Don Lurio
Don Lurio | |
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 Lurio (right) with Rossella Como in 1965 | |
| Born | Donald Benjamin Lurio 15 November 1929 |
| Died | 26 January 2003 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | American Italian |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1959–2003 |
| Partner | Livio Costagli (1974–1994) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Labels | |
Donald Benjamin Lurio, better known by his stage name of Don Lurio (15 November 1929 – 26 January 2003) was an American-born Jewish Italian dancer, choreographer, actor, singer and television presenter for RAI, the Italian radio and television public service.
Biography[edit]
Born in the United States in a family of Italian Jewish origin, Lurio operated a dance studio on Broadway theatre with Bob Fosse and Jack Cole. In 1957 the group toured Europe and Lurio decided to settle in Italy. He appeared in several Italian films and TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. He also appeared in a handful of British films. He choreographed the interval act for the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 with his ensemble, The Don Lurio Dancers. One of his most popular number, the song Testa, Spalla (Head, Shoulder), was premiered on the show Hai visto mai? in 1973 when performed in a duet with showgirl Lola Falana.[1]
Openly gay (which was considered scandalous at the time, and not only in Italy), Lurio had a long-term relationship with Livio Costagli, who died in 1994 at the age of 44 years from complications caused by AIDS.
Lurio died in Rome in 2003 from respiratory failure. As his will, the National Academy of Dance in Rome has a grant named after him.
Selected filmography[edit]
- Casinò de Paris (1957)
- Rocco e le sorelle (1961)
- Pugni pupe e marinai (1961)
- Toto's First Night (1962)
- Canzoni a tempo di twist (1962)
- Il magnifico Bobo (1967)
- "FF.SS." - Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?" (1982)
- Arrivano i miei (1982)
- Quo vadiz? (1984)
- The Fish in Love (1999)
References[edit]
- ^ "VideosHub | Popular Internet Videos". Archived from the original on 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
- 1929 births
- 2003 deaths
- American male dancers
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American choreographers
- American television hosts
- American LGBT dancers
- American LGBT broadcasters
- American LGBT singers
- American gay actors
- American gay musicians
- American people of Italian descent
- American emigrants to Italy
- Italian male dancers
- Italian male film actors
- Italian male musical theatre actors
- Italian choreographers
- Italian television presenters
- Italian LGBT dancers
- Italian LGBT broadcasters
- Italian LGBT singers
- Italian gay actors
- Italian gay musicians
- Gay Jews
- Gay dancers
- Gay singers
- LGBT choreographers
- LGBT people from New York (state)
- Respiratory disease deaths in Lazio
- Deaths from respiratory failure
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American dancers
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American LGBT people
- 20th-century Italian male actors
- 20th-century Italian male singers
- 20th-century Italian dancers
- 20th-century Italian Jews
- 20th-century Italian LGBT people