Light in the Piazza on PBS Tonight!- Page 9

[sweeneytodd2]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:01pm

Am I the only one who did not like that? The score is just musical phrase after musical phrase. Nothing "felt like" a song and it did not expand on any musical ideas. I liked Victoria Clark and the finale though.

[movieinmymind]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:02pm

WOW.

could aaron PLEASE sing "Love to Me" to me?

i had seen the show before with the same exact cast on New Year's Eve, and even though i already knew what was going to happen after each scene, when "Love to Me" came on, i was just...transported to another place. It was the most beautiful love song performance I had ever seen on stage-Aaron was PERFECT.

I am so glad that PBS broadcasted the show tonight live. I had forgotten what that feeling was like when you watched this show. :)

[Blanche]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:03pm

Bravo!!!

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:05pm

Well I personally am a huge fan of the score. The way the entire show is split between the innocence and naivety of Clara, and the brooding regrets of Margaret is nothing short of absolute brilliance in my opinion. The contrast of both The Beauty Is pieces, and the contrast of passeggiata, and let's walk are simply gorgeous. The recurring musical phrases and hooks, as in the lullaby and fable are so well placed and I love the way the orchestrations foreshadow the title song and love to me, at just the right moments in the show. It's just absolute beauty where I'm concerned.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:06pm

I have one word: AMAZING.

I have been dying to see this show ever since I heard the cast recording for the first time last summer (I bought it after the Tony Awards.) But, stuck out in the Midwest, I had no way of getting to NYC. And now I finally got the chance!

The cast was amazing. While Katie's vocals were... not very good (though she was better than other times I've heard her,) I really liked what she brought to Clara. She really did seem childlike. The rest of the cast was astounding as I knew they would be. Victoria Clark completely deserved that Tony.

I was also impressed by how much they kept from the book. Direct lines, even. But they changed it enough to solve some of the book's problems, IMO.

"Il Mondo Era Vuoto" literally took my breath away. I've always adored that song to death, and seeing the way it was performed, and with Aaron Lazar's killer vocals... just... WOW. "Say it Somehow," my other favorite song, was good too, though I have to admit Katie ruined it for me a bit. :/ Granted, we can't all sound like Kelli O'Hara. :P I was almost crying during "Clara's Interlude."

Uh... what else... the Italian was pretty good; I was impressed with myself because I understood some of it!

I'm just SO happy I finally got to see the show. The tour isn't coming near me at all, so this was my only chance. And best of all, I taped it (and it did tape, I checked neurotically afterwards,) so now I can watch it over and over! And, knowing me, I probably will. e_e

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:09pm

I was pretty much unfamiliar with the show, except the basic plot and a few numbers. It felt...uneven. I have nothing against thoughtful, emotional musicals but the first act felt a bit slow. And the second act was SO eventful. I enjoyed it, but not my favorite. Some beautiful, stunning music, though.

And...god. Victoria Clarke. Someone give that woman a cookie...well, she already has a Tony, suppose that'll do. And Adam Lazar...*swoon*. I also really enjoyed Sarah Uriarte Berry's performance. It felt a little slow, but I'm guessing it played out better in a live theater.

[YankeesFan175]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:10pm

I had heard mixed reviews of Katie's performance. I was kind of iffy after The Beauty Is. (I don't know much about vocal techniques, so I'll try my best to explain what I heard.) She seemed to modify some parts and sing them lower than Kelli. It could be because I have heard this song about 100 times, and I'm so used to Kelli. I still think she has an amazing voice though, and it grew on me.

I thought her performance in the title song was absolutely flawless. It was so beautiful, and I agree 100% with what others were saying about the close-ups. You could really appreciate all of the nuances she brought to Clara, and she didn't seem too over the top. She has definately grown into the role.

And on a side note, Aaron is gorgeous! He sounded like he has had a lot of opera training. Is this true?

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:13pm

It was my first experience with the show other than basic plot and a few songs.

I found it lovely. It has its faults, but overall, I enjoyed it.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:14pm

Yankees: The difference is that Katie tries to belt a lot of the notes instead of switching into her upper register. In the rare moments she actually does that, she sounds decent enough. That's why she sounds lower to you, though (though I'm no expert on the score, so maybe they did lower it. I doubt it though.)

Aaron Lazar has sung classical roles, yes, like in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. He was a lot cuter than I thought! Not that I ever thought he was ugly.

I really liked his Fabrizio. I was afraid he wouldn't match up to Matthew Morrison (portrayal-wise, that is) but he did a fine job!

[bigrab1018]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:20pm

Can someone please explain how they get the hat to fly? It was really confusing. Thanks a lot.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:20pm

I tried to get my mother to go see the show with me and she wouldn't because she hadn't heard of it. Tonight she called me to tell me there was a musical on PBS with Chris Sarandon in it. I told her that this was the show I tried to get her to see. She was mad at herself.

