Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA sparkles at Sankofa Collective

The Sankofa Collective has always done ambitious projects, including THE BODYGUARD, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and a collaboration with the Garden Theatre, resulting in an amazing production of THE COLOR PURPLE. Their name refers to an Akan word (the language of Ghana) to reclaim the past for the present. Doing THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with a predominantly black cast, in a small space, and for only one weekend is a gutsy move. But Alric Davis and his troop have always been up to a challenge, and this production is one the audiences lucky enough to see will not soon forget. This is an intimate, small-scale staging that has a huge amount of heart, and TONS of talent.  

The story comes from a 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, which became a popular movie starring Olivia de Havilland, and was in turn translated into a musical with music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and a book by Craig Lucas that hit Broadway in 2005. It is about a mother returning to Florence, Italy, where she honeymooned with her husband. In tow is her daughter, whom she is fiercely protective of because she hides a secret about a disability. The daughter falls for a handsome Italian named Fabrizio, and the mother is faced with an impossible choice of protecting her daughter or letting her fall in love. THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is romantic, dreamy, and half of the show is in Italian. It’s not an easy score, written very classically in a cross between opera and the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein (a natural match for Adam Guettel, whose grandfather was composer Richard Rodgers). But this cast pulls it all off in a small gallery space in the Spring Street Studios complex!  

Monica Davis and Destiny A. Webb portray mother and daughter, and they have to carry three-fourths of the show as the duo in the center of it all. Both have gorgeous voices that bring this score to life. Webb’s take on Clara’s song “The Light in the Piazza” is a highlight of the evening, and throughout the piece, she engages the audience with such finesse that it is easy to see why Fabrizio falls in love with her. Monica Davis has a wonderfully clear tone that reminds me of Ella Fitzgerald, and she delivers Margaret’s songs with soulful ease that had me in the palm of her hand. Both women handle this score immaculately, and they dive right into the complex relationships that the script demands. They put their own unique stamps on these roles, and they are the reason not to miss this production.  

Gabriel Mullen gets the challenge of singing and acting as Fabrizio, a part that requires an actor to speak and sing in Italian sprinkled with broken English. It’s a soaring part for a male, but Gabriel navigates everything nimbly. The boy can sing, and his acting is on par as well. Alessandro Baldan plays Signor Naccarelli with a boisterous flair and a suave tone that permeates every scene. Ali Hits brings a high-energy physical comedy take for Giuseppe, the brother of Fabrizio. He’s such a joyful presence! Jasmine Christyne is a revelation as Giuseppe’s wife. Physically, she looks like someone who stepped out of 1950s Florence, and her acting feels so natural and exquisitely crafted. Kassidy Fajardo steals the show as Fabrizio’s mother when she gets a solo turn explaining the family dynamics. Everyone here in the cast can sing extremely well, and they do a wonderful job of creating Italy in 1953. 

Alric Davis is the director and the choreographer here, and THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA shows his strength as an artist. He fills the space with his cast and comes up with simple solutions to keep the show flowing in an intimate theater. His passion for this piece is on full display, and he is solid and inventive by turns. This show soars under his direction. John-Alan Gourdine’s musical direction works well in getting glorious performances out of the cast, who are working with a pre-recorded track. Whoever coached the Italian dialogue did a remarkable job, too, because the cast flies through these scenes without a hint of hesitation or ever feeling like they are speaking a new language. 

My only gripe about Sonkofa Collective’s THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is that it only runs one weekend. I saw the show opening night, but it closes on Monday, August 11th, after an industry night performance. I wish more audiences would get a chance to see this iteration of a musical that is reinvented for a small space and a diverse cast. They capture the love that came pouring out of the original productions. It’s hard not to want to return to Florence, just to hear this ensemble sing through this one more time.