Munk's THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA review

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:50pm

First off, thank God there is finally a comprehensible score this season! Adam Guettel's score is rich, glorious, and absolutely beautiful - as are his orchestrations. I was very surprised at how gorgeous and GREAT the score is - it's very solid.

Unfortunately, that's really my only rave about the show. The cast, from top to bottom, is undoubtedly strong. Despite all the strong cast members, no one really amazed me - even Victoria Clark, who I had been hearing so much about. She is, no doubt, fantastic. But a lock on the Tony? Absolutely not. She has some nice moments but it's not the tour-de-force performance I was expecting.

Kelli O'Hara was good - her voice kept changing too much for my taste, as did her accent. One minute she was southern, the next minute she sounded like a New Yorker - it was inconsistent and it bothered me, but other than that she was generally fine.

Matthew Morrison REALLY surprised me - how adorable and cute! He's perfect as Fabrizio, although (in my opinion,) his voice didn't always do the score justice. He was struggling at many points and it came off very forced and not real.

The rest of the supporting cast - Berresse, Berry, Harelik, and Cohenour were all good as well.

I truly didn't understand the point of having Franca sing that terrible song to Clara about men finding other girls....it's the worst song in the show and, in my opinion, totally unnecessary. Franca really has nothing to do with the plot - and her random outburst with kissing Fabrizio (and the subsequent argument) was, in my mind, completely unjustified and totally random. It happened, then nothing happend FROM THERE - it just ended. I found the plot completely lacking and disinteresting. To be honest, I really didn't care whether Fabrizio married Carla or not - there is nothing in the show that makes me care about either of them or their pending happiness.

As far as Carla's "secret," I found it very unbelievable. I'm not saying that can't happen, but once the secret got out there, NOTHING happened with it - it was just THERE. IT didn't even matter in the final moments of the show - the show just stopped. And what about time? This takes place over a summer, I understand that, but I never for one second believed that Fabrizio and Carla were in love - there was no transformation from their unexpected meeting to them falling head over heels in love - it just flowed one into the other, as if marriage were just a small, minute detail of their lives.

I found all of the scenes with the Naccarelli family and in the Naccarelli's house to be completely boring and slow. And that was very disappointing to me because the cast is insanely talented, the sets are stunning, the lighting gorgeous, and the score amazing - but the basic story is just not there. There's not much of a story to tell - let alone stretch it into a 2.5 hour piece that could be a one act.

I truly truly wanted to love this show, and now after having seen it, I feel very indifferent about it. I don't like it, I don't dislike it. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't tell someone not to see it. I do, however, COMPLETELY admire the score and am crossing my fingers for a recording soon.

I can't believe that I'm the only one on the boards that wasn't impressed with this show - I've read nothing but great things, so it makes me wonder. As far as reviews, I see this show getting VERY mixed reviews. As much as people on here are plugging Clark for the Tony win, she didn't do it for me. I much prefer Sutton Foster and Sherie Renee Scott. In my opinion, Victoria has nothing in this show that makes you say "Wow - she needs a Tony for this."

In closing, I feel that all the parts are very underwritten and lacking in development - especially Clara. Let me know what you all think - at first I thought I must have just been missing something but the more I think about it, the more flaws I come across and I remain unmoved by this show. Let me know what you think!!

Thanks!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/9/05 at 11:51pm

Well, I loved the show. And Matt.

I think I wanted to love it so badly that I kind of overlooked some of the things you picked out, though.... for whatever it's worth.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:01am

I understand - that was like me and TABOO. But I honestly found it hard to enjoy myself through some of act two - it got very boring, atleast to me.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:03am

I saw this tonight, and sadly it didn't work for me either. First off, with any project you have to ask, why did the composer pick this property? What did he see in it that he thought would make it fertile ground for a musical.

Guettell and team didn't answer that basic equation for me. I'm sure the source material is a lovely short story, probably very visual and viceral. But there wasn't enough there for a two act musical. The characters lacked the basic components you must have for succesful drama of any kind -- conflict and need, particularly in the first half of the show.

I just didn't feel what was at stake. For any of them. Kelli O'Hara's character seemed so -- normal. What was her need? What was the need of her mother? Of the boy who falls in love with her? Why should I even care?

Good performances from the cast. I didn't care for Guettel's score (usually I do, but this time I thought it was dull). Elegent costumes/lighting. But I was left simply wondering what the point of all of it was.




Updated On: 4/10/05 at 12:03 AM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:06am

I definitely agree. I saw it tonight as well, where were you sitting?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:10am

Upstairs

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:12am

Ah, I see.

Perhaps I saw you!

There were girls sitting in front of me talking about a "message board," but I didn't want to get involved in a conversation.

[TGIF]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:12am

Sorry you didn't like it as much as I did.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:13am

Sorry you have bad taste.




just kidding....

[TGIF]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:14am

*sticks out tongue*

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:16am

*kicks TGIF in the vag*

[me101]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:18am

HAHA!

I'm sorry, that struck me as so funny for some reason

[TGIF]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:18am

Owe!

Anyway, what do feel about the show in relation to other new shows?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:18am

play nice, you two!

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:24am

YAY, finally some support by non-TLINP folk. After all the hype by others on this board, I was extremly let down when I saw Piazza as well. Was it bad? Not by a long shot! Was it THAT good? I sure didn't think so.

