Federico Bellone is an international theater director, set designer, playwright, composer and executive producer. He is best known for his re-imagined productions of musicals such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins as well as the commercial success Dirty Dancing. His work has been staged in prestigious theaters worldwide, including the Folies Bergère in Paris, the Gran Via in Madrid, and the Dominion in London’s West End.

Career
Bellone was born to medical parents in Milan, and he developed a passion for theater early in life. At the age of 16, he took charge of the Leone XIII Theatre in his city, along with its acting school. By 18, he became associate director to Saverio Marconi for Compagnia della Rancia, the pioneering Italian production company for musicals, where he then assumed the role of director, staging the first revival of Grease at the age of 24.

At 19, Bellone received the Ernesto Calindri International Award for his work on the book, the music and the lyrics of St. Valentine’s Night, in which he also performed at the Filodrammatici Theater in Milan. At 21, he produced, directed and translated Annie with his production company, Live on Stage. Bellone graduated with a degree in Literature from Cattolica University, and further honed his skills in acting, singing, dance, and piano in Milan, Nice and New York.
By the age of 27, he had become the artistic director and subsequently director for Stage Entertainment, the world’s first corporate company in the industry, overseeing the National and Brancaccio Theaters, and in his early 30s made his West End debut. From 2007 to 2016, he was the artistic director for SDM-The School of Musical Theater in Milan. He holds workshops at the Bocconi and Statale Universities, the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and the Verdi Conservatory.

Work
Stage productions as Director (unless otherwise noted)

