Encores! 2023: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with Ruthie Ann Miles, DEAR WORLD with Donna Murphy, and OLIVER! — Page 11

chrishuyen said:

The book is a bit of a mess, and I'm not sure how drastic the changes made for this production were as I haven't seen any other version of the show. But the beginning plods until we hit Consider Yourself, I still don't understand what Bill Sikes does or why everyone's afraid of him (is it just because he's violent?), and the second act speeds by without really any moment for us to understand why Mr. Brownlow cares so much for Oliver (or even Nancy or Fagin for that matter. Oliver was with them for what, a day?)


Regarding Mr. Brownlow, he notices how much Oliver looks like his long-lost daughter's (unseen) portrait on the wall -- and then when the Bumbles show up with her locket (that was stolen during childbirth by Old Sally), it is confirmed that he was her son (and Brownlow's grandson). The movie smartly added in a courtroom scene in which an eyewitness tells the magistrate (a fun cameo by Hugh Griffith) that he saw a different boy pickpocket Brownlow and that Oliver is innocent. Brownlow feels sorry for the boy and invites him to his home. It's surprising that the scene was not part of the play.

Gavin Lee will be on again as Fagin tonight at 7pm.

"ability". It means the writers, the director and the producers made a commitment to casting and uplifting Disabled/Neurodivergent artists. We are the butt of the jokes every day of our lives.

This production of Light in the Piazza is all about Accessibility.

Code TMPIAZZA for 20% off select seats.

Anna Zavelson sounds quite wonderful. A little hesitant on Ruthie Ann Miles though. Her voice is beautiful and warm, but I've always found it somewhat lacking in power. Not sure if she'll deliver Fable the way Victoria Clark did.

henrike said: "Anna Zavelson sounds quite wonderful. A little hesitant on Ruthie Ann Miles though. Her voice is beautiful and warm, but I've always found it somewhat lacking in power. Not sure if she'll deliver Fable the way Victoria Clark did."

Frankly, one of the only people who can deliver Fable the way Victoria Clark did is Kelli, but it remains to be seen if she’s up for doing the role.

I’m still so very excited for this production. How lucky we are to get this chance to see it again with what looks like a great cast.

From Playbill:

"Without changing a word of the script, director Chay Yew is leaning into Miles' background—the character of Margaret is now a Korean immigrant, just like Miles. It adds even more depth to the character's existing journey of building walls around herself and her child to survive in the world. Says Miles in her recent interview with Playbill, “She’s proving herself, and proving her worth, and showing outwardly that she’s not so different, that she and her daughter belong. Maybe that’s something most people think about, but certainly somebody with an immigrant mentality such as our Margaret Johnson.”

Honestly, I don't understand how this idea could be successfully conveyed without changing the script. And honestly, I think this kind of added subtext is unnecessary. Margaret and Clara are not from Italy. That's really the only important detail when it comes to the show's issues of cultural misunderstanding.

Or they will because Clara and Margaret are still living in NC? Again, it all seems like an irrelevant issue and needless defending of casting non traditional actors in these roles.

Instagram: Anna Zavelson singing “The Beauty Is”


She sounds stunning.

Updated On: 6/14/23 at 05:31 PM

Any buzz out of the final dress?

Can't wait to see it.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Any buzz out of the final dress?

Can't wait to see it."

The daughter and the suitor both have lovely voices. The lighting and the set design work well. There are some lovely compositions that are enhanced under a structure upstage that supports the orchestra. Unfortunately people sitting in the balcony or some Mezzanine seats will be at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing the whole picture. The show with intermission runs about 2 hours and ten minutes.

How is the view from the balcony? Do they have rush?

Looks like I’ll be the lone dissenter to say that was just an energy vampire of an evening.

Miles and Gish are both pushing themselves flat as a pancake. Let’s hope they make it through the week.
Ivan Hernandez and the rest of the Italian family do provide a nice anchor of sorts despite an 80s robot dance interpretation of “Ayutami”. Andrea Burns wins the night with her characteristic zingers.

The audience, with a severe case of premature ovation, couldn’t bear to let the orchestra finish its last phrase and had to steal the moment for themselves rather than play their character and feel the timing. That was a shame.

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The two and a half hours of boy and girl circling each other, will they/won’t they, is Mom okay?, the pony incident hovering like a phantom never defeated, wedding is on, wedding is off, Dad’s on his way, Oh look more cheating… like a beautiful bright terracotta black hole, took it all out of me and gave nothing back.

Updated On: 6/22/23 at 10:18 PM