Colonel Ricci

Who is Colonel Ricci?

Ricci commands the remote military garrison where much of Passion takes place, and he is genuinely protective of his fragile, chronically ill cousin Fosca, even as he struggles to manage her volatile health and emotional needs. It is under his roof that Giorgio and Fosca first meet.

Gruff but not unkind, Ricci provides a grounded, practical presence amid the story's heightened emotions, a military man trying to keep order in a household increasingly consumed by Fosca's obsessive feelings for one of his officers.

Colonel Ricci's role in Passion

Ricci is a supporting role, appearing primarily in ensemble and military scenes rather than in solo showpieces, functioning as an authority figure who grounds the story's more feverish romantic material. The part calls for a strong bass baritone presence.

While not a central figure in the score's emotional arc, Ricci's household and command structure provide the practical framework that makes Fosca and Giorgio's story possible in the first place.

Colonel Ricci on stage vs screen

Broadway compared with the 1981 Italian film Passione d'Amore

Massimo Girotti played the Colonel in Ettore Scola's 1981 film Passione d'Amore, the source of Sondheim's musical. In both, Giorgio's entanglement with Fosca ends in a duel with the Colonel, and in both Giorgio wounds the Colonel. The aftermath differs: in the film, Giorgio collapses under the nervous strain and is invalided out of the army, while in the musical he lets out a howl echoing Fosca's outbursts, and Colonel Ricci recovers.

Gregg Edelman originated Colonel Ricci on Broadway in 1994.

Colonel Ricci: frequently asked questions