Musical Monday: The Light in the Piazza

(Originally posted on Minnesota Theater Love)

In 2005 this wonderful musical opened on Broadway. It is called The Light in the Piazza and has music/lyrics by Adam Guettel and a book by Craig Lucas. It is based on the film which was also based on the original novella by Elizabeth Spencer.  I don't believe I knew anything about this show but when I saw the performance on the Tony Awards (look it up on youtube) - I was hooked. I knew the music of Adam Guettel (grandson of Richard Rodgers) from the show Floyd Collins, along with a song or two from Audra McDonald's catalog. I find his writing style to be very different from a lot of the current Broadway writing. In this piece, it is lush and gorgeously orchestrated. The melodies tend to be more classical in style which really just means that it may take a couple listens to get them and be able to hum them. They are very hummable in my opinion.

The show is about a mother and daughter taking a trip to Florence in 1953. Following old-school techniques, the show starts with an overture. It hints at some of the musical themes that will follow, and it is gorgeous. It has lots of strings and harp with a fantastic classical sound. Yet is also has a bit of a modern classical feel to it in that what you think is the melody may not go where you expect, or even be phrased in a way you expect. To me, that is part of the joy of this work. The other thing I love about the overture (which continues throughout is that there are vocals towards the end. Throughout the work are non-lyrical vocals - on "ahhhh" and it works really well.

After the overture is the setting of the scene - "Statues and Stories." This is the number they performed on the Tony awards. It perfectly sets the scene and characters. What I find fascinating about this song is that there is a verse about a warning bell. Towards the end of the song the orchestration replicates that warning bell. During the song Margaret (the mother) is talking to Clara (the daughter) about what to expect from Florence. During the middle of the number, Clara's hat flies off and is caught by a handsome Italian named Fabrizzio. It is love at first sight.

Clara keeps looking at statues and paintings in a museum. This is the location of the next track "The Beauty Is." The first verse of this song is near perfect lyrically. It clearly states the difference between Italian art and American art (in 1950's). The song also speaks to a longing that Clara has. Despite that longing (for a child, for something unknown, to see that boy), she also realizes that even though she is miles away from home, she still feels at home because of the people she meets. I love this message that we are all one people - despite our differences. And speaking of differences... The show takes place in Italy. Because of that, most of the Italian characters speak and sing in Italian. And unlike Once or Thoroughly Modern Millie or most opera, there are no supertitles. So the next track is sung by Fabrizzio. Clearly another song of love and longing. If you understand basic Spanish or Italian, you will be able to figure out some of what is sung. If you have the physical copy of the cast recording, the booklet also provides a rough translation for reference. The joy of this show though is that you really don't miss much by not knowing Italian. It is so well written melodically that the songs in Italian are understood by feeling and sense. On the flipside, having the song in Italian keeps you in the same position as the lead characters - not quite knowing what is happening. There is the perfect use of Clara's name through out this song "Il Mondo Era Vuoto." It is reminiscent of "Maria" from West Side Story. At the end of this song is a short musical interlude called "American Dancing" - and it is perfect.

Clara, Fabrizzio, Margaret and Fabrizzio's father meet in the piazza. Fabrizzio asks if Clara wants to go on 'Passeggiata" - a walk around the piazza. Again the song works in the language and cultural differences, yet it is very clear that the two younger characters are falling in love. The Americans are invited to Fabrizzio's house for tea. Fabrizzio's sister-in-law shows Clara the house and gives her a warning about Italian men and their penchant for cheating, and how marriage doesn't really work out. "The Joy You Feel" is very much an art-song, and it is the start of trouble in the show. Clara and Fabrizzio make secret plans to meet later that night.

When Margaret and Clara return to their hotel, Margaret calls her husband in North Carolina. She explains what is happening and her husband brushes it off. She sings a lovely song about loneliness? being in an unhappy marriage? I'm actually not sure what this song is about. Clearly she is reflective and thinking about the troubles in her own marriage and her own life. "Dividing Day" is the phrase she uses through out the song. She also hints that something is wrong with Clara and so she can not get married or even date Fabrizzio. After this song, Margaret goes to check on Clara and realizes that she has snuck out to meet her boy. "Hysteria" is a jaunty melody, very pizzicato and joyful, yet when Clara gets lost she gets hysterical. It is the first real indication that something may not be right with her. Margaret finds her, takes her back to the hotel and calms her with a few bars of a song called "Fable." Fabrizzio comes to the hotel and find Clara in her bedroom (as Margaret has gone to the hotel bar). During "Say It Somehow", a gorgeous, lovely melody and song breaks through all language barriers. There is a lot of vocalization in this number which I'm realizing follows the old adage of "when emotion is too strong to speak about, you sing about it." However in this case when the emotion you are singing about is too much, you just vocalize - and it is stunning. At the end of this song Clara and Fabrizzio are engaged, half undressed and Margaret walks by and see this. Curtain on Act One.

I won't write much about Act Two. It opens with Margaret and Clara in Rome leaving a very distraught Fabrizzio. The Italians sing a piece called "Aiutami" which is fantastic because of the jarring melody and harmonies, the rhythm and the fact that in the middle of it the Italian mother stops and says "I don't speak English but I have to tell you what is happening." She gives insight into how that family works. Meanwhile in Rome, Clara fights her mom about having left Florence and Fabrizzio. She sings a gorgeous song "Light in the Piazza" that I have yet to figure out what it is about. It is a mystery song for me. Lyrically it isn't concrete but has beautiful imagery. It is similar to "Dividing Day" in that it is gorgeous, internal yet not as clear as a standard want song, and yet it is clearly a love song. It gives insight into how Clara works and thinks.

There is another piece in Act Two called "Octet" which reminds me of "Tonight" from West Side Story or even "Kiss Me" from Sweeney Todd. There is a lot going on musically - family talking, reflecting on the situation, Clara learning the catechism, Fabrizzio's sister-in-law flirting with him. Clara blows up at the situation and the Italian family realizes that something is not right. Margaret uses a reprise of "The Beauty Is" to explain what happened and how she handles life.

I missed the National tour when it played Mpls., and yet I did see this show. Thankfully Peter Rothstein and Theater Latte Da did a production of it at the Ordway. I saw it twice and found it to be even more of an amazing work on stage. There was also an airing of the Broadway production on PBS during a "Live from Lincoln Center." I am certain there is footage available to view somewhere out there.  If you get a chance to see this show, please do it. And please take the time to listen to this cast recording. It really is amazing with a stunning cast - Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara and Matthew Morrison (pre-Glee) as a start.