Tryon Festival Theatre April 27-30, 2017
Music by Adam Guettel
Based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer
Book by Craig Lucas
Dawn Harris, stage director
Julie Jordan Gunn, musical director
Julie Jordan Gunn and Michael Tilley, conductors
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"Several years ago, I was introduced to The Light in the Piazza when I had the privilege of performing the pivotal role of Margaret Johnson at The Station Theater. Since then, I have maintained a deep love for Adam Guettel's remarkable musical adaptation of Elizabeth Spencer's original novel. When asked to direct "Piazza" for Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, I knew that I wanted to stay true to the original time period and style of the novel. Set in Florence, Italy, in the summer of 1953, the show brings an exciting and new challenge to our Lyric Theatre students.
My overall directing concept revolves around Margaret Johnson and her emotional journey throughout the show. As we experience her attempts at protecting her daughter Clara, her struggles with her own marriage, and her eventual acceptance of Clara's independence, the scenery will move and shift as lives and relationships change, fall apart, and are rebuilt. The lighting will play a pivotal role in this production- highlighting magical moments, moments of isolation, moments of chaos and resolution- and the costumes will reflect the charm and attitudes associated with the 1950's. Guettel and Lucas chose a unique approach to storytelling in The Light in the Piazza and wrote entire scenes in Italian or broken English. The Florentine family, the Naccarellis, speak and sing many scenes in Italian without translation. Part of your experience as an audience member is to go to Italy with Margaret and Clara and to see, feel, and hear the same sights, emotions, and sounds they do throughout the show. As a result, there will be no supertitles. You will find a glossary in the program to help you understand many of the key Italian phrases. The Light in the Piazza, with its soaring and inspiring music, asks us to examine how music can transform our lives. It also reminds us that love can change our lives when it is discovered. The central theme of "love" in The Light in the Piazza, with all of its ups and downs, affects all of the relationships in the show. Take a journey and enter into Margaret and Clara's world as they surround themselves with the light, the love, and the magic of Italy. Buon viaggio!" -Dawn Harris, stage director |
CAST
MARGARET JOHNSON- Caitlin Richardson CLARA JOHNSON- Lara Semetko FABRIZIO NACCARELLI- Nole Jones SIGNOR NACCARELLI- William T. Duke SIGNORA NACCARELLI- Kristine Phillips FRANCA NACCARELLI- Anna Burton GIUSEPPE NACCARELLI- Stephen Condon PRIEST/ROY JOHNSON- Dean Perry Moore, II MARGARET JOHNSON COVER- Dawn Harris CLARA JOHNSON COVER/SEXY GIRL/GIUSEPPE'S LOVER- Colleen Bruton GABRIZIO NACCARELLI COVER/NEWSPAPER MAN/OLD MAN/OLD MAN #2- Kieryn Williams SIGNOR NACCARELLI COVER- David Barkley SIGNORA NACCARELLI COVER- Sarah Wigley Johnson FRANCA NACCARELLI COVER/FLOWER SELLER/TOUR GUIDE/PROSTITUTE- Olivia Gronenthal TOURIST-FATHER/SERVANT- Dane C. Brandon TOURIST-MOTHER/HOTEL MAID/NUN- Anna Benoit TOURIST-DAUGHTER/HOTEL MAID/NUN- Caitlin Hennessy MAN ON BIKE/WAITER/MAN #1- Cody Jacobs MALE LOVER- Bennett Kosma FEMALE LOVER- EmilyAnn O'Brien PRODUCTION TEAM STAGE DIRECTOR- Dawn Harris MUSIC DIRECTOR- Julie Jordan Gunn CONDUCTORS- Julie Jordan Gunn, Michael Tilley HEAD OF MUSIC STAFF- Michael Tilley MUSICAL PREPARATION- Michael Bagby, Jaime Cohen, Alex Munger FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER- Ethan Gardner ITALIAN LANGUAGE COACH- Filippo Ciabatti SCENIC DESIGNER- Nicholas Schwartz COSTUME DESIGNER- Paul Kim LIGHTING DESIGNER- Erin Pleake SOUND DESIGNER- Brandon Reed MEDIA DESIGNER- Anja Hose PROPERTIES MASTER- Lindsey Sample HAIR/MAKEUP MASTER- Sharné Van Ryneveld STAGE MANAGER- Chenglin Xin TECHNICAL DIRECTOR- Adina Lee Weinig OPERA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR- Roy H. Howington |
