SHADOWS IN THE SUN
                                                                         (MUSICAL)
                                                         By Anthony Giordano and Paolo Ruiz
                                                             Music by Piero Cicero Santalena
                                                                     Lyrics by Paolo Ruiz

The town of Monteleone is under the grip of the mafia; the inhabitants live of agriculture and work in the mines of Sulphur and Coal.
Nino (10 years old) lives there with his family. His uncle Toni works in the mine and is sought after by one clan because of his land (with abundant water underground) and his skill as a hunter.
The play follows Nino’s dream of becoming an opera singer on a threatening background of poverty and criminality. This accentuates the contrast between good and bad.
Nino’s skill as a singer is first shown during a serenade, interrupted by a shotgun.
Beside the description of a matriarchal Sicilian family (well organized under the guidance of Lucia, the mother), the first act of the play shows the intimidating ways of the mafia, culminating in the assassination of “zio Toni”.
A priest of unknown origin gives balance and suspense to the various happenings.
After the assassination, Nino’s family emigrates to Canada.

Unknown to the family, the mafia clan moves to the same city where a flourishing business of drug trafficking makes the boss very powerful.
Nino marries Lisa and to officiate the ceremony he has requested the presence of father Domenico, the Sicilian priest. They have several children. His dream of becoming a singer is slowly taking place. He meets Rose in a cabaret where she sings and they start a romance. Both become famous and make Place des Arts.
Don Saro, the clan’s boss, tries to get Melo, the dominant figure in Montreal’s peg, to associate with him. After his refusal he has him killed by one of his men. Father Domenico is in town to listen to a concert by Nino. We discover that he is Melo’s brother and has lived in Montreal when he was a kid. Ambiguously he throws away his white collar of a priest when he sees his brother dead.
At the pub where Nino and Rose sing comes in Frank (the killer). Father Domenico is already there to applaud the duo. An altercation follows the advances of Frank towards Rose. He gets out with a gun in his hand after the revelation that he has killed “zio Toni” and the order came from don Saro, Nino’s Godfather.
Frank is followed by Nino and the priest. We hear some shots. Frank is killed.
In comes Nino, followed by the priest, Nicola (another don Saro’s associate), don Saro and 2 policemen.
At the end we discover who has killed Frank, while don Saro escapes justice.
Nino and Rose walk hand in hand like on a fairy tale.
The final song is a hymn to the resistance and the fight against criminality.