The Musical

Greta: It's a fascinating book. Should probably be called "The Book Nobody Ever Heard Of"!

DryToast: I was quoting the exact words that this theater critic told me when I asked him why he didn't compare the two performances. He said that the difference was that Victoria Clark played Margaret Johnson "as a hick" whereas de Havilland had a more sophisticated take on the role. That's where I got that notion from. I'm sure the songs are suitable for the musical version but my first impression on hearing them was not a favorable one. I have something of a musical background myself (as a singer) and was just not overly impressed. I admitted I did not hear the whole score and can only make a final judgment after doing so. You liked it very much and that's fine.

You're right, they don't write the kind of musicals I grew up on and perhaps this is the reason for my reaction. I do like the ALW music for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA--in fact, just bought the CD and DVD and enjoy that sort of Gothic romance very much. I'm aware that the Phantom has a love/hate factor going for it...people either love it or hate it! Some of the nastier negative reviews are totally out of bound. I'd have to hear more of the music from PIAZZA before I can make any worthwhile comments on it.

As for the authors of the musical book for PIAZZA not wanting to see the film, I think it might have given them further inspiration and that's all I was implying. It did seem rather odd since the film is shown frequently on TCM these days.

Good work. Couldn't have said it better. "The Light in the Piazza" made for one of the most wonderful evenings I have had in the theater, ever, and I have spent many nights in the theater. I used to play in theater orchestras--pit orchestras, and believe me, Broadway can be the pits for a musician, but "Light" was a pleasure from start to finish. The songs are organic, growing out of the book, and seamlessly drifting back into it with grace and ease and rightness. The book is smart, the lyrics are sophisticated and the show has more heart than Sea Biscuit (I'm speaking of the real, game little horse here, not the movie).

"Margaret" as played by Ms. Clark is a revelation of sophistication and sang froid and pure, unconditional love. We all should have been so lucky to have had such a mother. As a matter of fact the actors are uniformly good and well directed. There is true purpose on the stage, every moment of the entire evening. The show is gorgeous and tastefully mounted. The only thing I hated about the production, and I truly hated it, was the fact that such good American actors, when given good Italian lines to speak, butchered the language regularly.

Good Italian language coaches were hired and worked with the actors, I'm sure, but still I heard the "s" in "cosi" unvoiced through Fabrizio's first song, over and over again. The word is properly pronounced "cozee" with an accent on the "ee." Beyond that issue, "The Light in the Piazza" may just be the closest thing to perfect theater that one will ever get the chance to see. Run, don't walk, to the Beaumont, buy tickets, and enjoy the true magic that good American musical theater can offer, because this is right up there with the best.

Here is the page at the Lincoln Center website: http://www.lct.org/calendar/event_detail.cfm?ID_event=34551107. It's not much, but you can hear some of the score.

Here is some NPR coverage and more music links: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4518817.

There are some good photographs here: www.victoria-clark.com





I have made enough faces.