
Speaking about the event, Al Pacino said: “I love being on the stage, it’s a big passion of mine. It was a privilege to perform in London at the Palladium after so many years. I loved the live element of the event and being so close to my fans in the UK. The last time I was here was for the docu-drama Wilde Salome. It’s always great to be back.”
The sell-out show was organised by Sterling 2 Ent, a multi-entertainment and film investment and production vehicle founded by Teji Singh and managed by CEO and MD Natasha Mudhar and top entertainment promoter Rocco Buonvino. The event’s title sponsor was DVK, a global private equity and commodity trading company founded by Deepak Kuntawala.
Amid a star-studded auditorium, Al Pacino, the force behind such cinematic classics as The Godfather, Scent Of A Woman and Carlito’s Way, took to the stage to reminisce about his illustrious career and to re-enact scenes from his most famous works. Highlights from the evening included Al Pacino speaking to interviewer Emma Freud, who asked him how he chose the legendary roles that he has performed. He answered simply: ‘My career decisions have been based on my instinct, nothing else.’
Lighter moments came when he was asked who he thought was the best on-screen kisser, to which Pacino quipped: ‘The best kisser on screen I’ve ever had' Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon! Joking - Oh, Michelle [Pfeiffer]!’
One of the very few actors to have won the Triple Crown in acting (Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards), winning his first Tony in 1969 for Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie, Al Pacino won worldwide acclaim for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, which also gave him the first of his eight Academy Award nominations. An enduring and highly regarded acting career has followed, with standout performances in Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scarface, Sea of Love, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Donnie Brasco, and Scent Of A Woman, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1992 Oscars.
Al Pacino has also directed and produced several films, including Looking For Richard and the soon-to-be released docu-drama Wilde Salomé, starring Jessica Chastain as Oscar Wilde’s Salomé.
Al Pacino said of his project, which he has produced with friend and producer partner Barry Navidi (Merchants of Venice, King Lear): ‘I saw the play [Salomé] for the first time in London. It struck me immediately and affected me. When I asked who wrote it, I learned it was Oscar Wilde. I decided I wanted to do it straight away. I pursued the dream for years and did it on Broadway first. To be able to make your own film, you’re involved in that way and it’s just energising.’
Speaking about the process of casting the perfect actress for the role of Salome, he explained: ‘In a room, auditioning girls for Salome, I didn’t have Salome… Then I saw this girl and her name was Jessica Chastain… It was so stunning; it was like looking at a prodigy.’
