[NEohioPAL] Jewish News Review of Light in the Piazza: Bob Abelman

[Martin Friedman]

 Lakeland stages thoroughly charming 'Piazza'

   -  <http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/leisure/arts/article_acd73c0e-92a0-11e3-9c8a-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=image&photo=0>

   'The Light in the Piazza'

Posted: Monday, February 10, 2014 5:14 pm | *Updated: 9:47 am, Tue Feb 11,
2014. *

Lakeland stages thoroughly charming
'Piazza'<http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/leisure/arts/clevelandjewishnews.com/features/leisure/arts/article_acd73c0e-92a0-11e3-9c8a-0019bb2963f4.html>
REVIEWED
BY BOB ABELMAN

Craig Lucas' "The Light in the Piazza" is on stage at the Lakeland Civic
Theatre. What in the world was director Martin Friedman thinking?

The musical takes us on a romantic summer excursion to majestic Rome and
Florence, along with vacationing 26-year-old Clara Johnson and her mother,
Margaret, from Winston-Salem, N.C.

Rome? Summer? It's winter and the Lakeland Civic Theatre is smack in the
middle of Lakeland Community College on the outskirts of Kirkland, Ohio.
Isn't this pushing our suspension of disbelief a bit far? Florence?

Adam Guettel's music and lyrics are operatic, with songs taking on the airs
of a classical aria rather than a hummable show tune. Guettel is the
grandson of Richard Rodgers - of legendary Broadway songsmiths Rodgers and
Hammerstein - but is renowned for writing complex melodies performed with
huge orchestras on the New York stage.

Opera? Orchestra? "The Light in the Piazza" opened at the 1,200-seat Vivian
Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, where French composer Georges Bizet's
four-act opera, "La Tragedie de Carmen," was recently staged. The Civic
Theatre, at 300 seaats, is not built for such things.

In the musical, innocent Clara falls desperately in love with an enchanting
Italian boy named Fabrizio Naccarelli, whose family immediately embraces
her despite her mother's attempts to squelch their budding romance. Italian
is spoken throughout the production and entire songs are sung in that
tongue.

Italian? Really?

Against all odds, despite the risks and challenges, and in Italian without
subtitles, Lakeland Civic Theatre does a masterful job of presenting this
simple yet dramatic story, doing justice to what the New York Times labeled
the most romantic score since "West Side Story."

Yes, the holiday romance angle in this novel-turned-film-turned-musical is
far from novel, and the show's core storyline bears too much resemblance to
a Latin American telenovela. But director Friedman, musical director Jordan
Cooper and designers Trad A Burns (scenic and lighting), Stephanie Fisher
(costume) and Eric Simna (sound) take all that is big, broad and imposing
in the original and transform it into a thoroughly charming, delightfully
intimate theatrical experience.

Gone is the huge orchestra, swapped out for a lovely six-piece ensemble
that includes harp, violin and cello.

Grand scenic design is reduced to romanticized impressions of Italy,
reflected in ceiling-to-floor drapes and standalone set pieces of paper
covered in Leonardo da Vinci's hand-drawn sketches of ancient archways,
columns and cathedrals.

An omnipresent ensemble of tourists are costumed in the same shades of
beige as the drawings, so as to blend into the background, lending vocal
support and moving
furniture<http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/leisure/arts/article_acd73c0e-92a0-11e3-9c8a-0019bb2963f4.html#>but
not drawing attention from the featured players.

The biggest challenge in this production is finding featured players
capable of handling the operatic music and the Italian, making subtle
transitions from spoken word to music and back, and creating real people
from the characters that populate this
play<http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/features/leisure/arts/article_acd73c0e-92a0-11e3-9c8a-0019bb2963f4.html#>
.

Sandra Emerick is superb as Margaret Johnson, Clara's overly protective
mother. She simultaneously communicates the frustrations of parenting and
its pleasures, and effectively displays the sadness of a romantic soul
dormant in a bad marriage. She also taps the lighter side of her character,
which other productions tend to deemphasize, and aims her personal
disclosures at both the audience and the onstage ensemble, which is
enchanting.

Lindsey Sandham Leonard is a delight as Clara. She beautifully captures her
character's yearning for independence with subtle grace and has a
crystal-clear voice that makes every note seem like a gift.

Shane Patrick O'Neil is absolutely charming as Fabrizio, Clara's love
interest. So too are Rob Albrecht as Fabrizio's father, Liz Huff as his
mother, Eric Fancher as his brother Giuseppe, and Neely Gavaart as
Giuseppe's wife.

So good is this production that it will bring out the romantic in everyone,
no matter the opera, the Italian, or the frozen tundra that is Northeast
Ohio.

What in the world was Martin Friedman thinking?

WHAT: "The Light in the Piazza"

WHERE: Lakeland Civic Theatre, 7700 Clocktower Drive, Kirkland

WHEN: Through Sunday, Feb. 16

TICKETS & INFO: $7 to $15. Call 440-525-7134 or go to
www.lakelandcc.edu/arts
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