Munk, while I do disagree about the score (although I didn't think it was Awful, just didnt do much for me either) - I agree with all of the rest of your points.

Here is my earlier review...

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=843656#904327

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:25am

In relation to other new shows, huh? That's pretty slim pickings! I actually enjoyed LITTLE WOMEN more than PIAZZA. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is obviously hysterical, but there's not much else. If I had to rank all the new shows on Broadway, it would be as follows:

Doubt
A Streetcar Named Desire
700 Sundays
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Twelve Angry Men
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Little Women
Democracy
The Light in the Piazza
All Shook Up
Spamalot
Brooklyn
Good Vibrations

**this is excluding Chitty Chitty, Dame Edna, Caesar, On Golden Pond, Steel Magnolias, The Glass Menagerie - I haven't seen them yet.

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 12:25 AM

[TGIF]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:42am

Wow, that far down huh? Okay.

Have you seen The Pillowman?

[joniray]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:42am

Count me in the group that was underwhelmed by the show. I generally go to the theatre to be moved. I prefer musicals that are more serious in tone and are a bit more ambitious than the bulk of what we have had lately. Caroline or Change, for instance, was a show that I adored. So this show should have been right up my alley.

With the exception of one little moment in the book (when Victoria Clark throws kisses into a phone that has gone silent) and a couple of fleeting moments in the score, I felt nothing but boredom during the show. The score felt to me to have been written too much from the mind and not enough from the heart. It was like an academic's idea of how to express emotion musically instead of something organic - at least that's what it felt like to me - music that was trying to create emotion in such a calculated way that it ended up feeling dishonest and distancing to me.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 12:45am

I definitely see where you're coming from, and don't totally disagree.

The whole show was completely boring and pointless to me, and I think the reviews will reflect my sentiment.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 2:11am

If you believed Franca's part/song to be completely unnecessary you missed an entire subplot.

Also, Clara's secret isnt the point of the show, its just the thing in her life that has led to the relationship she and her mother have-- which happens to be pretty much the main concern of the show-- not the secret, the resulting situation.

The show often mentions how quickly everything is going, but never specifies, I agree it would be nice if that were clearer, but Clara, is the one who throws out the idea of marriage first so from her perspective it IS a natural progression of love- that naivete is why Fabrizio is drawn to her in the first place.

Im surprised you found the scenes with the family boring, I thought they were the most interesting. Of course its set in a different time so they were pretty concerned with appearances and seeming proper which is why Margaret's little outburst, Fabrizio's agony and Clara's outburst all contrast so well.


>>>The characters lacked the basic components you must have for succesful drama of any kind -- conflict and need, particularly in the first half of the show. I just didn't feel what was at stake. For any of them. Kelli O'Hara's character seemed so -- normal. What was her need? What was the need of her mother? Of the boy who falls in love with her? Why should I even care?<<<

Margaret is happy having control over Clara because she needs to feel needed to be happy herself. The woman has a failed marriage and shes hanging onto her daughter and shes convinced that her daughter cant take of herself. Clara needs to be seen as an adult and given the opportunity to make her own decisions, her need is freedom, and a chance at happiness which her mother guards her from. The conflicts and needs are all very simple, but theyre there. Fabrizio's need was love-- true love-- no one else in the show has what they have.

Why should you care? Well, I for one felt very sad for Clara because she had no understanding of her own disability and only knew something was wrong with her in the scenes where the family couldnt look at her and she overheard the phone conversation.
It was harder for me to connect with Margaret because Im very open about my disability so having such reservations about discussing it seemed, i dunno, off- but I know it happens. I mostly felt sorry for her for having a husband she didnt love and a daughter she didnt want to lose, even if she wasnt seeing Clara for her full potential.

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 02:11 AM

[Demitri2]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 10:59am

I too was left speechless by the show...so much so that when I ran into the composer afterwards all I could say was "I loved your music to "Floyd Collins". I do hope they record the show though because I'd be curious if upon second hearing it might be more impressive. All in all I felt the same...I didn't like the show but I didn't hate it either and no, I couldn't recommend it. It all seemed so artsy fartsy to me. I liked everyone in the cast also but though I admire Clark's talent and thought she was also wonderful in "Titanic", I don't see a Tony beckoning her in the horizon. I guess the lack of "conflict" in the story is was put me off the most. I just couldn't buy it. Regardless of it being a worldwind romance, doesn't one get to know the person they choose to spend the rest of their life with well enough to not sense that there is something drastically wrong with their thought processes? Even in my worst throes of puppy love, I could still be objective enough to know my mate might be slighty challenged mentally. It's a shame too since I was really looking forward to this show. I wanted to like it but it just left me cold.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 4:30pm

I totally agree.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 4:32pm

I adored PIAZZA. It's just behind SPELLING BEE as my favorite musical of the season. Clark, O'Hara and Morrison should receive Tony nominations. Clark will win.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 4:34pm

I honestly do not think she will - her perforamance was just as solid as all the other potential nominees, but her material is nothing special.

I really don't see what is so appealing about this show - the plot is pointless and NOTHING happens....am I really missing something?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/10/05 at 4:43pm

Munk, I want you to read Elizabeth Spencer's novella, from which the show is taken. It will help you better understand and care about the plot. I was so glad that I read it prior to seeing it, because it made me so much more empathetic toward the story.