All the most famous Italian theatre and film stars, such as Alberto Sordi, Marcello Mastroianni, Wanda Osiris, Nino Manfredi, Renato Rascel, Johnny Dorelli, Gigi Proietti and Domenico Modugno, appeared at some time of their career on the stage of Teatro Sistina in one of his musical comedies. Although his shows drew heavily on the tradition of the Broadway musical, he reinterpreted that tradition with a typical Italian taste and developed a truly indigenous 鈥済enre.鈥�
His most popular hits, which have been often reprised on the stage of Teatro Sistina and in the largest houses around the country include Rugantino, Aggiugni un posto a tavola, Rinaldo in campo and Alleluja, brava gente. His latest show as a director was Vacanze Romane (Roman Holidays), a musical comedy which featured music by Armando Trovajoli and was inspired by the famous film by William Wyler which starred Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. He was working for a new musical inspired by the feature film 鈥淧ocketfull of Miracles鈥� by Frank Capra, which is scheduled to open next season.
Some of the songs of his shows have become classics in the Italian culture: among them 鈥淩oma, nun fa鈥� la stupida stasera鈥� (鈥淩ome, Don鈥檛 Be Silly Tonight鈥�), 鈥淎rrivederci Roma鈥�, and 鈥淒omenica 猫 sempre domenica鈥� (鈥淪unday Is Always Sunday鈥�), which was used in the opening titles of one of Italian tv鈥檚 most famous shows ever, 鈥淚l Musichiere.鈥�
Garinei and Giovannini鈥檚 most successful show ever, Rugantino, after a triumphant run in Rome, landed on Broadway in 1964 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, where it played a total of 28 performances and one preview, starring Nino Manfredi in the role of the title, Ornella Vanoni in the role of Rosetta and Aldo Fabrizi in the role of Mastro Titta.
Rome鈥檚 mayor Walter Veltroni honored Mr. Garinei in Rome鈥檚 Campidoglio on May 10. The funeral service will take place on May 11.
