I really want to... '80s - The Musical

On Wednesday, 31 December 2025, the new year will be celebrated with the New Year’s Eve Grand Gala at the Teatro Duse with the show 80 voglia di... ’80!, featuring music, laughter, and a journey through time.

Fluorescent colors, teased hair, legendary pop stars, 8-bit videogames, and cult TV commercials. A sparkling, energetic, overwhelming show that brings back the magic of the ’80s… like you’ve never seen them before!

The story centers on a modern-day high school student, nonconformist and decidedly troubled. While waiting for his end-of-year results, he is transported—like in a dream or a sci-fi movie—40 years back in time, right into the heart of the most pop decade in history. His teachers, still young, involve him in a big end-of-year school concert: an opportunity to get to know them better, discover hidden sides of their personalities, and perhaps learn something about himself.

Duran Duran, Wham!, Europe, Whitney Houston, Ricchi e Poveri, Heather Parisi… The songs that made a generation dream resound on stage thanks to a vibrant company of 10 performers who sing live, dance, and act, accompanied by the unstoppable energy of the protagonist Manuel Mercuri — performer, acrobat, and content creator with over 38 million followers on social media.

The show is based on an idea by Paolo Ruffini, with a script by Gianfranco Vergoni, music by Gabriele de Guglielmo, and direction and choreography by Fabrizio Angelini. A fully Italian production in the spirit of quality family entertainment, presented by Compagnia dell’Alba.

For the 9:45 PM show, the new year will be welcomed together with the artists, with a midnight toast shared with all the performers on stage.

*The wordplay in “80 voglia di… ’80!” is built around the number 80 (Italian: ottanta). In Italian, “80 (ottanta) voglia di” sounds very close to “ho tanta voglia di” (meaning I really want to).