Sanremo 2022: the second evening, between comedy and reflection

The first evening does not count, it only serves to warm up the engines to take measurements and understand what objective to modulate and orient oneself on. It is starting from the second that we understand if the Sanremo Festival has gotten into gear or is going downhill in neutral. In this round, Amadeus, orphan of Fiorello, has decided to focus on two crucial points: the reflection on the inclusiveness of Lorena Cesarini and the incorrect comedy of Checco Zalone. After an all too hasty and patchy tribute dedicated to the memory of Monica Vitti – we understand that the time available was short, but a medley of her most beautiful roles would not have involved so much effort given the very rich archives of Mamma Rai –, Sanremo immediately gets to the heart by telling the emotion of Cesarini, actress best known for Suburra – The series who decided to share her personal experience with racism and with the hateful comments she received when Amadeus made it official that the co-host to escort him to the stage during the second evening of the Festival would be her.

Together with his message, full of emotion, counterbalanced the triple intervention of Checco Zalone, who tried to make up for Fiorello’s absence through particularly apt and incorrect gags, as is his style. He turned into a storyteller minstrel by telling a tale in Calabrian; took the form of a trapper by the name of Ragadi and impersonated the cousin of Al Bano, Oronzo Carrisi, by profession virologist. Despite being on the scene for more than ten years, it is strange that a good part of the public has not yet understood that Checco Zalone is nothing more than a mask that makes fun of the average Italian, and we hope that his intervention in Sanremo has managed to to clarify what has always been crystal clear to us. Crystalline as the talent of the three conductors that Rai has chosen to lead the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 which will be staged in Turin next May: Laura Pausini, who gave Sanremo a wonderful performance on the notes of Box; Alessandro Cattelan, which we will see soon on Netflix in the docu-series A simple question, And Mika. Their names have been around for some time, but receiving the announcement of their engagement from the Ariston stage has done nothing but strengthen the celebration of a double event that no amateur should miss.

For the rest, the second evening arrived straight at its destination closing – hear it all – at 0.49: Amadeus concluded, in fact, an hour earlier than it had done with the second evening in 2021 and this, especially for the writer, is already a great result. On the song front, it was above all Elisa who was the master, first both in the provisional ranking of the second evening and in the general ranking drawn up by the Press Office. To follow her, however, there are Mahmood and Blanco, who can count on the support of a fanbase that, we are sure, will be heard at the final together with the opinion poll jury. The rhythm, in principle, has been sent and the narrative structure clean and without too many creations, an example of how it is possible to have a Sanremo Festival even if you do not slip into a thousand offal as in the turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:

Sanremo 2022: Lorena Cesarini’s monologue against racism

Sanremo 2022: Checco Zalone and the incorrect show that goes straight to the mark

Sanremo 2022: why Laura Pausini is the queen of the Festival

Sanremo 2022: the ranking of the first evening

Listen to Sanremo 2022: the first evening starts with a bang

Sanremo 2022: the disappointment of Ornella Muti

Sanremo 2022: the first evening, under the sign of the Fiorello Show

Sanremo 2022: Damiano’s tears

Sanremo 2022: thank goodness Fiorello is here

Sanremo 2022: thrills for Mahmood and Blanco

Rkomi: “Where’s the spark?”

Sanremo 2022: the lineup of the early evening

Sanremo 2022: here is who will sing the first evening

Sanremo 2022: here is who will sing on the second evening

Sanremo 2022: all the photos behind the scenes

Sanremo 2022: all the times by Gianni Morandi

Sanremo 2022: the thousand faces of Achille Lauro

Sanremo 2022: who is Yuman

Sanremo 2022: who is Dargen D’Amico

Sanremo 2022: the return of Ornella Muti

Sanremo 2022: this is how the competing artists will dress

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Sanremo 2022: who is with whom

Sanremo 2022: the 72-year history of the Festival in 72 pills

Sanremo 2022: who are the 25 singers in the race

Beauty in Sanremo 2022

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Sanremo 2022, Giovanni Truppi: “Always faithful to myself”

Sanremo 2022: the favorites for the victory

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Sanremo 2022: Will Fiorello be there?

Sanremo 2022: all the covers and duets in the race

Sanremo 2022, Gianni Morandi: “The trembling before going on stage”

Laura Pausini super guest of Sanremo 2022

Sanremo 2022: Francesca Michielin will be Emma’s conductor

Sanremo 2022: Cesare Cremonini super guest

Sanremo 2022: here are the 5 co-hosts

Sanremo, 10 “meteors” that have remained in history

The missed winners of the Sanremo Festival