PicksInSix Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
‘PIAZZA’ – “TO THE BEAUTY OF LIFE”
True love is an awakening. A discovery. It can reveal itself in an instant, at the drop of a hat or a change in the wind, as it does in the early moments of the Tony Award-winning musical “The Light in the Piazza,” the superb Scenario Two production anchored by the matchless performances of four-time Grammy Award winner and Tony nominee Renée Fleming in the role of Margaret Johnson, three-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings as Signor Naccarelli and the exceptionally talented rising stars Solea Pfeiffer and Rob Houchen as the young lovers Clara and Fabrizio. Originating in London and making its national debut in Los Angeles before the highly anticipated Chicago run that opened Saturday at Lyric Opera House, this glorious and lush production is under the direction of Daniel Evans with Kimberly Grigsby conducting the extraordinary Lyric Opera Orchestra.
Fate plays a role on several levels. It places a mother and her daughter in a bustling 1950s Florence neighborhood where the local artistry comes vividly alive for the young woman, piquing her interest and curiosity as she encounters the disarming charm and persistent interest of a young man captivated by her beauty. While her overly protective mother at once senses that this may be a turning point in the young woman’s life, a series of liaisons are underway—with the aid and encouragement of the young man’s old-school father (Jennings) and carefree brother Guiseppe (Eric Sciotto)—and love begins to fill the air.
At the heart of this touching story, fate also plays in as a secret that has been hidden for more than a decade from the people Margaret and Clara meet—and from the young woman herself—and magnifies the emotional turmoil parents face as their children strive for independence.
Fleming offers a commanding performance as a conflicted woman who struggles with her own happiness as she retraces past youthful and passionate experiences in the company of her daughter while also searching to remain connected and needed. Meanwhile, the sweet childlike innocence of Pfeiffer’s Clara and the boyish exuberance of Houchen’s Fabrizio are a sizzling combination. Just as the relationship between Clara and Fabrizio erupts, Fleming’s Margaret comes to terms with the reality of her daughter’s future, expertly navigating a path to understanding that no matter what emotional challenges exist in those we love, that love must be unconditional. That moment of realization comes swiftly when Margaret, in an attempt to separate the two lovers by moving on to Rome, recognizes that her own affection for Clara is smothering her and she must make amends.
Based on the Elizabeth Spencer novella, the Craig Lucas book with a rich musical score and lyrics by Adam Guettel, offers brilliant musical opportunities throughout from the Naccarelli men in the playful “American Dancing,” to a poised and powerful Suzanne Kantorski (as Franca) in “The Joy You Feel,” and the sweet duet “Let’s Walk” between Fleming and Jennings. The night belongs to Fleming whose lofty talent soars in “Dividing Day” and “Lullaby,” and shines in Pfeiffer’s radiant “The Beauty Is” and “The Light in the Piazza,” and Houchen’s resonate “Il Mondo Era Vuoto” and “Passegiata,” and “Say It Somehow” with Pfeiffer.
Evans has assembled an all-star design team for the journey from the streets of Florence to the ruins of Rome and back again through the Robert Jones Duomo-inspired design combined with Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s stunning costumes, Mark Henderson’s lighting design and Kai Harada’s sound design to make the Italian neighborhoods burst with color and texture and come to vivid life to tell a beautifully poignant, uplifting and multi-layered love story.
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
SCENARIO TWO LTD.
Presents
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
through December 29, 2019
LYRIC OPERA HOUSE
20 N WACKER DRIVE
(312) 827-5600
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