Leopoldo Fregoli

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Leopoldo Fregoli (born June 2, 1867 in Rome , † 1936 there ) was an Italian quick-change artist .

Life

To Fregolis arts a quick change of clothes (included Quick Change ), the adjustment of his voice and the rapid change in other characters.

At the age of 14, Fregoli first became an altar boy after failing to graduate from secondary school. In church he recited poetry and acted in theater.

Fregoli was inspired to do magic by the magician Alexander Herrmann , whose performance he had attended.

In 1886 he joined a theater group. A year later he had to do military service for three years. It was here that he developed his first number, which he premiered in 1889. It was a magic show called The Chameleon in which he portrayed five characters. Then he became a professional artist.

During his performances he spoke with 50 different voices, performed imitations and played three different instruments. In 1896 he traveled through Spain, South and North America. On this trip he developed "El Dorado", a performance with "comical-lyrical-dramatic-musical pieces with about 60 metamorphoses". For the first time he celebrated great successes with this piece, which also continued in Europe.

Fregoli performed successfully in Portugal, France, Germany, England and Russia.

In 1925 Fregoli announced his retirement from the stage.

The Fregoli syndrome is named after him , a type of paranoia in which the sick are convinced that acquaintances either slip into the bodies of strangers or disguise themselves as such, or e.g. B. a family member has taken the shape of another.

literature

  • Fregoli Racantato da Fregoli, 1936 (autobiography)

swell

  • Silvan , Arte Magica, 1977, page 211 ff.
  • Barnouw, Erik, The Magician and the Cinema, 1981, pp. 62 ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christopher, Milbourne , The Illustrated History of Magic , 282
  2. ^ Dawes, Edwin A. , Charles Bertram - The Court Conjurer , 90
  3. ↑ Riese, Eberhard and Mario Vuodi, Leopoldo Fregoli - The greatest quick-change artist of all time , in Magic, issue 11, 2001, 81st year, page 460 ff.
  4. ^ Dawes, Edwin A. , Charles Bertram - The Court Conjurer , 91
  5. ^ Dawes, Edwin A. , Charles Bertram - The Court Conjurer , 90
personal data
SURNAME Fregoli, Leopoldo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian quick-change artist
DATE OF BIRTH June 2, 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH Rome , Italy
DATE OF DEATH 1936
Place of death Rome , Italy