The Light in the Piazza

The opening night of this musical (The Light in the Piazza, for which we did a giveaway earlier this month) packed the house at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on Tuesday. Director Peter Jorgenson was very happy to greet everyone and express his gratitude and relief that the production had come together to it’s opening night, and the excitement was very real.

Photo Credit: David Cooper for Patrick Street Productions

The musical is set in Italy, mostly Florence, when a mother and daughter explore the tourist sights. Among the artifacts and attractions, a classic story of girl meets boy happens. Clara meets Fabrizio when he picks up her hat, and an epic love-at-first-sight song breaks out. Throughout the performance the operatic music was beautiful and moving, and extremely well executed. I especially loved the Italian language, which sounded authentic and romantic, and added an extra layer of interaction with the audience as it was interpreted by different members of the cast at different points.

One thing that I found amusing and a bit original was the costumes. Each scene seemed to have a colour palette, where the actors would all match. Maybe it was just me and it was unintentional, because it was very subtle, but it was very cute. The set design was also great because it was fluid and worked well with the movement of the cast. At one point a small chunk of the styrofoam Roman pillar flew off, but Fabrizio’s character enthusiastically and somewhat awkwardly picked it up, as fitting with his personality.

Right before the play started when I went to get my seat, I overheard two ladies chatting. One asked her friend if she should grab some tissues, and the other replied that it would be unnecessary because it was a love story. She was very wrong – the emotion and drama associated with two families dealing with the relationship of their children was overwhelming. I definitely shed a tear or two, which is a rare occurance. Interactions between mother/daughter, sister/sister-in-law, and lovers were heartbreaking but would bounce back with a charming or heart-warming moment within 5 minutes. I really enjoyed this musical, and would recommend it, but with a couple of tissues, just in case.

You can buy tickets for The Light in the Piazza online here.

Disclosure: Jessica attended and reviewed The Light in the Piazza on media tickets in representation of Hummingbird604.com. A review is neither paid for nor expected, nor a favorable review is guaranteed. At all points Raul maintains editorial control over anything posted on Hummingbird604.com