TONY-WINNING
MUSICAL, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, COMES TO
WESTON
WESTON, VERMONT. The Weston Playhouse
Theatre Company presents the New England premiere of
The Light in the Piazza,
winner of six Tony awards and featuring a score that
The New York Times called “the most romantic
. . . since West Side Story.” Beginning
performances July 10 on Weston’s MainStage, this
new “chamber” production will feature a
cast of 8 and a 6-instrument orchestration by the score’s
composer, Adam Guettel. The limited run ends July 26.
The Light in the Piazza
was adapted by Craig Lucas (book) and Adam Guettel (music
and lyrics) from a novella by Elizabeth Spencer that
debuted in The New Yorker in 1960 and was made into
a 1962 film starring Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux,
Rosanna Brazzi and a young George Hamilton. The musical
was developed through the Sundance Institute Theatre
Laboratory, Seattle’s Intiman Theatre, Chicago’s
Goodman Theatre, and New York’s Lincoln Center
Theater. Performed in concert to a sold-out crowd on
the Weston Playhouse stage in 2005, The
Light in the Piazza tells the story of an
innocent American girl who finds love with a handsome
young Italian during a 1953 trip to Florence. An anxious
mother must reveal the truth that will test her daughter’s
relationship – and her own heart’s willingness
to find love again.
The Weston cast includes Theresa
McCarthy (Broadway’s Titanic, Off Broadway’s
Floyd Collins) in the central role of Margaret
Johnson. Lauren Worsham (New York City Opera’s
Candide) and Kevin Worley (Broadway revival
of A Chorus Line) will play Clara and Fabrizio.
Sarah Uriarte Berry will reprise the role of Franca
which she played in the Broadway production, and Jonathan
Raviv and Weston favorite David Bonanno, who appeared
in the Chicago and Broadway productions of Piazza,
respectively, will play Giuseppe and Signor Naccarelli.
Michelle Rios (Broadway’s The Capeman,
Off Broadway’s In the Heights) will play
Signora Naccarelli, and Michael Berry (Broadway’s
Les Misérables) will play Roy.
Weston Producing Director Steve Stettler will direct,
with music direction by Andy Einhorn, musical staging
by Jennifer Turey, sets by Russell Metheny, costumes
by Mara Blumenfeld, lights by Kendall Smith, and sound
by Nathaniel Hare. The Production Stage Manager is Chad
Zodrow. “We are especially proud to bring The
Light in the Piazza to the Weston stage,”
Stettler said. “This classically romantic tale
set in the magical city of Florence and its extraordinary
score are an inspiration to our creative team and will,
I am sure, touch and delight our audiences.”
The Light in the Piazza,
like all WPTC productions, is complemented by extensive
education and outreach programs. Director Stettler will
speak about the show’s history and the Weston
production a half hour before curtain on July 10, 11
and 12 (matinee only) in the Playhouse living room.
Members of the cast and crew will take part in a brief
talkback with the audience following the Sunday evening
performances of July 13 and 20. A performance guide
is available at the box office and online at.westonplayhouse.org.
Reservations for The
Light in the Piazza, the popular after-show
Act IV Cabaret revue,
and dinner at the Playhouse’s Cafe
at the Falls restaurant may be made at the Playhouse
box office window, by calling 802.824.5288, or by visiting
westonplayhouse.org. MasterCard, Visa and American Express
are accepted. Ask about Vermont resident, youth
and student discounts.
The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is a non-profit
professional theatre supported in part by funds from
the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for
the Arts and an ever-growing family of individuals who
believe in the impact that the performing arts can have
on its community.
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