The Light in the Piazza
Book by Craig Lucas, Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel
Directed by Christina Rios
Choreographed by Cecily A. King
R-S Theatrics
August 9, 2018
Macia Noorman, Tiélere Cheatem
Photo by Michael Young
R-S Theatrics
R-S Theatrics is great with making people anticipate their shows. They’ll announce a show months–sometimes as much as a year–in advance, and it creates this sense in me of “wow! They’re doing X show? That sounds great! I can’t wait to see it!” That was the case with last year’s In The Heights, and now with their latest production, The Light In the Piazza. Like everything R-S does, this show hadn’t been produced locally in St. Louis before (although the national tour based on the Broadway production played at the Fox), and I was looking forward to seeing what this theatre company–that has already produced many excellent shows in the past–would do with it. Well, it’s on stage now at the Marcelle, and I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait.
This show, which I had heard the score for but not seen until this production, was a hit on Broadway and had a national tour as well as a PBS broadcast performance. It’s a somewhat unusual hit in terms of having a relatively small cast, a more classical-sounding score, and having several extended untranslated sequences in Italian, although there are also important scenes that are translated in a particuarly effective way. The story, based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer that was also turned into a film in 1962, follows American mother and daughter Margaret (Kay Love) and Clara Johnson (Macia Noorman), who at first appear to be “ordinary” tourists in Florence, where Margaret is showing her daughter the sights of the city and the youthful Clara attracts the interest of a young Italian man, Fabrizio (Tiélere Cheatem). The attraction is mutual, but Margaret is concerned because of a secret about Clara that Margaret is reluctant to reveal. We also get to meet Fabrizio’s family, who are close-knit but also have troubles of their own, such as Fabrizio’s married older brother, Giuseppe (Michael Lowe), who neglects his wife, Franca (Stephanie Merritt) in favor of the attentions of other women. His parents Signor and Signora Naccarelli (Kent Coffel, Jodi Stockton) are wary but initially supportive, although, inevitably, there are complications that have to be worked out, and Margaret has to deal with her own feelings of regret and concern for her and her family’s past and present realities, as well as being understandably protective of her daughter, while also wanting to encourage Clara to make her own choices. There’s a lot of detail here that I’m leaving out because the journey of discovery is an important part of the play. The tone is lyrical, emotional, and alternately melancholy and romantic.
With the intense emotional and vocal demands of a show like this, a strong cast is essential, and this production has that. Led by the reflective, nuanced and wonderfully sung performance of Love as Margaret, and by the equally excellent Noorman in a sensitive, also well-sung turn as the youthful, determined Clara, this cast is extremely well chosen. Love and Noorman display a strong and credible mother-daughter relationship, and their scenes together are a highlight of the show. Cheatem, as the love-struck young Fabrizio, is also strong although occasionally struggling with volume on the vocals, although his vocal quality is superb, and the chemistry betweeen him and Noorman grows in intensity over the course of the show. There are also solid supporting performances from Coffel, Lowe, and Merritt, and an especially memorable portrayal by Stockton as the occasionally snarky Signora Nacarelli, who doesn’t speak English but still translates a lot of the Italian scenes by way of the magic of theatre. There’s a great ensemble here, too, in excellent voice and delivering complex harmonies with style, as well as helping to contribute to the overall 1950s atmosphere of the piece.
That time-and-place atmosphere is also supported by means of particularly impressive production values. The show fits well into its venue, the Marcelle Theatre, with a performance space that’s just the right size for this show. Director Christina Rios has staged the show with a constance sense of movement, as well as taking time for reflection as necessary. The set, designed by J. Keller Ryan, is simple and versatile, consisting of marble-painted blocks that are arranged to suggest the Florentine setting, as well as being able to be moved around as needed. The costumes, by Ashley Bauman, are well-suited to the characters and the era, and Nathan Schroeder’s ethereal lighting also contributes to the mood. Although there are occasional moments where the musical accompaniment can overpower the vocals, the stunning score is well-played by the superb band, as well, led by music director Sarah Nelson.
This is a thoughtful, reflective, highly emotional play that deals with many thought-provoking and timeless themes, especially in terms of risk and regret involved with love, both familial and romantic. Its well-defined characters and lyrical atmosphere are well-represented in this memorable production from a theatre company that already has a strong reputation for dramatic excellence. The Light In the Piazza is illuminating, challenging, heart-warming, and well-worth seeing.
Kay Love
Photo by Michael Young
R-S Theatrics
R-S Theatrics is presenting The Light in the Piazza at the Marcelle Theatre until August 26, 2018