Anastasia, Italian National Tour, 2024, Broadway Italia (Also Set Designer)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera, Bilbao (Arriaga Theater), 2024, Antonio Banderas and Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Ghost, Madrid and Bilbao (Espacio Delicias, Euskalduna Theater), 2024, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, 5th German International Tour, 2023, BB Promotion (Also Set Designer)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera, Monte Carlo Premiere, Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo Opera), 2023, Monte Carlo Opera (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, Paris (Folies Bergère), 2023, Karl Sydow and Dinh Thien Ngo (Also Set Designer)
Bailo Bailo – A New Musical, World Premiere, Gran Via Madrid (Capitol Theater), 2023-2024, Dreamcatcher (Also Playwright and Set Designer)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 1st Spanish National Tour, 2023-2024, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera, Gran Via Madrid (Albeniz Theater), 2023-2024, Antonio Banderas and Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera (New Production), Italian Premiere, Trieste (Rossetti Theater) and Milan (Degli Arcimboldi Theater), 2023, Broadway Italia (Also Set Designer)
Ghost, Gran Via Madrid (Albeniz Theater), 2023, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, 6th UK and Ireland International Tour, 2023, Karl Sydow (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, 4th German and Austrian International Tour, 2023, BB Promotion (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, London’s West End (Dominion Theater), 2023, Karl Sydow (Also Set Designer)
The Bodyguard, 2nd Spanish National Tour, 2022-2023, Letsgo Company
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spanish Premiere, Madrid (Espacio Delicias), 2022-2023, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, Madrid (Espacio Delicias), 2022, Letsgo Company
The Bodyguard, Madrid (Espacio Delicias), 2022, Letsgo Company
Ghost, Mexico City (San Rafael Theater), 2022, Morris Gilbert (Also Set Designer)
The Addams Family (New Production), São Paulo (Renault Theater), 2022, T4F – Time For Fun (Also Set Designer)
Ghost, 1st Spanish National Tour 2022-2024, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing (New Production), London’s West End (Dominion Theater), 2022, Karl Sydow (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing (New Production), 5th UK and Ireland International Tour, 2021, Karl Sydow (Also Set Designer)
Houdini – A New Musical (Workshop), New York, 2020, Karl Sydow (Also Playwright and Executive Producer)
Ghost, Mexican Premiere, Mexico City (San Rafael Theater), 2020-2021, Morris Gilbert (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, Berlin (Am Potsdamer Platz Theater), 2020, Karl Sydow and Meher-BB-Entertainment GmbH
Ghost, Rome (Sistina Theater), Milan (Degli Arcimboldi Theater) and 1st Italian Revival National Tour, 2020, Show Bees (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, 2nd Spanish National Tour, 2020, Letsgo Company
The Bodyguard, 1st Spanish National Tour, 2019-2021 (Including pandemic break), Letsgo Company
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (New Production), Italian Premiere, Milan (Fabbrica del Vapore Theater), 2019-2020, Wizard Productions (Also Set Designer)
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Rome (Sistina Theater), 2019-2020, WEC Entertainment
Ghost, Gran Via Madrid (Gran Via Theater), 2019-2022 (Including pandemic break), Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Ghost (New Production), Spanish Premiere, Bilbao (Euskalduna Theater), 2019, Letsgo Company (Also Set Designer)
Fame, Milan (San Babila Theater), 2019, Wizard Productions (Also Translator and Illusions Consultant)
Sugar, based on the screenplay Some Like It Hot (Workshop), London, 2018, WEC Entertainment and Wizard Productions
West Side Story, Florence (Del Maggio Musicale Theater) and Genoa (Carlo Felice Theater), 2018-2019, Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theater
Dirty Dancing, 3rd German, Austrian, Swiss and Luxembourgish International Tour, 2018-2019, Meher-BB-Entertainment GmbH
Dirty Dancing, 2nd Italian National Tour, 2018-2019, Show Bees
An American in Paris (New Production), Italian Premiere, Genoa (Carlo Felice Theater), 2018, Carlo Felice Theater (Also Set Designer)
Dirty Dancing, 4th UK and Ireland International Tour, 2018-2019, Karl Sydow
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins (New Production), Italian Premiere, Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2018-2019, WEC Entertainment (Also Executive Producer)
Dirty Dancing, Milan (Degli Arcimboldi Theater) and 1st Italian National Tour, 2017-2018, Wizard Productions and Show Bees
The Bodyguard, Rome (Sistina Theater), 2017, Wizard Productions
West Side Story, Genoa (Carlo Felice Theater), 2017, Carlo Felice Theater
The Bodyguard (New Production), Italian Premiere, Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2017, Wizard Productions (Also Executive Producer)
Dirty Dancing, 2nd German, Austrian, Swiss and Luxembourgish International Tour, 2017-2018, Meher-BB-Entertainment GmbH
Dirty Dancing, Barcelona (Tivoli Theater) and 1st Spanish National Tour, 2017-2018, Letsgo Company
Dirty Dancing, Paris (Palais des Congrès Theater) and 2nd French National Tour,2017-2018, Dinh Thien Ngo
Dirty Dancing, Spanish Premiere, Madrid (Nuevo Alcalà Theater), 2016-2017, Letsgo Company
Dirty Dancing, London’s West End (Phoenix Theater), 2016, Karl Sydow
West Side Story (New Production), Milan (Manzoni Theater), 2016, Wizard Productions
Dirty Dancing, 3rd UK, Ireland, Belgium and Monte Carlo International Tour, 2016-2017, Karl Sydow
Dirty Dancing, Mexican Premiere, Mexico City (Moliere Grand Theater), 2016-2017, Destino Entertainment
Fame (New Production), Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2016, Wizard Productions (Also Executive Producer, Translator and Illusions Consultant)
Around The World in 80 Days (Workshop), Milan, 2015, Show4Fun (Executive Producer Only)
Dirty Dancing, Rome (Grand Theater), 2015, Wizard Productions
Disney’s Newsies (New Production), Italian Premiere, Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2015, WEC Entertainment
Dirty Dancing (New Production), Milan (Nazionale Theater), 1st Summer Italian Tour and Verona Arena, 2015, Wizard Productions
Disney’s Newsies (Workshop), Milan, 2015, WEC Entertainment (Also Executive Producer)
Dirty Dancing, Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2015, Wizard Productions (Executive Producer Only)
Sunset Boulevard (New Production), Italian Premiere, Todi (Del Popolo Square), 2014, Todi Festival (Also Executive Producer)
American Bar, World Premiere, Todi (Comunale Theater), 2013, Todi Festival (Also Executive Producer)
Sugar, based on the screenplay Some Like It Hot (New Production), Milan (Nuovo Theater), Rome (Brancaccio Theater) and 1st Italian Revival National Tour, 2013-2014, Verona Stabile Theater.
Titanic – The Tale of a Dream, World Premiere, Milan (Nuovo Theater) and 1st Italian National Tour, 2012-2013, Barley Arts (Also Playwright and Composer)
Flashdance (New Production), Milan (Della Luna Theater), Rome (Olimpico Theater) and 1st Italian National Tour, 2010-2011, Stage Entertainment
Mamma Mia!, Milan (Nazionale Theater), 2010, Stage Entertainment (Deputy Executive Producer Only)
Dance Lessons, Milan (Nuovo Theater), 2010, SDM (Also Playwright)
8 Times Academy Award Winner Alan Menken Piano Concert, Milan (Lime Light), 2009, Stage Entertainment
Halloween Cemetery (New Production), Gardaland (Gardaland Theatre), 2009-2010, Gardaland (Also Playwright)
Notte prima degli esami (Workshop), Milan, 2008, Compagnia della Rancia
Disney’s High School Musical (New Production), Milan (Della Luna Theater), Rome (Brancaccio Theater) and 1st Italian National Tour, 2008-2010, Compagnia della Rancia (Also Illusions Consultant)
Christmas Spectacular Show (New Production), Gardaland (Gardaland Theatre), 2008-2010, Gardaland (Also Playwright, Set Designer and Illusions Consultant)
Hollywood Dreams (New Production), Gardaland (Gardaland Theatre), 2008-2009, Gardaland (Also Playwright and Set Designer)
The Little Shop of Horrors (New Production), Milan (Oscar Theater) and 2nd Italian Revival Tour, 2007, Live on Stage (Also Executive Producer and Translator)
Grease (New Production), Milan (Della Luna Theater), Rome (Olimpico and Quirino Theaters) and 1st Italian Revival National Tour, 2006-2011, Compagnia della Rancia
Annie (New Production), Italian Premiere, 1st Italian Tour, 2006, Live on Stage (Also Executive Producer, Translator and Illusions Consultant)
Broadway Celebration (New Production), Gardaland (Gardaland Theatre), 2006-2007, Gardaland (Also Playwright, Set Designer and Illusions Consultant)
As Associate Director: Show Boat, U.S.A. (California Music Circus); Sister Act (Co-Produced by Whoopi Goldberg); Disney’s Beauty And The Beast; A Chorus Line; Tribute To Garinei And Giovannini; Sweet Charity; Mel Brooks’ The Producers; The Sound of Music; Singin’in The Rain; Pinocchio by Pooh (Also Co-Illusions Consultant); Dance! (All in Italy).
As Actor: Prince Charming in Cinderella, Lead in Caffé Esperanto, Ensemble in Hello, Dolly!.

