Encores! 2023: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with Ruthie Ann Miles, DEAR WORLD with Donna Murphy, and OLIVER! — Page 12

uncageg said: "Just got my seat for The Light in the Piazza. Still some good seats left. The website is still acting weird."



Well, was supposed to go this Sunday afternoon. My purchase was confirmed and like an idiot I didn't pay attention to my e-mails for a confirmation. (I didn't get and immediate confirmation) Should have because the site was acting up. Just went into my NYCC account and no ticket. However it looks like they took out the amount for my ticket for this and The National Ballet of Canada performance I attended. Not happy. Calling them in the morning.

Updated On: 6/21/23 at 10:19 PM

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.

What is with this trend with audiences? Seems to be particularly evident with Encores! productions, of late.

Jordan Catalano said: "There are no words in the English language to describe how perfect that was tonight."

Agree 100% Ruthie at the curtain call had me shedding a few tears.

Jordan Fisher was at tonight’s performance. He was sitting in the front of the center mezzanine

Going Saturday afternoon and twice as eager since seeing clips.

Cannot get over Anna Zavelson‘s voice. Just constant chills any time she sang. So insanely gorgeous. I’m an instant fan.

Glad I was finally able to see this show. Margaret is such a complex character. I’m such a huge Ruthie fan but I feel like Act 1 was a miss for her. She improved in Act 2 when the character takes off past “I’m going to protect my daughter”.

I think any show where critiques dive directly into theatric nuance instead of nitpicking technical aspects is a success. Bravo. I’ll be gushing about this for a while.

Updated On: 6/22/23 at 01:12 AM

Eighteen years ago this show haunted me in a good way at the Beaumont. I am so pleased that I was able to revisit this masterpiece on opening night at City Center. Anna Zavelson and James D. Gish are just breathtaking. Literally. Such power and chemistry. Ruthie was very good as Margaret but have to admit that I kept hearing Vicky in my head. Ivan Hernandez and Shereen Ahmed were also quite good in supporting roles. Another home run for City Center. Don’t miss this one.

I loved last night's performance. So gorgeous on all levels. Ruthie is always exceptional and Anna totally matched her on all levels! She's an incredible find. Even the minor characters were all really good, some scene-stealing from Andrea Burns and Shereen Ahmed and Michael Hayden. The costumes and set, for what they were (bare-bones), were also lovely to look at.

it's a bit of a a sleepy, languorous musical, which is not going to appeal to everyone. I also read it much differently than I did when I saw the original on broadway - now I find it a moving portrait of a mother trying to do what's best for her daughter. Two decades ago I would have said it was about an overbearing mother, ha! I do have to say I didn't pick up on a lot of the immigrant subtext that was detailed in the NYT story, but that is challenging to do without changing the script.

I got the email from City Center for tonight (Thursday) indicating that patrons MUST be in line by 7 for the 7:30 curtain. I am assuming this is hyperbole, but can anyone who has gone already speak to it?

I walked in the front door somewhere in the 7:15/20 range (I was waiting for a friend) and also no issue. Many people must be heeding the instructions, though, because there was no wait to get in and the vast majority of the audience seemed to be seated already.

raddersons said: "Cannot get overAnna Zavelson‘s voice. Just constant chills any time she sang. So insanely gorgeous. I’m an instant fan.

Glad I was finally able to see this show. Margaret is such a complex character. I’m such a huge Ruthie fan but I feel like Act 1 was a miss for her. She improved in Act 2 when the character takes off past “I’m going to protect my daughter”.

I think any show where critiques dive directly into theatric nuance instead of nitpicking technical aspects is a success. Bravo. I’ll be gushing about this for a while."

I saw the show in its original production and loved it. I had never read the original book, but I was very familiar with the 1962 film version starring Olivia de Havilland and was bit baffled that the musical omitted what I felt was an essential plot point which better explains Margaret's ultimate motivation for agreeing to the marriage. In Margaret's call home to her husband, she learns that he has made arrangements for Clara to be institutionalized for the rest of her life upon their return from the trip. Margaret is against this and sees the marriage as the only way to prevent Clara from basically being imprisoned. This was really not clear in the musical at all and I think it makes Margaret's decision more understandable.

Updated On: 6/22/23 at 04:04 PM

I’ve read the novella and I don’t believe that’s an original part of the plot. I believe it’s exclusive to the film. It seems like a plot point added by executives to give more of a concrete explanation for Margaret’s choices.