"The Light in the Piazza" - by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel - Huntington Theatre Company (Boston, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, presented by Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"I thought I knew her as a daughter, but maybe I don't know her at all."
- ("Margaret") / Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel
Huntington Theatre Company
Presents the Tony Award-winning Musical
"THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA"
Book by Craig Lucas
Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel
Based on the Novel by Elizabeth Spencer
Directed by Loretta Greco
Assistant Director Alexandra Dietrich
Music Director Andrea Grody
Choreographer Daniel Pelzig
Cast Includes: Emily Skinner as “Margaret Johnson,” Sarah-Anne Martinez as “Clara Johnson,” Joshua Grosso as “Fabrizio Naccarelli,” William Michals as “Signor Naccarelli,” Rebecca Pitcher as “Signora Naccarelli, U/S Margaret Johnson,” Alexander Ross as “Giuseppe Naccarelli,” Rebekah Rae Robles as “Franca Naccarelli,” Rob Richardson as “Roy Johnson,” Kate Fitzgerald as “Ensemble, U/S Clara Johnson,” Russell Garrett as “Ensemble, U/S Signor Naccarelli, Roy Johnson,” Daniel A. Lopez as “Ensemble, U/S Fabrizio Naccarelli,” Sherée Marcelle as “Ensemble, U/S Signora Naccarelli,” Morgan Mastrangelo as “Ensemble, Priest,” Sarah Oakes Muirhead as “Ensemble, Tour Guide, U/S Franca Naccarelli,” Nick Sulfaro as “Ensemble, U/S Giuseppe Naccarelli.”
Swing: Tamara Ryan, David Rosenthal.
Extras: Mary Niederkorn, Yuma Feldman, Millie Grace Gibson, Elsa Hancock-Happ, Odin Vega.
Additional Creative Team:
Scenic Design - Alexandra Dietrich; Projection Design - Yuki Izumihara; Costume Design - Alex Jaeger; Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design - J. Jared Janas; Lighting Design - Christopher Akerlind; Sound Design - Megumi Katayama; Fight and Intimacy Coordinator - Jesse Hinson; Italian Culture, Dialect, and Text Coach - Chiara Durazzini; Dialect and Text Coach - Ashleigh Reade; Dramaturg - Charles Haugland; NY Casting Director - Janet Foster, CSA; Production Stage Manager - Kevin Schlagle; Stage Manager - Ashley Pitchford, Pat-rice Rooney; Assistant Conductor / Piano / Celesta Musician - Greg Paladino; Rehearsal Pianist - Brendon Shapiro; Emerging Artist Observer - Kate Rubel; Child Supervisor - Jamie Carty.
Performances:
May 8, 2025 through June 15, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA.
TICKETS:
Available online at huntingtontheatre.org, by phone at 617-266-0800 or in person at THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston.
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COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
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(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Huntington Theatre Company concludes its 2024-2025 season with the brightly shining "LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA."
Winner of six Tony Awards in 2005 including Best Original Score, the production, under the artful guidance of director Loretta Greco, is one that contains a veritable “fountain” of talent, making "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" a must-see show.
Almost as if life imitates art, watching this production is like admiring a finished work, a gorgeous sculpture, as it is revealed before you.
Director Greco has not simply directed this show but instead has "sculpted" it - and it is simply a joy to behold.
Part orchestral, part operatic, but completely unique in its joie de vivre, the musical’s score by Adam Guettel is a perfectly sumptuous blend, a throwback to musicals of yesteryear, providing a dramatic and lavishly romantic mood for the musical’s 1950s Italy setting.
Written by Craig Lucas, and based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the Huntington show takes place in Florence, where wealthy American tourist Margaret Johnson (Emily Skinner) is on an extended summer vacation with her young (adult) daughter Clara (Sarah-Anne Martinez).
Skinner is outstanding as a domineering mother, Margaret, a proud, wealthy southerner who is overprotective of her vibrant, enthusiastic young Clara as the duo tour the Tuscany countryside.
Skinner counters later displaying a much softer, compassionate side as Margaret contends with a powerfully complex range of emotions as the story unfurls.
To be fair, Margaret’s “helicopter parenting” is partly because Clara suffered trauma as a young girl yet now appears “normal” to many who meet her.
Lucas’ script handles the subject matter with great delicacy, especially given the era in which the story takes place.
Margaret hides all the information regarding Clara’s past trauma from everyone she meets...and from Clara, as well.
Though now an adult, the incident has had longstanding repercussions as it has left Clara quite naïve, at times almost childlike in nature.
(Photo: Sarah-Anne Martinez as “Clara Johnson” with Emily Skinner as “Margaret Johnson” in a scene from the musical "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, presented by Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)
Many of the characters the mother and daughter encounter speak or sing in either Italian or broken English.
While the foreign dialogue may take some in the audience by surprise, no translation is required or (thankfully) offered, allowing for many humorous and enlightening moments to occur organically and without "talking down" to the audience.
As Clara, Martinez is exceptional in "PIAZZA" playing to Clara's overtly trusting nature which, in a country rumored to be full of sexually aggressive (or even predatory) Italian lotharios, this has left the more experienced and worldly Margaret so stressed she is practically unhinged.
Clara, herself, does not help ease Margaret’s stress level, either, as Clara finds herself experiencing a multitude of physical and emotional “awakenings,” most consistent with those of a blossoming young woman.
