WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
#0WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 2:22pm
So last night I went to see Piazza again with BWW's DottieD'Luscia. We went so we could see David Burnham as Fabrizio and we also got to see Jennifer Hughes as Clara since Kelli is on vacation this week.
We got our tickets from TKTS (G 511 and 512 in the orchestra) which were all the way on the right. There was this really outgoing usher who was asking the audience questions, one of which was how many Tony Awards did LITP win...and of course I immediately chimed in with "six!" so he gave me some candy. LOL.
Anyway, as the overture began, I was getting even more excited to see the show. Victoria got entrance applause, which did not happen both times I previously saw the show, 4/3 and 5/28. She was even better than I had remembered her. She has grown so much in this role and really made it her own. "Statues and Stories" had tons of energy and the audience rewarded the cast with thunderous applause after the opening number. Both times I saw the show before, (especially in previews) the audience was totally dead, so the audience enthusiasm was nice to see and hear.
Jennifer Hughes is a fantastic actress. She played Clara a bit younger than Kelli, which I definitely thought worked. "The Beauty Is," however was not as strong as Kelli's. Jennifer was a little pitchy in Act 1, but recovered in Act 2. It was very strange how similar Kelli and Jennifer looked.
David Burnham, the reason why Dottie and I saw LITP last night, was excellent. He definitely looked the part, had a wonderful Italian accent and has a great singing voice. "Il Mondo Era Vuoto" was gorgeous...he had perfect pitch throughout the entire song, however his acting during the song was a bit overdone. It definitely got laughs (which I think is what he was going for) but it was a bit too over the top for me. He completely redeemed himself during "Passegiata." I was impressed with how well he did, considering he has only played the role a handful of times.
Sarah Uriarte Berry was born to play Franca! She has such stage presence and knows how to get laughs from the audience. "The Joy You Feel" was gorgeous. Her soprano was right on last night. After seeing Sarah in this role three times now, I can't for the life of me picture Kelli in this role. (she played Franca in the two stagings of the show before broadway) And I *love* Kelli...but Sarah is just so fabulous in this role!
"Dividing Day" was excellent. We were sitting pretty close to Victoria and her facial expressions during this song really conveyed that Margaret was upset about her marriage not being what it used to be.
"Say It Somehow" (probably my favorite song in the show) gave me chills. Jennifer and David were outstanding...they were really feeling each note of the music and the result was perfection.
Side note: For those of you who are going to see LITP for the first time, *do not* sit in the section all the way to the right...Dottie and I found out that most of the staging of the show plays to the center and the left side of the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Luckily, since Dottie and I had both seen the show before, we still loved every second of it. But for those of you seeing it for the first time, I think this weird angle might affect your enjoyment of the show. Dottie and I were disappointed since we only got to see David's back when Jennifer took his shirt off (during Say It Somehow) from the angle that we were sitting...he did have a really hot back though! In any case, for Act 2, Dottie and I moved to the third row center orchestra since there were two empty seats there that he had been eyeing every so often during Act 1.
"Autami" was even better than I had remembered it. The family had so much energy and Patti Cohenour had the audience laughing so hard when she said "Autami means help me in Italian. I don't speak English but I have to tell you what's going on." Can anyone explain why that song ends with Fabrizio in a position like he is nailed to the cross?
"The Light in the Piazza" was brilliant. Jennifer completely redeemed herself from "The Beauty Is" and had perfect pitch during this entire song and a powerful voice as well. Maybe the angle we were sitting at during Act 1 did not allow us to hear the power in her voice...but it is certainly there.
When Mark Harelik told Victoria that Clara had to convert to catholicism and Victoria's head turned toward the audience in disbelief, the audience went wild. Her facial expressions are perfect. "Let's Walk" was also excellent. I was holding my breath while Mark and Victoria were slowly moving in for that kiss at the end of the song. Brilliant!
