A Light in the Piazza (West End Revival!!!)

[Relevance81491]

Renee Flemming is brilliant casting.  Ill be curious to hear how Dove Cameron's involvement impacts any future life for Clueless 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Renee-Fleming-and-Dove-Cameron-To-Star-In-A-LIGHT-IN-THE-PIAZZA-At-Londons-Southbank-Centre-20181108

[LizzieCurry]

Did they rename the show too?

[TotallyEffed]

Will Fleming be able to act this?

[Elegance101]

I don’t think Clueless has much of a “future life” after January. I highly doubt any sort of Broadway transfer is likely.

Also, did BroadwayWorld get the name of the show wrong?

[LizzieCurry]

They did; you can see it in the URL. But they've fixed it on the actual page.

Also, this isn't a revival... right?

[CindersGolightly]

I'm just going to say it.

 

Can we PLEASE get a cast recording?!?

[QueenAlice]

Well the show hasn’t ever played the West End and technically still won’t be. The Southpark Centre is mostly a classical music venue so it’s very possible this will be more like a limited engagement concert staging.

 
EDIT: What the Broadway world article left out is that this is part of the Opera North season. So it will be a full production but presented by an opera company. Hence Renee Fleming’s casting. A recording seems prettt unlikely.

[Auggie27]

This sounds thrilling. When I think of Fleming taking on "Fable."

[UpstateNYGuy]

She sings "Fable" on her recent recording of Broadway covers... it's pretty spectacular.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Don't you have to act to be in Light in the Piazza? 

[CindersGolightly]

perfectlymarvelous said: "Don't you have to act to be in Light in the Piazza?"

Ask Matthew Morrison.

[fashionguru_23]

CindersGolightly said: "perfectlymarvelous said: "Don't you have to act to be in Light in the Piazza?"

AskMatthew Morrison."

^^^this is the best thing on these boards.

[rjm516]

Oh please you might not like Morrison but he was perfect as Fabrizio. And no one has done better accent work. 

I'll see this but I'm very skeptical about Dove Cameron as Clara. It takes a lot of skill to portray Clara as intended and not just as a silly cartoonish figure (like Katie Rose Clarke's was, vs Kelli O'Hara's incredible version). 

[SomethingPeculiar]

CindersGolightly said: "perfectlymarvelous said: "Don't you have to act to be in Light in the Piazza?"
Ask Matthew Morrison."

I just choked on coffee.

I wonder if Guettel is re-orchestrating it for a 40-piece orchestra (like Michael Starobin did for that Sunday in Paris) or just adding a ton of strings? The original only had 15 pieces but still sounded so lush.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Guettel is too busy reading Ann Coulter's tweets to re-orchestrate. 

[ahhrealmonsters]

Can Dove Cameron sing? All I know of her is this terribly autotuned cover of "Genie in a Bottle." I guess we'll find out...

[JBC3]

For a concert version of the show Renee Fleming might be a brilliant choice. I found her recording of Fable to be far too mannered.

But I do not in any way see her acting the role well or serving as the emotional center/glue that the role of Margaret Johnson requires.

[Mister Matt]

Oh please you might not like Morrison but he was perfect as Fabrizio. And no one has done better accent work. 

I thought Wayne Wilcox was FAR superior in voice and acting in the Chicago tryout at the Goodman.  I also thought Celia Keenan-Bolger was a much more convincing Clara.  Morrison and O'Hara were both very attractive, but I didn't get the emotional resonance and sense of immediacy as I did with Wilcox and Keenan-Bolger.  Their chemistry was perfection and my heart absolutely ACHED for both of them.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

I forgot who it was but I remember back in 2006 or 2007 someone said the actor who replaced Matthew Morrison was a much better Fabrizio. I think Aaron Lazar.

[AADA81]

I think this casting is interesting.  Renee Fleming will sing that score to perfection and Dove Cameron, who stole the show from her more seasoned co-stars at "Hairspray Live", certainly has potential and presence.

[qolbinau]

Anyone keen to revise the book while they're at it? A PONY???

[TotallyEffed]

qolbinau said: "Anyone keen to revise the book while they're at it? A PONY???"

You do realize the musical is based on a novella from 1960, yes? There’s no need to revise the musical, it’s a masterpiece.

[somecheapfrenchthing]

...I thought Matthew Morrison was fabulous. I've not been a HUGE fan since, but I disagree and thought he was wonderful in LITP. Also, after seeing Renee Flemming in Carousel, I can't imagine her acting a role like Margaret, but it'll sound lovely regardless. And, who knows? Maybe with a meatier role, she'll nail it. 

[LarryD2]

This may not be common knowledge, but Fleming came very close to replacing Victoria Clark in the original Broadway production. She was in talks to do a limited engagement between opera seasons, but the show ended up closing before she came in. So, she's had an interest in the piece for a while. Her legit theater endeavors (Living on Love and Carousel) haven't displayed much acting prowess, and I agree with the person who called her recorded "Fable" mannered. But I don't want to judge her performance before it happens. I wish her luck.

[rjm516]

LarryD2 said: "This may not be common knowledge, but Fleming came very close to replacing Victoria Clark in the original Broadway production. She was in talks to do a limited engagement between opera seasons, but the show ended up closing before she came in. So, she's had an interest in the piece for a while. Her legit theater endeavors (Living on Love and Carousel) haven't displayed much acting prowess, and I agree with the person who called her recorded "Fable" mannered. But I don't want to judge her performance before it happens. I wish her luck."

 

Oh wow!! Very interesting