THE HANGOVER REPORT – The ravishing 10th anniversary reunion concert of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA was a night to cherish

IMG_7676Last night I was lucky enough to be in the audience of the ravising 10th anniversary reunion concert of Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas’s The Light in the Piazza at the theater where the musical had its celebrated run, the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. For me, it was one of the absolute highlights of the theater season, one which also includes that little musical called Hamilton, and a night that I’ll always remember. Well, Piazza, as many of you know, is a far different beast than Hamilton. The musical, based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer about a mother-daughter vacation to Italy that takes an unexpected turn when Clara (the daughter) meets a young Florentine boy, is one of the most romantic, unsettling, and ultimately rewarding musicals ever penned. But like Hamilton, Piazza, at least in its original incarnation, is an example of a supremely crafted, uncompromising piece of musical theater.

That production, an unqualified triumph for Lincoln Center Theater, was significant for a number of reasons. Piazza was the first production Bartlett Sher (who also beautifully helmed last night’s reunion concert) directed for LCT; since then he’s become not only LCT’s go-to director but also the Metropolitan Opera’s. Although Ms. O’Hara had been working for a number of years on Broadway when she was cast (unexpectedly) in the role of Clara, it was her uncanny work in Piazza that marked the arrival of a musical theater talent to be reckoned with (LCT would continue to use her to winning effect in their successful revivals of South Pacific and the current The King and I). Of course, the show also marked one of the pinnacles in the career of Vicki Clark, whose performance deeply moved me ever since I saw her in the role in Piazza’s 2004 pre-Broadway run at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where the show was substantially different. And let’s not forget Mr. Guettel’s genre-transcending score (his and music director Ted Sperling’s enchanting, lush orchestrations were recreated last night with a full orchestra under Mr. Sperling’s baton), which is one of the glories in all of music – and not just musical – theater. His swooning work in Piazza rivals the heights and perfection attained by the likes of Frank Loesser in Guys and Dolls and Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim in West Side Story. Although the diverting Spamalot walked away with the Best Musical Tony Award that year, it is Piazza that will be remembered as the enduring masterpiece of that and many a seasons.

The entire original cast, which was re-assembled for the reunion concert, was sublime, to say the least. If anything, the show now feels more balanced, with the two romantic leads (played by Ms. O’Hara and Mr. Morrison) feeling more substantial than ever, squaring up more evenly with Ms. Clark’s titanic performance. Ms. O’Hara and Mr. Morrison are better skilled, more nuanced actors today than they were ten years ago – and they sounded just as glorious, to boot. Ms. O’Hara, back in the tricky role of Clara (and looking stunning and just as youthful last night), in particular has grown in the acting department, delivering a luminous performance that just broke my heart with her woman/child portrayal (and stopped the show with her exquisite rendition of the title song). I was also deeply impressed by Matthew Morrison’s gorgeously impassioned Fabrizio, smoothly singing the role. Ms. Clark, who won a Tony for her performance, remains a wonder as Margaret; her delivery of “Dividing Day” and “Fable” remains some of the most piercing, clear-eyed depictions of love and its harsh realities. The superb original cast also included such fine singer actors as Mark Harelik, Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry, and Patti Cohenour. Truly a night to cherish.

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THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA: 10TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION CONCERT
Broadway, Musical
Vivian Beaumont Theater
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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