Story: La Voce del Comico (The Comedian's Voice)

Language Italian – A story for learners of Italian who speak English
Level B2 (4 of 6) – Intermediate (Confident) What's this?
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Francesco, un emergente talento nel mondo del cabaret, era rispettato per la sua incredibile capacità di imitare i personaggi famosi.

Frank, an emerging talent in the world of stand-up comedy, was respected for his incredible ability to impersonate celebrities.

Era così bravo a copiare le loro voci, i gesti e persino le espressioni facciali, che il pubblico rideva a crepapelle. Ma con l’aumentare del suo successo, la sua tristezza interna diventava sempre più profonda.

He was so good at copying their voices, gestures, and even facial expressions, that audiences would laugh uncontrollably. But as his success increased, his internal sadness grew more profound.

Fin dai suoi primi anni, Francesco faceva imitazioni. Lo faceva perché credeva di essere una persona noiosa. Ma se impersonava qualcun altro, la gente lo trovava divertente.

From his early years, Frank had been doing impersonations. It was because he believed that he was a boring person. But if he portrayed someone else, people found him entertaining.

Ora, era un comico professionista, ma stava ancora facendo la stessa cosa. Francesco desiderava poter esprimere la sua voce unica.

Now, he was a professional comedian, but he was still doing the same thing. Frank wished he could express his own unique voice.

Durante uno spettacolo una notte, ha dovuto fermarsi per un momento quando le intense luci del palco gli hanno accecato gli occhi. Quando si è ripreso, Francesco ha deciso che ne aveva abbastanza. Ha smesso di imitare un famoso cantante e ha iniziato a improvvisare.

During a performance one night, he had to stop for a moment when the intense stage lights shone in his eyes. When he recovered, Frank decided he’d had enough. He stopped impersonating a famous singer and began to improvise.

“Sapete, canto sotto la doccia ogni giorno,” ha iniziato. Non sapeva dove stava andando con il suo scherzo. “Avete notato quanto sia bello il vostro canto nel bagno? Spesso penso, forse dovrei lasciare la comicità e diventare una popstar. Poi esco e mi vedo allo specchio.”

“You know, I sing in the shower every day,” he began. He didn’t know where his joke was going. “Have you noticed how great your voice sounds in the bathroom? I often think, maybe I should quit comedy and become a pop star. Then I step out and see myself in the mirror.”

Francesco ha continuato a condividere storie personali sulla sua routine mattutina, il comportamento strano del suo animale domestico, e un passato colloquio di lavoro in cui aveva indossato accidentalmente il suo abito al rovescio.

Frank carried on sharing personal stories about his morning routine, his pet’s odd behaviour, and a past job interview where he accidentally wore his suit inside out.

Mentre continuava, Francesco si è reso conto che il pubblico non stava solo ridendo per educazione. Erano a crepapelle. E non c’era nessuno sul palco se non lui.

As he continued, Frank realised that the audience were not just laughing politely. They were roaring with laughter. And there was no one on the stage but him.

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