Encores! 2023: LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA with Ruthie Ann Miles, DEAR WORLD with Donna Murphy, and OLIVER! — Page 13

DCS said: "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."

Personally, I'm glad this isn't in the musical. I would rather Margaret come around to approving the marriage because she wants Clara to know love, not to avert calamity at home.

A big rave from the Times

I saw it tonight knowing virtually nothing about the show. All of the performers deserve praise. Ruthie is a Queen and looks so good in that teal. Her singing about motherhood in act 2 really hit me. Both Clara and Fabrizio’s voices are truly stunning and gorgeous. The music beautiful.


That said-I was sorta disappointed in the story. It feels like there’s a lot of events that I just didn’t fully buy. Fabrizio just turning up everywhere, quick turn to marriage, etc. I think it’s definitely about the magic of the light in the piazza and the enchantment of it. It’s almost fairytale. I’m not sure exactly what I’d change. Regardless the score really shines here.

A Justified Bean said: "Can anyone speak to seating for Light in the Piazza or NYCC in general? Im considering sitting in the rear balcony, but I'm curious if those seats are really difficult to see/hear from."

I've sat in the balcony many times, and I personally try to avoid sitting further back than Row F. Beyond that row, it becomes increasingly challenging to make out facial expressions and diction.

BorisTomashevsky said: "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 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."

Very solid casting for Fabrizio's parents. They made the most out of those characters and the humor in the book.

While I think I had a more favorable view of the evening, I was also surprised at how thin the plot felt. The drama feels more intense and melodramatic listening to the album. Maybe if I'd had better seats I would have connected to the romance more but it felt like a fable... a fairytale that ended with a wedding and no sense of what happens after. It was very well-sung and I appreciated the extra lens added by the nontraditional casting but I don't think there was enough rehearsal time to really build deep characterization. Maybe I'm just old now and skeptical about young love and I'd feel the same way watching the pro-shot again, but this production just didn't provide much emotional punch for me outside of Margaret. They felt exuberant but not passionate. My mind kept drifting to other shows like Do I Hear a Waltz and The Bridges of Madison County. Also, most of the cast have strong voices and I enjoyed hearing the music live, but I was surprised at how much more... textured, the original cast's voices sounded, especially compared to the younger cast members. I'm still glad I saw it though and I wouldn't dissuade anyone else from going.

To answer another question, yes, I think the 26 vs. 20 thing barely registers with how young they both look. Except for Margaret's inner turmoil, all the conflict felt light. Clara's tantrum at the kiss barely registered among her other meltdowns. I'm not sure if it was the pacing or needing more time to make choices about how characters reacted to each other. It's very well done but in terms of the depth of characterization and feeling, it did feel like a concert production to me.

I thought the Linda Cho costumes were fantastic.

Feel so lucky I chose this to close out this NY theatre trip I’ve been on this past week. I truly hope Ruthie has another opportunity to perform this role outside of this production, she was simply brilliant and her performance in this should studied for years to come.

Side note: I was seated right behind Michael Greif(at least during the first act, I’m assuming he found another seat on a lower level for the second act).

Updated On: 6/23/23 at 05:31 AM

Thank you everyone! I feel better knowing that we should be able to hear everything. Looking forward to the show this weekend!

It's such a beautiful show. And the music is so gorgeous you can hear Ravel and Debussy influence throughout.

My quibble is the lyrics sometimes.

I never fully believe Clara would have these observations in The Beauty is and Light in the Piazza. Especially when she speaks so simply in the dialogue, the lyrics have her sometimes too self aware.

I also think there's a world where you could make this show one act.

I like to think Clara’s singing is her in natural age and not her mental age, if that makes sense."

Sure but we don't ever establish those rules in the show with Clara.

They break the rules with Aiutami but it's clear they are doing that which is why that song works.

daniellesf said: "I’m in Row C of the Mezzanine (not Grand Tier) - seat 10 or so on the side - too for back for this?"


You will be fine.

A gorgeous gift of a production. Anna Zavelson is a revelation as Clara and no one should be surprised to see her working consistently in the next few years after she graduates UMich. James Gish is as charming as you could ask for in a Fabrizio, and a soaring voice to match.

Ruthie Ann Miles, I’m less ecstatic about. Her acting was wonderful and a vastly different take on Margaret than Victoria Clark’s (in a good way). But she stumbled over lines a few times, and didn’t always match the sweep of the score. At times, it felt like her mic was dialed all the way up just to give it the requisite power, particularly during “Fable”. I left feeling the show belongs to Clara and Fabrizio, where I’ve always felt it was Margaret’s before.

The rest of the cast playing the Nacarelli’s were uniformly excellent. Shereen Ahmed doesn’t quite hit the stratosphere like Sarah Uriarte Berry on the recordings, at one point literally pointing to the note in “Aiutami,” but still makes for an exciting Franca.

If ever there was an Encores production to preserve in a recording, it’s this one. The orchestra sounds exceptional playing one of the best scores of this century so far, the cast is a knockout, and lord knows we’ve gotten lesser shows recorded in the past. The OBCR is definitive, but I would happily add this to my rotation.

Hoping "Light" does transfer. I thought initially, "Too soon?" when I heard they were doing it, but it has been 18 years. People born when it played at Lincoln Center are now adults. Both productions are excellent, but the small twist of this really works, and Anna Zavelson as Clara is a definite find. That big voice coming from a small frame, yet not coming off like a "greedy songbird" (to paraphrase "Amadeus". Hoping this is the "Into the Woods"/"Parade" of later this Broadway season. I hope Victoria Clark has a chance to see it. Maybe Victoria, Ruth or Anna will sing a song from it honoring Renee Fleming (who played Margaret fairly recently) at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Updated On: 6/24/23 at 09:08 AM