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Celebrating 35 years of producing award-winning musical theater in Chicagoland, The Marriott Theatre is thrilled to present the stunningly beautiful new musical The Light in the Piazza, previewing July 22nd, opening July 29th, and running through September 20th.
Directed by Joe Leonardo (Little Women, Sunset Boulevard), The Light in the Piazza is a captivating love story set in Florence, Italy in the summer of 1953. Margaret Johnson brings her daughter Clara to revisit the site of her honeymoon, only to find that Clara quickly falls passionately in love with a young Italian man. Margaret tries to impede the rapidly budding romance until she realizes this may be the only chance for her daughter to find true love – for all is not as it appears with the young Clara Johnson. Unable to suppress the truth about her daughter, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara's future, but her own hopes and dreams. The Light in the Piazza is a luminous celebration of the beauty and passions of the human heart, as well as the Italian culture and the essence of love. The production features a lavish score with soaring, classical melodies. As Joe Leonardo indicates, “Piazza has an absolutely beautiful and unique sounding score by Adam Guettel. It is incredibly romantic in the tradition of his grandfather's (Richard Rodgers) work, but in no way is a copy of Rodgers' music. The Light in the Piazza has a unique modern sound while still being lush and romantic.” The show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), and won six, including Best Original Score in 2005. That year, it was also nominated for 11 Drama Desk Awards and won four, including Outstanding Music.
Supporting the beautiful and touching music is the book as written by Craig Lucas. Based on the 1960 novella of the same name by ElizaBeth Spencer, the book “is light and charming and funny and then, surprisingly, delivers many moments of touching poignancy. It is an actor's and director's dream,” suggests Leonardo. Audiences are sure to agree.The cast for The Light in the Piazza is drawn entirely from the Chicagoland community, and includes such stars as Summer Smart as Clara Johnson, Max Quinlan as Fabrizio Naccarelli (returning after playing the title role in Marriott Theatre’s Joseph), and Chicago leading lady Mary Ernster as Margaret Johnson. Rounding out the cast for The Light in the Piazza are Michael Accardo as Roy Johnson, Alexander Aguilar as Giuseppe Naccarelli, Jennifer T. Grubb as Franca Naccarelli, Paula Scrofano as Signora Naccarelli, and Gene Weygandt as Signor Naccarelli. Also featured are Kellie Cundiff, Don Denton, Katie Johannigman, Catherine Lord, Ryan Reilly, and George Andrew Wolff.
Lead Artistic Director Aaron Thielen heads the artistic team for The Light in the Piazza, with Musical Direction by Dr. Ryan Nelson. Properties Design is by Gregory Isaac, Lighting Design by Diane Williams, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, and Set Design is by Tom Ryan. Michael Duff conducts the Marriott Theatre orchestra.The performance schedule for all shows is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $45.00, excluding tax and handling fees. A $5.00 discount for students and seniors is valid for all performances excluding Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. With the purchase of a $55 ticket on Wednesdays or Thursdays, dinner is included at the King’s Wharf Restaurant or the Fairfield Inn (based on dining availability). Dinners on Friday, Saturday and Sunday range from $32 - $43 per person (includes tax). Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets with a major credit card, call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.
