“The Light In The Piazza”

[rating=3]There are times that the beautiful Lyric Opera House may not be the perfect fit for the musical production they place on their stage. Chicago is very familiar with “The Light In The Piazza” with a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guttel, based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer. Of course it was a smash movie and then, in 2004, the musical version was produced and opened right here in Chicago at The Goodman Theatre. They held it over until it was ready to move on to Broadway where it was a hit and award winner.

Since that time, we have been treated to several productions on the regional stages. Marriott Theatre showed us how to take a production such as this to the “in-the-round” format they use for their productions in 2010, and then, in 2012, the tiny storefront cabaret theater, TheoUbique did a fantastic job in their little storefront theater on Glenwood Avenue ( they have since moved to a larger facility in Evanston). The intimacy of the smaller venue allowing the audience to get “closer” to the action and the story may be what is missing in the vastness of The Lyric.

Yes, at the Lyric, there is a large orchestra and a dynamic cast! They have a set that is absolutely stunning, and yet, I miss the intimacy of the story. The story, for those of you who have never read or seen it is a lovely one with music that is highly romantic. The story takes place in 1953 as Margaret Johnson (  Renee Fleming brings her wonderful voice to The Lyric) brings her daughter, Clara ( an amazingly brilliant Solea Pfeiffer) to Florence Italy. As they are in the Piazza, the wind blows her hat off and it is retrieved by a local young man Fabrizio ( deftly handled by Rob Houchen) and as their eyes meet, it is love at first sight. Here is where the intimacy of the smaller theater pays off. It is difficult to see the emotion in the vast auditorium. By the way, the wind gust was not very creative. Little TheoUbique did it much better.

As the story goes on we will find that Clara is not all that she appears to be and her mother, who truly loves her daughter is faced with a true dilemma. Does she tell the family of Fabrizio about her daughter?

Since I am not one for giving away too much, I will tell you that the story gets a bit complicated as the well kept secret starts to come out. We also find out a great deal about Margaret and her relationship with her husband , Roy ( Malcolm Sinclair). Fabrizio’s father is well played by  Alex Jennings and his mother by Marie McLaughlin. There is some Italian in the script and I felt that since they have the equipment it might have been a wise move to show the words on their special screens. This would also aid the hearing impaired audience members, and probably would have helped for better understanding from the audience members.

The overall look is sensational. Great costumes, a strong ensemble and music that will leave you spellbound. I was hoping for just a touch more!

This is a very limited production with only ten total performances. The opening was number one and the others are as follows:

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 312-332-2244

www.lyricopera.org/light

Tickets start at $35 and rise quickly. www.lightinthepiazzathemusical.com

The Lyric is located at 20 N. Wacker Drive with parking garages all over, meter parking in the area is 24 hours, but available on the app to add on.

Running time 2 1/2 hours including a 15 minute intermission.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Light In The Piazza”.