The Genie of the Lamp

Publish date 10-10-2024

by Max Laudadio

Fifteen years ago I showed up at the auditions for Aladin, the musical, written by Stefano D’Orazio with music by Pooh: I wanted to be a genie! That time the part wasn’t assigned to me because they preferred, with absolute merit, Roberto Ciufoli. I was still satisfied with the casting, because Stefano D’Orazio and Manuel Frattini – a unique performer and undisputed protagonist of the tale – had spent beautiful words for my personal interpretation of the genie.

Years later, the production of the musical called me back, precisely to play that same role. In the meantime, both Stefano and Manuel have flown to heaven, but I thought they were the ones who sent this unexpected call. I have always believed that dreaming is good for the soul and a tale like Aladin has this task. Dreaming brings us back to the primordial desire of infants, and this is vital.

I wanted to tell these anecdotes of my professional life, only because during the press presentation of the musical, a journalist asked me a question that left me speechless: «If you were really the genie of the lamp, what three wishes would you like to make come true?».

At first I smiled, perhaps to hide the embarrassment I was in, but then I thought that the question, apparently so banal, forced me to reflect deeply on my life, on my beliefs, my choices, and on what happiness means to me now.

I have to be honest, at the moment I have answered briefly, perhaps not very exhaustively, but here I would like to try to delve deeper into the issues that I have only touched on with the journalist.
At the risk of sounding obvious, and perhaps appearing more banal than a new Miss Italy at her first interview, the first wish I expressed that I wanted to make come true is Peace. The real one, the one that God taught us and that no man should allow himself to kill. Because I idealize a world where listening wins over abuse, responsibility over incivility, sharing over ego, equality over inequality and hope over fear. Where you can choose flowers instead of guns, the beauty of a sunset and not war, kindness instead of hate, poetry and not insults. I would like Peace, the real one, that makes us love, no one excluded.

The second wish is more realistic and, paradoxically, could already come true, even without magic. Unfortunately, man's greed today makes it impossible, but I continue to dream that common sense will prevail sooner or later. I imagine a place where Man and Nature are recognized as part of the same mechanism, where it can be said that they are the same thing and where science and technology can only serve to improve and preserve them. A place where you can breathe good air and eat healthy food, with nature returning to be the main co-star and not an antagonist. I would like to create a world where we heat ourselves with the sun, geothermal, hydroelectric or anything else that does not pollute; where water is not wasted but managed and shared; where garbage is not an emergency but a source of energy; where animals are not prey to games of immature adults, but living beings to be respected.

The third and final wish that I have declared I would want to fulfill, if I were truly a genie, is certainly the simplest: to make a synonym of the word happiness appear in all the dictionaries of the earth: to give oneself. Maybe then, the genies of the lamp would no longer be needed.

And for you, what are the three wishes you would like to fulfill and that could make us truly happy? Have you ever thought about it?


Max Laudadio
NP June / July 2024

This website uses cookies. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Click here for more info

Ok