Television

Musical Award with Paolo Limiti, Channel 4, Italy, 2015 (Stage Director Only)
Sister Act – The Casting, Channel Sky, Italy, 2011 (Judge)
Amici di Maria De Filippi, Channel 5, Italy, 2010 (Judge)

Awards and Nominations

Winner of the Musical Theater Award as Best Set Designer and Nominated as Best Director and for Best Musical for The Phantom of The Opera, Spain, 2023
Nominated at the Talia Awards for Best Musical for The Phantom of The Opera, Spain, 2023
Winner of Bibi Ferreira Award as Best Set Designer and for Best Musical for The Addams Family, Brazil, 2022
Nominated at Los Metros Awards as Best Director and Best Set Designer for Ghost, Mexico, 2022
Winner of Musical Café Awards as Best Director and for Best Musical for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Italy, 2020
Nominated at the Musical Theater Awards as Best Director and Best Set Designer for Ghost, Spain, 2020
Winner of the Garinei and Giovannini Award as Best Director for Musical Theater Internationally with special mention by the President of The Italian Republic, Italy, 2019
Winner of Parksmania Award for Best Show for Hollywood Dreams, Italy, 2008
Winner of Ernesto Calindri International Award for book, music and lyrics for St. Valentine’s Night, Italy, 2001