“The world needs Gaetano Donizetti – says Francesco Micheli – now more than ever before. His operas are full of elements that make them innovative and revolutionary even today: the characters portray young, vibrant and extreme feelings. They never give up and they often come from far, to show us how we look at the rest of the world from Italy. Lucia di Lammermoor features all of this: it is the epitome of Donizetti’s creativity and a perfectly Romantic opera, set amidst the foggy castles and cemeteries of Medieval Scotland ravaged by the wars amongst the clans. It narrates the sweet and genuine love story between two teenagers who grow up too fast, and whose story finally turns into a tragedy. Lucia, a young girl who is forced into a combined marriage, has but one way out of this: giving in to madness to escape from a life of bans and family restrictions. With Lucia Off, my aim is to revive this love story and its timeless metaphors, unveiling its secrets to everyone, even non-lovers of opera, accompanied by Donizetti’s music and a few videos highlighting the expressive power and intensity of this work even today.”