THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (MUSICAL)

(Redirected from Light in the Piazza)
:''For the novel and subsequent film version, see The Light in the Piazza''
'''The Light in the Piazza''' is a musical with a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel.
Based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, it is set in Florence and Rome in the summer of 1953. A young American tourist, Clara Johnson, meets and falls for young Italian Fabrizio Naccarelli. When Clara's mother Margaret learns of the affair, she opposes it for reasons that only gradually become known to the audience.
The score breaks from the traditional Broadway sound of hummable tunes by veering into the territory of Neoromantic classical music and opera, with unexpected harmonic shifts and extended melodic structures, and is lushly scored for piano, harp, guitar, and strings, alongside a handful of wind and percussionists. The lyrics are unique in that many of them are in Italian and broken English, as many of the characters are fluent only in Italian.
''The Light in the Piazza'' was developed as a musical at the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle and then at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. After 36 previews, the Broadway production, directed by Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Jonathan Butterell, opened on April 18, 2005 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in Lincoln Center, where it ran for 504 performances and closed on July 2, 2006. The cast included Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Morrison, Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry, Patti Cohenour, Beau Gravitte, and Mark Harelik. Chris Sarandon joined the cast as Signor Naccarelli later in the run, and Aaron Lazar was a replacement in the role of Fabrizio Naccarelli.
On June 15, 2006, shortly before its closing night, the show was broadcast on the PBS series ''Live from Lincoln Center''. A national tour starring Christine Andreas is scheduled to run through July 22, 2007.

Contents Original Broadway Cast Original National Tour cast Song list Orchestrations Awards and nominations 2005 Tony Awards 2004/05 Drama Desk Awards 2004/05 Outer Critics Circle Awards External links Original Broadway Cast ★ Victoria Clark: Margaret Johnson ★ Kelli O'Hara: Clara Johnson ★ Matthew Morrison: Fabrizio Naccarelli ★ Michael Berresse: Giuseppe Naccarelli ★ Sarah Uriarte Berry: Franca Naccarelli ★ Patti Cohenour: Signora Naccarelli ★ Beau Gravitte: Roy Johnson ★ Mark Harelik: Signor Naccarelli

Original National Tour cast ★ Christine Andreas: Margaret Johnson ★ Elena Shaddow: Clara Johnson ★ David Burnham: Fabrizio Naccarelli ★ Jonathan Hammond: Giuseppe Naccarelli ★ Laura Griffith: Franca Naccarelli ★ Diane Sutherland: Signora Naccarelli ★ Brian Sutherland: Roy Johnson ★ David Ledingham: Signor Naccarelli

Song list

;Act I ★ Overture ★ Statues and Stories Part 1 ★ Statues and Stories Part 2 ★ Margaret/Hat ★ Margaret Aside 1 ★ Transition to Uffizi ★ Tour Guide ★ The Beauty Is ★ Il Mondo Era Vuoto Part 1 ★ Il Mondo Era Vuoto Part 2 ★ American Dancing ★ Duomo ★ Margaret Aside 2 ★ Piazzale Michelangelo ★ Punctuation ★ Passeggiata Part 1 ★ Passeggiata Part 2 ★ Passeggiata Part 3 ★ Transition to Tea Scene ★ Che Gorgioso ★ The Joy You Feel ★ Margaret Aside 3 ★ After Tea ★ Dividing Day ★ Hysteria ★ Hotel Bar ★ Fabrizio at the Door ★ Say It Somehow

;Act II ★ Entr'acte ★ Aiutami ★ The Light in the Piazza ★ Back to Florence ★ Octet Part 1 ★ Clara's Tirade ★ Church ★ Octet Part 2 ★ Something is Wrong ★ The Beauty Is (Reprise) ★ Transition to Tie Shop ★ Let's Walk ★ Post Promenade ★ Clara's Interlude ★ Love to Me ★ Wedding ★ Fable ★ Bows ★ Exit Music

Orchestrations

The score for ''The Light in the Piazza'' was orchestrated by Guettel and Ted Sperling, with additional orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin. The instrumentation consists of:

★ Reed I: Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn

★ Reed II: Bassoon, Contrabassoon

★ Guitar: Steel String Acoustic, Nylon String Acoustic, Mandolin, Suspended Cymbal

★ Harp

★ Piano and Celesta

★ Violin A (2 players)

★ Violin B (2 players)

★ Violin C (2 players)

★ Cello (2 players)

★ Bass (Acoustic)

★ Percussion: Timpani, Marimba , Xylophone , Finger Cymbal , Vibes (with bow also) , Suspended Cymbal , Big Gong , Small Gong , Snare Drum , Choke Cymbal , Bass Drum , Low Tom Tom , Slapstick , Chimes , Orchestra Bells , Mark Tree , Crotales , Triangle

Awards and nominations

2005 Tony Awards

★ Tony Award for Best Original Score ('WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Clark, 'WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical ('WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical ('WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical ('WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Orchestrations ('WINNER')

★ Tony Award for Best Musical (nominee)

★ Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (nominee)

★ Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Morrison, nominee)

★ Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (O'Hara, nominee)

★ Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (nominee)

2004/05 Drama Desk Awards

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Clark, ('WINNER')

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music ('WINNER')

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations ('WINNER')

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Musical ('WINNER')

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design ('WINNER')

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (nominee)

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Morrison, nominee)

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Berry, nominee)

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design (nominee)

★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design (nominee)

2004/05 Outer Critics Circle Awards

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design ('WINNER')

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Clark, ('WINNER')

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical (nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Set Design (nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Costume Design (nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Morrison, nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Berresse, nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Harelik, nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Berry, nominee)

★ Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (O’Hara, nominee)

External links

★ ''The Light in the Piazza'' in the Internet Broadway Database

★ Official homepage

★ Interview from ''Studio 360'' radio program

★ Official ''Piazza'' tour website

★ Bartlett Sher (director) ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org, July 2006