THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA to Open 1/24 at South Coast Repertory

An Italian vacation, young love and a parent's heart-rending decision are all part of the award-winning Broadway hit, The Light in the Piazza, book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, and based on the novel by ElizaBeth Spencer. Directed by Kent Nicholson, The Light in the Piazza runs Jan. 24-Feb. 23 on SCR's Segerstrom Stage. Tickets are available online: www.scr.org.

During their travels in Florence, Margaret Johnson and her beautiful daughter, Clara, are swept up in the city's charm. When Fabrizio, a dashing young Italian, captures Clara's heart, Margaret is compelled to reveal her daughter's secret. Struggling with her concern about Clara's future, she must decide whether or not to give the young lovers her blessing.

The Light in the Piazza received two Outer Critics Circle Awards, five Drama Desk Awards and six Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

This production will mark Lucas' South Coast Repertory homecoming, where five of his plays have already been staged. South Coast Repertory has commissioned and produced the world premieres of his plays Three Post Cards and Prelude to a Kiss, and also staged productions of his plays Reckless, Blue Window, and musical revue Marry Me a Little. Lucas is an associate artist at SCR, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and has received two Tony Award nominations.

The cast for The Light in the Piazza includes Joseph Almohaya, David Burnham, Patti Cohenour, Julie Garnye, Mary Gutzi, Melina Kalomas, John-David Keller, Martin Kildare, Erin Mackey, Madison Mitchell, Christopher Newell, Perry Ojeda, and Louis Pardo.

Orange County native, Erin Mackey, will play Clara. Mackey performed in children's theatre in Fullerton and began her career as Lindsay Lohan's double in the movie, The Parent Trap. Mackey has performed as Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles and Broadway productions of Wicked. Other Broadway credits include: Sondheim on Sondheim, Anything Goes and Chaplin.

David Burnham and Patti Cohenour are both members of the original Broadway cast. Cohenour originated the role of Signora Naccarelli and then took over the role of Margaret Johnson on Broadway; Burnham was a member of the ensemble on Broadway and then took on the role of Fabrizio for the national tour.

The design and creative team includes Neil Patel, scenic design; Leah Piehl, costume design; Lap-Chi Chu, lighting design; Dennis Castellano, music director; Kelly Todd, choreographer; Mike Hooker, sound design; Josh Marchesi, production manager; and Jamie Tucker, stage manager.

Tickets start at $25. Discounts are available for full-time students, patrons 25 years of age and under, fulltime educators, seniors and groups of 10 or more. For complete information, visit: www.scr.org.

Tickets: May be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. Performances run Jan. 24-Feb. 23, 2014. Ticket prices start at $25. Low-priced preview performances run Jan. 24-30.

Performance Dates, Times:

· Previews

o Friday and Saturday, Jan. 24-25, at 8 p.m.

o Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 26, Jan. 28-29, at 7:30 p.m.

o Thursday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m.

Note: Friday, Jan. 31, is an invitation-only performance

· Regular performances

Special notes: There are no Monday performances. There is no evening performance on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Evening Performances:

o Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Feb. 2, 4-5; Feb. 9, 11-12 ; and Feb. 16, 18-19, at 7:30 p.m. Note: There is no evening performance on Sunday,

Feb. 23.

o Thursdays-Saturdays, Feb. 6-8; Feb. 13-15; and Feb. 20-22, at 8 p.m.

Matinees:

o Saturdays-Sundays, Feb. 1-2; Feb. 8-9; Feb. 15-16; and Feb. 22-23, at 2:30 p.m.

· ASL-interpreted: Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2:30 p.m.

Special Events:

· Post-Show Discussions: Wednesday, Feb. 5, and Tuesday, Feb. 11. Discuss the play with cast members of The Light in the Piazza during free post-show discussions led by South Coast Repertory's literary team. Segerstrom Stage.

· Inside the Season: Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Led by members of SCR's literary staff, this lively two-hour session features in-depth interviews with cast members and artists from SCR's production staff, revealing secrets and offering insights into SCR's production of The Light in the Piazza. The event includes a guided tour of the set. Segerstrom Stage. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino Theatre Center, part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Parking is available on Park Center Drive, off Anton Blvd.

Current and Upcoming Productions: Trudy and Max in Love by Zoe Kazan, Jan. 5-26; The Light in the Piazza book by Craig Lucas, Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel, based on the novel by ElizaBeth Spencer, Jan. 24-Feb. 23; James the Giant Peach, Theatre for Young Audiences, Feb. 7-23; Reunion by Gregory S Moss, Mar. 9-30. More information is available online: www.scr.org.

ABOUT South Coast Repertory: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is celebrating its 50th Season. Now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, SCR is widely recognized as one of the leading professional theatres in the United States. SCR is committed to theatre that illuminates the compelling personal and social issues of our time, not only on its stages but through its wide array of education and outreach programs. While its productions represent a balance of classic and modern theatre, SCR is renowned for its extensive new-play development program, which includes the nation's largest commissioning program for emerging and established writers and composers. Each year, it showcases some of country's best new plays in the Pacific Playwrights Festival, which attracts theatre professionals from across the country. Of SCR's more than 460 productions, one-quarter have been world premieres, whose subsequent stagings achieved enormous success throughout America and around the world. Two SCR-developed works have won Pulitzer Prizes, and another eight were named Pulitzer finalists. In addition, SCR works have won several Obie Awards and scores of major new-play awards. Located in Costa Mesa, California, SCR's Folino Theat re Center is home to the 507-seat Segerstrom Stage, the 336-seat Julianne Argyros Stage and the 94-seat Nicholas Studio. Today, SCR produces 13 shows and eight public readings each season. More information is available at www.scr.org.