[Blanche]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:26pm

Dear Lord. I set the wrong speed on my tape and it ran out too soon. Augh!!!!!

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:28pm

Although the broadcast was good, it does not justice to the real show.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:31pm

I agree. It did not do proper justice to the show.

Aaron was good. Good looking guy too. Not "pretty" like Morrison. But he looked real good shirtless I wanted to see more of his chest.

Act 1 Finale was absolutely amazing as usual. Amazing live, and amazing on this telecast. Updated On: 6/15/06 at 11:31 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:33pm

Well, even if it doesn't do justice to it, I'll never get to see it live, soo... this is all I have.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:37pm

"The Lights in the Piazza.

Anyone else hear that all night? "

Yes yankeefan, I kept hearing that too. The voice over guy was really getting on my nerves after a while.

[Kevo711]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:39pm

I just fell in love with Victoria Clark AGAIN! This was no where near as good as it was when I saw it live. I thought Katie did a fine job. Her singing was good, not great and I missed the operatic style Kelli used. My favorite song of Katies was "Say it Somehow" which was amazing. And "Fable"... gah! Victoria... words cannot describe her!

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:41pm

Can someone PM me the big plot twist of this, please? Thank you

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:43pm

The show was simply.... beautiful.

Victoria Clark is, in a word, flawless in her Margaret. There isn't much I can say because she was (and is) utterly perfect in this role.

Katie Clarke was... terrific. I admit, she did crack quite a few times (and I shuttered in my seat when it happened,) but I don't think her vocals were nearly as bad as people on this board made them out to be prior to tonight. If she was anything vocally it was inconsistent. There were moments in both "The Beauty Is" and "The Light in the Piazza" where I was amazed at how beautifully she sounded, but unfortunately she would follow up most of those moments with a crack or an inflection in her voice. I still don't think it was bad enough to the point where it took anything away from her performance. We have to remember that Kelli O'Hara was cast as Franca first, and if you look at that role, it requires a much stronger operatic tone, so of course she would sing the hell out of Clara. If you look at before Kelli, Celia Keenan-Bolger wasn't a particularly strong soprano either, so that leads me to believe Guettel invisioned the character as less of a powerhouse and more of a quaint sound, something I think, all together, Clarke achieved. In my opinion, having a singer who is visibly less talented than Margaret helps in a way.. it makes Margaret appear much stronger, and since she is the heart of the show, that isn't nessecarily a bad thing. With Kelli, her and Victoria were equals, but obviously that is different here. Acting wise, I felt Katie hit the nail on the head, and that is what really impressed me about her portrayal. For someone straight out of college making her Broadway debut, I was continually impressed with how perfect she seemed to be able to really "become" Clara. I bought every facial expression, every hand gester, every movement... she seemed to just be perfectly in the moment, and it worked beautifully.

Aaron Lazar dissapointed me in a way. His acting was leagues better than Morrison, and I thought he handled the accent much better, but vocally... I don't know. He seemed a little TOO polished if that makes any sense, and I didn't like how he spoke alot of Fabrizio's material that was previously sung. But he had good chemistry with Katie, and overall, proved a fitting replacement.

The rest of the cast was particularly good, although I saw a little of Margaret creeping through when Patti had her english section of "Aiutami."

Overall, tonight proved to be a terrific evening of theater and a terrific conclusion for a wonderful run for "The Light in the Piazza."

Updated On: 6/15/06 at 11:43 PM

[gravity87]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:44pm

I have to say that this absolutly blew me away. this is a show that doesnt need a chandeleir or a flying green chick riffing her head off. this is beautiful, pure, and the only spectacle is the fabulous acting, and music..wow wow wow. thank you pbs for broadcasting this

and question to those slightly more familiar with the show..my tabe cut out right after margaret enters the shop post the whole debacule at church...now do you think if i retape act two over the interviews and stuff (about 20 mins) do you think ill get it all?????

[movieinmymind]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:49pm

the Chris Sarandon and Victoria Clark kiss was HOTT, was it not? correct me if i'm wrong, here, lol

[sanda]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:50pm

Katie is so much younger and fresher than O'Hara. O'Hara's Clara looked like an smart woman pretending to be lame.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:53pm

somethingwicked: No, I've heard Celia Keenan-Bolger and while she didn't sing it as operatically as Kelli, she got the high notes down and wasn't afraid to go into her upper register. Katie... didn't.

Celia's my favorite Clara, since she has the vocals and characterization to go with it. Kelli has a gorgeous voice but I don't think she ever wanted to be Clara nor did she understand the character.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:55pm

I've been watching this for nearly an hour. Can someone tell me when does he appear?




Mile PIAZZA

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/16/06 at 12:00am

Ha ha ha.

I liked it. The sound quality of the video was horrible.

I think it was just the fact that it was on TV, but based on that performance, I liked Patti Cohenour MUCH better as Margaret.

Just sayin'.