So, when Clara's hat flies off her head due to a sudden breeze, it winds up in the hands of handsome young Fabrizio (Joshua Grosso) and, for Clara and Fabrizio, it is love at first sight.
From the moment Fabrizio hits the stage, Grosso hits the ground running and owns it all.
An exceptional vocalist, as Fabrizio, Grosso also brings an element of naïveté, almost equaling that of Clara.
There is also wonderful chemistry in his scenes with Martinez. As Fibrizio pines for Clara, a musical high point of Act One occurs as Grosso passionately renders "Il Mondo Era Vuoto."
You can almost hear Margaret’s heart fall as she witnesses the smitten couple.
Fabrizio’s family, on the other hand, embrace, even celebrate, the instant coupling.
As the Naccarelli family is introduced, here is where the saga of "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" really shines.
At the Duomo, Margaret and Clara meet Fabrizio’s father, Signor Naccarelli (William Michals), who eases Margaret’s concerns, if only temporarily.
They tour along above the Piazzale Michelangelo in Firenze, Florence, during the number "Passeggiata," nicely sung by Clara and Fabrizio.
(Photo: Joshua Grosso as “Fabrizio Naccarelli” with Sarah-Anne Martinez as “Clara Johnson” in a scene from the musical "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, presented by Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)
When the two women are invited to the Naccarelli home, they meet Signora Naccarelli (Rebecca Pitcher), along with Fabrizio’s serial-philandering brother Giuseppe (Alexander Ross) and Giuseppe’s emotionally scarred wife Franca (Rebekah Rae Robles).
Pitcher and Robles provide some of the show’s funniest moments as they each contend with their own struggles, especially as Franka deals with Giuseppe, hilariously played by Ross.
In a role with virtually no English spoken, Ross must rely on moments of non-verbal physical comedy for Giuseppe and excels at each moment.
At the beginning of Act Two during the number "Aiutami" we observe the Naccarelli family falling apart.
Clara and Fabrizio are separated once Margaret takes Clara far away from him (after discovering the two in bed together).
Robles is an astounding vocalist, vivacious in the role of Franca, who warns Clara about love’s waning in marriage as she conveys in the gloomy musical number "The Joy You Feel.”
Yet the Italian family is still thoroughly enchanted by the American girl who has entranced their 20-year-old son and welcomes their impending nuptials.
Margaret does eventually see how much Fabrizio loves Clara, and how much Clara loves him in return, but Margaret is unsure how to reveal Clara’s secret without hurting everyone involved.
(Photo: Emily Skinner as “Margaret Johnson” in a moment from the musical "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, presented by Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)
More secrets are unveiled during the show but overall, it is a fairly simplistic plot offer up by the Lucas adaptation.
It is the intricacies, and sometimes the eccentricities, of Guettel’s score that help to propel the plot along at a firm pace, keeping it both fluid and interesting.
The lilting score is well executed by music director Andrea Grody and the superb Huntington musicians.
Martinez is a veritable force of nature on stage as Clara, with probably the most emotionally moving song of the night as Clara languishes for her love, for all love, in the show’s poignant title song, "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA."
The blocking by Greco is ably supported by cleverly indicated choreography by Daniel Pelzig.
No movement is done at random, and similarly this applies to the ingenious use of projections, a standard revolve, suspended pieces and minimal scenery on an otherwise sparse stage.
The talented principal cast is well supported by a fine vocal ensemble, as well.
The color palette for the scenery blends well with the period specific costuming used for "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" which includes a vibrant, colorful use of pastels.
(Photo: The CAST of the musical "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel, presented by Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 15, 2025. Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes)
Quite possibly one of the finest musicals you will see this season, the show excels in exploring the difficult, complex but loving bonds that exist between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and sons.
Continuing in Boston until June 15th, the Huntington Theatre production not only explores "THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" but also the light that exists within oneself and the light that is our relationships with our loved ones.
Kicking off its 2025-2026 season, coming to the Huntington Theatre stage (on Huntington Avenue) in the fall will be “THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA” by Jez Butterworth, which begins September 11th and runs through October 12th, 2025.
For tickets and more information, contact Huntington Theatre Company online at huntingtontheatre.org, by phone at # 617-266-0800 or in person at THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston.
Approximately two and a half hours with one intermission
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Winner! 6 Tony Awards including Best Original Score!
A lush and soaring romance unfolds as Huntington Artistic Director Loretta Greco ("PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC") creates a brand-new production of Adam Guettel’s sweeping Tony Award-winning score and Craig Lucas’ profound book in this must-see story of a mother, a daughter, and the many meanings of love.
Florence, Italy in the summer of 1953.
Protective American mother Margaret Johnson brings her daughter Clara abroad for a glimpse of Italy’s romantic history.
But when a real-life attraction sparks between Clara and a local boy, Margaret must ask: can she reconcile her own hopes with her daughter’s future?
ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY
THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY is Boston’s leading professional theatre and one of the region’s premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, THE HUNTINGTON brings together superb local and national talent and produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions. THE HUNTINGTON runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. THE HUNTINGTON has long been an anchor cultural institution of Huntington Avenue, the Avenue of the Arts, and will remain so on a permanent basis with plans to convert the Huntington Avenue Theatre into a first-rate, modern venue with expanded services to audiences, artists, and the community. THE HUNTINGTON cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form.
