A Slight Change In The Game Plan!

Rome Diary IV:
Il Mio Ritorno a Roma!
Thursday February 15, 2018
Sunny 52°F/11°C in Roma, EUR, Italia
Cloudy 67°F/19°C in Cedar Park, Texas
Caro Diario:
       Ti ricordi ho detto che avrei lasciato Roma il 15 Febbraio? Well, I’ve decided to stay another month. So, THERE!
       In all actuality, as decisions go, it was a no-brainer! All it took was for my son Michael to give me a slight nudge. Seriously, Pop! Do you have any really pressing appointments back in TEXAS? When I

Marsha Cincinnati and Friends

couldn’t think of any reasons, he came back at me with, That settles it! Instead of driving you to the airport, we’ll drive up to Selci for a few days, AND you can hear No Funny Stuff play on Sunday. I’ll even throw in a kazoo, so you can play along.
       When I broke the news to my landlady, Amina, her usual smile disappeared. I had booked the apartment from her based on my original departure date, and I had already planned on spending a few days with Mike and Laura prior to liftoff. So, suddenly I was confronted with the realities of the internet vacation rental business – Amina had rented MY apartment to a TOTAL STRANGER!  For a moment I panicked - I couldn’t impose on Mike and Laura for a whole MONTH! You will no doubt recall what old Ben Franklin said about company. Fish and guests begin to smell after three days! Being quick on his feet, my son tapped out a text to a friend of his in Tunis, and in scant seconds, I would once again have a place of my own. It’s right near

Amina, My  Landlady

where you’re staying now. The apartment’s bigger and it’s the same price as Amina’s place. Wow! Three cheers for the pride of my loins!

       Actually, being a truly international city, Rome has a rather large, English-speaking expatriate community. The ex-pats blend in quite comfortably in their own social structure within Rome’s larger universe. And no one exemplifies that smaller society within the larger universe than the funny and indestructible Marsha De Salvatore, known to her many fans up and down the boot of Italy as Marsha Cincinnati, of Rome’s Comedy Club! Marsha is the guiding light and mentor to an international group of young, up and coming, stand-up comedians from a variety of nations. Michael took me along last Spring when Marsha’s troupe was performing in Monti. She invited him to emcee on that particular night, and this proud pop got to see his boy doing stand-up comedy. This time around, Michael did his first full stand-up routine.
       A few nights later, over dinner at Laura and Michael’s home, I chatted with Marsha about Rome’s Comedy Club, and her own career as a stand-up comic, producer and her parallel role as the

Marsha Cincinnati, aka Marsha De Salvatore

star of her own one-woman show. The young comedians who perform with Marsha on stage at the circuit of Rome nightclubs that give Marsha’s troupe all of the attributes of a traveling circus are only part of her story. She has also managed to transform a potentially life-threatening chronic illness into a one-woman performance that is playing to rave reviews all up and down the boot of Italy.

      Faced with the periodic ordeal of blood transfusions, Marsha has gleaned the humor from her malady and has taken it on the road to set the example to others who share her predicament, as well as to entertain members of their families. Having seen her perform several times, and chatting with Marsha any number of times, I was completely unaware that the specter of a potentially grave illness loomed over her. As a retired journalist, I’m trained to try and detect any chinks in the armor of even the most casual of personal contacts. But, Marsha Cincinnati totally got past me on that one. When I asked why she had left the U.S. for Rome to ply her brand of comedy in a country that didn’t even speak the same language, she floored me with, I’m from Cincinnati! Y’ever been to Cincinnati? Nothing there for me! Nothing!  Fortunately for Marsha, her family has deep roots here in Italy and, because of that, she was able to obtain a long-term visa and access to the national health care system that enables her to work and support herself in a meaningful way. Back home, she said, I would be unable to work because of my health. I’d be on welfare, getting my treatments, all the time with people glaring at me because they’d be convinced that I’m gaming the system! I had apparently struck a nerve with my attempt to learn what it is about Rome that attracts so many expatriates. Look! She said, Here in Rome, I am among my family and friends, getting the care that I need to keep working my butt off, doing something with my career that I truly love, and making a living at it. I can’t do that in CINCINNATI!
      Rome has always had a sizable expatriate community, but, like many other Americans, my ties are mostly to the English-speaking elements. At that point my son chimed in, Marsha makes a good point! Back in California, I’d probably be playing in a garage band somewhere, or playing weekend

MikeBo Jr - No Garage Bands!

gigs like weddings and parties, hoping for an occasional club date. Here, he continued, we are playing mostly club dates and festivals. We’re making TV appearances and guest shots on radio shows. I just shot a pilot for a TV game show as a host, and now Marsha is giving me an opportunity to do stand-up comedy.

      The easiest way to check out what Marsha Cincinnati and Rome’s Comedy Club is up to is to feed the names into GOOGLE or one of the other search engines or give her a LIKE on Facebook or Trip Advisor. Or before you add a visit to Rome’s Comedy Club to the itinerary for your next trip to Rome, you can check out a few laughs via You Tube. Who knows, maybe my extended stay will enable me to catch another evening of Marsha’s comedy.
      Even my Italian teacher approves of my staying longer here in Rome. Patrizia had been holding my place in her class until I returned. But she didn’t bat an eye when I told her I was staying longer. In Italian she told me that I would probably learn the language more quickly in Rome than in her classroom. I think she’s right. With actually living here, learning Italian can be a survival skill.
Ci vediamo!

Ciao,
MikeBo

[Mike Botula is the author of LST 920: Charlie Botula’s Long, Slow Target! He is a retired broadcast journalist, government spokesperson and media consultant.   Mike’s book is available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble Books. You can follow his blog at: mikebotula.blogspot.com, or visit Mike Botula at www.mikebotula.com]