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If ever you’ve had a dream, says Margaret Johnson, the protagonist
of Adam Guettel’s lushly romantic musical The Light in the Piazza,
then best that you don’t come to Italy, for it is in Italy that you
will once again be confronted by that dream, no matter how
deeply-repressed or long-ignored. And for Margaret Johnson, that
dream is love, to be loved and to love in return, as the 1950s song
“Nature Boy” would have it. That Nat King Cole chestnut might even
be a subconscious soundtrack for Margaret Johnson as she and her
daughter Clara wander through Florence in Margaret’s attempt to
resuscitate some of the feelings she had for her husband when she
and he honeymooned in Italy. It is 1953 in this luminous production,
marvelously adapted by Craig Lucas from an Elizabeth Spencer novella
(first published in its entirety in the New Yorker), and never has
Italy and all its post-war allures looked so appealing onstage.
While the United States is in the throes of Eisenhower repression
and conformity, life in Italy is lived con molta passione, where
every apertivo leads inevitably to la passeggiata. Beautifully
rendered by oversized arches and portals, fluid sets which glide and
turn, and a golden light streaked with gloaming, this Italy is a
walker’s paradise, and the cast, merely by walking this way and
that, evokes a city of narrow streets and piazzi where around every
corner is the promise of love.
Primarily, this is a story of a mother’s love, and Victoria Clark
gives a brilliant performance of a Southern woman duty-bound by her
background to honor the dictates of her class and upbringing. Mind
you, Margaret Johnson sees the humor peculiar to her predicament –
the desire to let Clara experience life even as she fears letting
her go – for she is acutely aware of how much her own life revolves
around caring for Clara. Without Clara, what will become of her – a
question which brings out the lioness in her, before allowing
herself to surrender to the transcendent power of love. This
transformation, when it occurs, is miraculous to witness – but then,
so is the entire production. With a highly-intelligent book by Lucas
and passionate music and lyrics by Guettel, this is a love story
which takes seriously the pursuit of love. No quest in life is more
honorable in the minds of these characters – and when Margaret
Johnson realizes the depth of Clara’s feelings for Fabrizio, nothing
can keep her from honoring love’s power.
Not unlike the very best of relationships, The Light in the Piazza
is a musical built upon small and intimate moments, which, upon
reflection and with time, become expansive and resonant, much like
Guettel’s chamber-like score. A straw boater lifting into the air,
the pause before a kiss upon a gloved hand, the shattering of a
glass, the turn of a wrist, a tap on the chest – all these moments
add up to one of the most beautiful love stories ever performed
onstage. Given the many strengths of this tasteful production (an
exemplary cast, evocative lighting, stunning sets, and drop-dead
costuming, as well as pitch-perfect direction by Bartlett Sher), it
is no small wonder that you leave the Lincoln Center Theater
believing in unconditional love – and your heart reflecting its own
light across the plaza.
Best Always,
Mark and Robert
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