Dottie and I both had tears in our eyes during "Love To Me." It was incredibly emotional and David pulled it off beautifully. Of course, Victoria's "Fable" was perfect. She is truly a star and I am so glad she won the Tony for this role...well deserved.
So overall, Victoria was fabulous as always and David and Jennifer really shined in roles they had only played a couple of times. Dottie and I stage doored the show afterwards and we got Victoria to sign our playbills and our souvenir booklets. She is such a fantastic actress and I hope that she gets to play more leading roles on broadway in the future.
It was an incredible evening and I definitely had amazing company. I am so proud to know DottieD'Luscia...one of the sweetest, kindest, cutest and coolest men I have met in my life. Thanks for a fabulous evening. Can't wait to see LITP again!!!
Updated On: 9/2/05 at 02:22 PM
#1re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 2:29pm
Nice!
Glad you STILL enjoy it.
It seems like Jennifer is making it as a professional Kelli-O'-Hara-Understudy
Updated On: 9/2/05 at 02:29 PM
#2re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:10pm
oh I'm glad you had a great time..I was worried a little about whether it would still have the power without some of the main actors. But that's great that the others are doing such a wonderful job.
Argh, I wish they could keep Piazza playing forever!
This is wanting something
This is reaching for it
This is wishing that a moment would arrive- LITP
everybody goes down well with beer!-sweeney
Todd
Listen to the stories
Hear it in the songs
Angry men don't write the rules and guns don't right the wrongs!-Assassins
#3re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:34pm
So glad you enjoyed David and Jennifer. The two of them singing Say It Somehow was absolutely thrilling.
I'm not 100% sure why they do that crucifixion tableau at the end of Aiutami. Fabrizio is calling out to god a lot during the song itself, and he's going through a lot of pain, so maybe they're saying his pain is like being crucified? Or maybe it's a shout out to the pieta, even though it's technically not a pieta because he's still on the cross? Or maybe it's just something to make the audience laugh because it's an image immediately associated with Italy? I don't know.
My seat on Wednesday evening was also G512 and the only time it was really bad was during Say It Somehow and part of The Beauty Is, when Jennifer was completely obscured by that hunk of naked marble. I, too, changed my seat at intermission to house left, where you do see a lot more of the reactions (I have never, nor do I think I ever will see the show from center).
"Peace! The charm's wound up."
--Macbeth
Updated On: 9/2/05 at 04:34 PM
#4re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 7:49pm
excellent review, TRACE, with wonderful details. now i want to see the show AGAIN more than ever! maybe sometime this fall ...
btw ... whose HAND is that creeeeeeeeeeeeping up your shoulder?!
RIP glebby <3
#5re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/2/05 at 7:53pm
you know very well whose hand it is cturtle...yours!
please thank rob for taking such a great pic.
#6re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 8:19am
it's EASY to take a great pic of a great-looking guy 
RIP glebby <3
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#7re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 8:24amThis show sounds great. Where is it playing?
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
IssaMe
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/03
#8re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 11:11am
Of all the times I've seen the show from the first preview onward, I think the best overall performance was the one on Sept. 1 which you saw and reviewed so brilliantly.
#9re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 11:25amthanks cturtle...i am blushing
#10re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 11:32am
Great review. I don't know what I'm more jealous of... that you saw the show or that you saw it with Dottie. 
Celebrate Life
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. - Randy Pausch
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. - Randy Pausch
#11re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/3/05 at 11:53amwe're seeing Hairspray tomorrow afternoon!
IssaMe
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/03
#12re: WithoutATrace Visits Piazza for the Third Time (9/1/05)
Posted: 9/4/05 at 11:29am
Have fun at Hairspray...I am back at Piazza for the Sunday matinee.
I sat near you after you switched seats - noticed you taking those seats which were prime (just about the best in the house)!!!...and very, very smart of you. I hated to see them go to waste during the first act... and am glad that such a discerning person got them!
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