Ok, fine, not really. No Nazis, no Dr. Jones, no Holy Grail, & no Knights of the First Crusade -- this time we have to settle for José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Jovanotti, the Alagnas, and Sting at Al Khazneh in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan for a memorial concert & gala in commemoration of Big Luciano.
The concert was under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint al Hussein of Jordan, and funds will go towards various UN projects in Afghanistan. Nicoletta Mantovani and daughter Alice were on hand to memorialize Pavarotti's gigantic footprint by chillaxing with the VIPs.
Kicking off the photos is Nicoletta & Alice & orsetto:
If Pavarotti were still alive, it would have been a birthday celebration for his 73rd...instead, a bittersweet program included: Placido Domingo and José Carreras sang together, "Non ti scordar di me"; Laura Pausini and Jovanotti interpreted "Caruso" in duet, while Pausini went on to duet "Vivere" with Andrea Bocelli; Sting and Angela Gheorghiu sang together "La ci darem la mano", and treated the audience of 500 VIPs to a bis (who had paid up to $9,500.00 USD per ticket); Zucchero sang "Miserere", while Pavarotti was projected on a gigantic screen in a virtual duet; and Roberto Alagna showed up alongside Andrea Griminelli and Cynthia Lawrence. The concert ended with a projection of Big Luciano singing "Nessun dorma".
Make sure you click on the link directly below for many, many, many more photos from the weekend of festivities...
(above & below: Nicoletta Mantovani)
(below: Mommy takes a smoke break)
(below: Jordan's Queen Rania gives the Al Hussein Medal to Nicoletta)
(below: Nicoletta Mantovani and Gianfranco Fini)
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(below: Princess Rym Ali, Prince Ali, Nicoletta Mantovani, Princess Haya, Jordan's Queen Rania, Princess Muna and Prince Faisal at the concert.)
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(below: PLACIDONE, the Dominger!)
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