“FOR fans of Italian cars — those with positive recollections, anyway — the high-profile introduction of the Fiat 500 to the United States this year holds the promise of a long-awaited brand renaissance. But for the 500 to be a genuine success, paving the way for a full line of European driver’s cars to follow, its appeal would have to be more durable than a pretty face and an attractive body. My quest to plumb the 500’s inner beauty recently took me on a long drive that included stops in Naples, Verona, Florence, Rome and Venice. . .
Next up, Dante’s autobahn — the New Jersey Turnpike, where treacherous merges and construction projects large enough to be seen from outer space were made all the more entertaining by an afternoon of ark-building rain. But the Fiat was absolutely composed: precise steering, no hydroplaning and brakes that grabbed more aggressively than Tony Soprano at the Bada Bing.” […] –Towle Tompkins, The New York Times, May 20, 2011
Dante Hall Theater, Atlantic City, NJ
“Located in the heart of the historic ‘Ducktown’ neighborhood of Atlantic City, Dante Hall was originally built in 1926 by St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Dante Hall served the predominantly Italian-American community of the neighborhood as a church hall, school gymnasium, and community theater where both school plays and the St. Michael’s Opera Company staged performances. When St. Michael’s closed its parish school in the late 1980s, Dante Hall remained dormant until an eighteen-month, $3.5 million renovation, funded solely by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, was completed in October of 2003. Renamed ‘Dante Hall Theater of the Arts,’ this beautifully restored and intimate performance space reopened with the promise of renewing the tradition of serving the Atlantic City and surrounding communities as a home for the performing arts. In 2011, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey took control of the theater. By providing quality programming and performances to local communities, Stockton College and Dante Hall Theater aim to strengthen New Jersey’s efforts of restoring Atlantic City to a cultural and family destination.” —Dante Hall Theater
