By Brian Scott Lipton . . .
You don’t see a miracle? Luckily, there’s a quick fix for that dilemma—this weekend only—if you can grab a ticket to City Center Encores’ vocally gorgeous and emotionally draining revival of Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas’ musical The Light in the Piazza, adapted from Elizabeth Spencer’s 1960 novel of the same name.
Yes, this production—sensitively directed by Chay Yew and featuring an extraordinary cast led by the riveting Ruthie Ann Miles (on loan from Sweeney Todd) as southern matron Margaret Johnson and the truly astounding 19-year newcomer Anna Zavelson as her emotionally stunted daughter Clara—is so polished it could move to Broadway on Monday. But that would also be a miracle.
It’s the late 1950s and Margaret and Clara have traveled to Florence, where Margaret honeymooned many years ago with her now-distant husband Roy (Michael Hayden) and is, in her own way, trying to perhaps recapture the idyllic early days of her now-routine marriage.
Quickly and accidentally, they meet local charmer Fabrizio Naccarelli (James D. Gish, handsome, vocally stunning, but a bit too mature for a character who is supposed to be a naïve 20-year-old), who is as instantly smitten with Clara as she is with him. Keenly aware that the now-26-year-old Clara’s “disability” (a supposed lack of development from being kicked by a pony when she was 12) usually leads to rejection once the truth is discovered, Margaret initially does everything she can to stop the relationship from proceeding.
As much as we realize Margaret may have her daughter’s best interest at heart, it’s equally clear that Margaret’s existence is defined by being Clara’s mother, and even the thought of “letting go” of her daughter (especially as Clara will remain in Italy) will force her to re-examine her own life. Miles, a virtuosic actress who never overemotes, delineates this arc with laser-cut precision, so much so that when, in Act II, she quickly reverses course to encourage the pair to get married—even taking a couple of drastic steps to ensure that union—it’s entirely believable.
If the score’s operatic songs don’t fit Miles’ voice as snugly as they did with the role’s originator, Victoria Clark, it barely matters, especially as her perfect enunciation gives even greater poignancy and depth to Guettel’s piercing lyrics in songs such as “Dividing Day” and “Fable.”
Zavelson, on the other hand, is the total package. Her soaring soprano—given full expression on “The Beauty Is . . . ” and the title tune, among others—is one of the most remarkable instruments I’ve ever heard, full of color and clarity. She also makes the unenviable task of reconciling Clara’s personality look natural. It’s always been an issue that, somehow, Clara can easily learn Italian or speak in gorgeous metaphor but also “freak out” when she gets lost on her way to meeting Fabrizio. But Zavelson makes all of these traits seem integrated into one young woman.
The rest of the cast is basically flawless, with the stand-out performances coming from the suave Ivan Hernandez as Fabrizio’s womanizing father, Shereen Ahmed as Franca, Fabrizio’s fiery, overdramatic sister-in-law, and the hilarious Andrea Burns, making every small moment count as the Naccarelli’s bemused, smarter-than-she-seems matriarch.
The production, like almost every other one in the Encores! series, benefits from the glorious work of the orchestra; here, a 16-piece group led by the great Rob Berman, is perched above Clint Ramos and Miguel Urbino’s simple if effective set. (If Linda Cho’s costumes can’t hold a candle to Catherine Zuber’s original ones, they still do the job quite nicely.)
A blindingly bright spot in the theatrical firmament, The Light on the Piazza sheds its glow on grateful audiences, who cheer, whoop—and, yes, cry—to express their gratitude. Be one of them if you can.
The Light in the Piazza. Limited engagement through June 25 at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues). www.nycitycenter.org
Photos: Joan Marcus
Cover photo: Ruthie Ann Miles
