THEATRE REVIEW: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
3 Feb'10

‘Light In The Piazza’ seductive

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the geography of the modern musical, it’s located in the under-populated middle ground. Somewhere south of opera, but far to the north of the music hall; somewhere between the tuneful but often formulaic turf frequented by traditional musical theatre, and the more rarefied intellectual heights claimed by Sondheim and his disciples.
That’s where you’ll find a wonderful musical titled THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

On a more pragmatic level, it is set in Florence, Italy, circa 1953. After a winning a clutch of Tonys in its New York premiere a few years back, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA finally made its Canadian premiere in Canadian Stage’s Berkeley Street Theatre, where it opened Monday in an Acting Up Stage Company production of often understated elegance.

Adapted from the novella of the same name by Elizabeth Spencer, it’s the handiwork of playwright Craig Lucas and composer/lyricist Adam Guettel, the latter clearly following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Richard Rodgers, at the same time as he explores fertile new ground.

The subject here is love — a romance between Fabrizio, a shy young Italian man played with a potent mix of bravado and delicacy by Jeff Lillico, and Clara, a developmentally disabled American woman, played with equal skill and charm by Jacquelyn French.

At age 26, Clara, whose intellect was stunted by a tragic accident at age 12, has come to Italy with her devoted and protective mother Margaret, played by Patty Jamieson.

The two young lovers meet while mother and daughter are touring Florence. That’s when Clara’s hat is snatched by an errant breeze and redeemed by Fabrizio, who quickly succumbs to Clara’s innocent charm. Despite her mother’s best efforts to run interference, Clara is charmed by the halting attentions of the awkward young suitor, who in turn is quickly so smitten that he won’t let minor considerations such as language or parental antipathy stand in his way.

Soon, his entire family is involved in the courtship of Clara — his father (played by Juan Chioran), mother (Christina Gordon), even his brother (Michael Torontow) and sister-in-law (Tracy Michailidis). All of which leaves Margaret struggling under the increasing burden of an unshared secret.

As love stories go, it is a bit of a minefield. But thanks as much to the focus and skill of both director Robert McQueen and his cast as to Lucas’ adaptation, it’s a seductive story that is both deeply and surprisingly moving. Happily, love seems to be fluent in both Italian and English.

There’s simplicity and elegance at play in Phillip Silver’s lighting and set design, and period elegance in Alex Amini’s costuming. But what finally carries the day is superb acting coupled with Guettel’s score, adapted here for a five-piece ensemble by the composer himself, and served up by musical director Jonathan Monro.

Whereas too many musicals impose and inject songs on a story, story and music are fused here in such a way that it seems all but impossible to remove any of the musical numbers from their context. Songs such as the haunting Say It Somehow and Love To Me, and even the madcap Aiutami — an entire opera in a single song — serve as powerful musical adjuncts to the moment. Few would linger were they to be surgically excised from their context.

All of which is not to say that this is a perfect production — at least not yet — for while the entire cast claims the stage with confidence, the entire production is marked by a certain formal reserve that, one suspects, may well disappear in the playing.

The Light In The Piazza
At the Berkeley Street Theatre
Directed by Robert McQueen
Starring the ensemble