Musical about Berlusconi on Broadway: secret project revealed

On the eve of Silvio Berlusconi's 90th birthday, which would have been September 29th, a secret and unprecedented project emerges: a musical about his life destined for Broadway. Revealing the backstory is Roberto Gasparotti, the historic image-maker for Il Cavaliere, who oversaw his public appearances for over twenty years.

Gasparotti rediscovered notes and instructions received directly from Berlusconi, evidence of a dream developed between 2014 and 2015. The project, kept under the strictest secrecy for fear of leaks, envisioned a mega-show modeled on the American theatrical tradition, with the working title "The Prince Charming." The work, which already involved an actor-writer, a musician, and a dance troupe, however, came to an abrupt halt without ever seeing the light of day.

It was not the first time that Silvio Berlusconi had entertained the idea of telling his life story through spectacular forms. He had already worked on a six-hour autobiographical film, never released, which opened with the declaration, "I am Silvio Berlusconi, and this is my life." The musical project, however, aimed for something even more grandiose and ambitious.

The idea, born between 2014 and 2015 during Matteo Renzi's government, envisioned a show capable of retracing the different seasons of the Cavaliere's life: from entrepreneurship to politics, from his years leading AC Milan to international stages. The imagined set design alternated sung and danced moments with authentic images projected on a large screen, creating a musical autobiography where documented reality and theatrical fiction intertwined. The reasons for the sudden abandonment of the project remain shrouded in mystery.