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The Light in the Piazza

by Julie Houghton 31st October, 2016
by Julie Houghton 31st October, 2016
209

An independent company presenting interesting work is to be encouraged and applauded, and Life Like Company’s production of The Light in the Piazza is a winner. With music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers’ grandson Adam Guettel and book by Craig Lucas, based on a 1959 story by Elizabeth Spencer, there is a high level of interest and curiosity in what this musical will be like.

The strength of the production, which won six Tony awards on Broadway, begins with its unusual and interesting story. Middle-aged wealthy American mother Margaret is taking her “unconventional” daughter Clara on a cultural tour of Florence, where Margaret and her husband once spent some happy time after the war. Clara is a sweet girl who appears young for her age, for reasons which are eventually revealed and cause some drama and conflict. Clara meets a young Italian, Fabrizio, and falls in love, which leads to a number of dilemmas for her mother and her potential in-laws. As they say in the classics, the course of true love never did run smooth, but after much sturm and drang, a pleasing resolution is achieved.

As director Theresa Borg points out in her program notes, having a woman of “a certain age” (code for over 35!) as the central character in a musical is unusual, and the burden of this falls on the very capable shoulders of Chelsea Plumley. Chelsea has always been a natural comic with a powerhouse voice, hut it’s her ability as an actor to use silence and pathos alongside her trademark timing that has her hit the heights as Margaret. A fine performance deserving of an award nomination.

As her daughter Clara, Genevieve Kingsford is quite beautiful, achieving the balance of sweetness and naivety as the reason for her behaviour is gradually revealed. Young singer Jonathan Hickey as her lovelorn swain Fabrizio is outstanding – a natural, free voice and fine acting – definitely a name to watch in the future. Josh Piterman is more used to playing romantic heroes than sleazy brothers, but as Giuseppe he proves equal to the task. Anton Berezin as Fabrizio’s father gives a fine acting performance, believable, sympathetic, and occasionally fiery. As his wife, Signora Naccarelli, Johanna Allen brings a fine stage presence and delightful voice. In the difficult role as Margaret’s none-too-happy husband back in America, plus a few small cameos, Jeremy Stanford delivers an assured performance. Madison Green as Giuseppe’s troubled wife Franca has the right balance of fire and frustration.

Another unusual aspect of the production is the fact that the heads of the creative team are all female – director Theresa Borg, marvellous musical director Vanessa Scammell and choreographer Joanne Robinson, all of whom do a great job. Costumes by Kim Bishop are superb, with a wonderful colour palette against a backdrop of paintings up high. Bold colours of red, orange, green and pink for the strong female characters contrast well with the softer colours and white wedding dress for Clara. From an aesthetic perspective, this production looks superb.

My only reservations are that sung dialogue is sometimes difficult to hear, as the emotion of the songs get in the way of the clarity of the diction, especially when several characters are singing. And people will have different opinions of the score – although it won a Tony Award for Best Original Score, I found it took me until interval to really embrace what I was hearing. However, by the end of the show, it had swept me along in its wake, and Vanessa Scammell’s small orchestra does it proud.

The Light in the Piazza is a musical with high drama, perfectly cast, and definitely worth the price of the ticket. I look forward to the next production from this innovative company.

 

 

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Julie Houghton

Julie Houghton is an actor, broadcaster and journalist, specialising in voicework. She is a professional narrator at Vision Australia, and has worked in professional live shows. She was an ABC Radio and Television News reporter before becoming a producer and later an ABC announcer. Currently, she is an arts reviewer/commentator on 3MBS Classically Melbourne.

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Events Calendar

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Tempo Rubato: Listening Room #6: New York Minimalism & the Avant Garde

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MSO and Short Black Opera: Yinya dana: lighting the path

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Tempo Rubato: Simon Svoboda | Callum Mintzis

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BENAUD TRIO 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

July 12 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event Series

BENAUD TRIO 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

Chamber music at its most spirited. The Benaud Trio is one of Australia's finest and most lively chamber ensembles. Celebrating their…

$40 – $50
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$40 – $50

1 event, 13

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra: Pastorale

July 13 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra: Pastorale

Highlighting the warmth and beauty of the MCO sound. One of the most iconic works, Barber’s Adagio for Strings lifts the lid on…

$30 – $144

1 event, 14

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July 14 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

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0 events, 15

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Inland and Astra: Still Lives

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3 events, 19

2:00 pm - 3:50 pm Event Series

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July 19 @ 2:00 pm - 3:50 pm Event Series

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From New York to Peru. Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya returns to lead the MSO, opening with his fellow Peruvian’s work Fiesta! and…

$20 – $139
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July 19 @ 2:00 pm - 3:50 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Fiesta! Dvorak’s Cello Concerto & Chindamo

From New York to Peru. Conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya returns to lead the MSO, opening with his fellow Peruvian’s work Fiesta! and…

$20 – $139
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Olive Cullen & Ronan Apcar – Ocean Whisperings

July 19 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Olive Cullen & Ronan Apcar – Ocean Whisperings

For the first time in Melbourne, Olive Cullen (voice) and Ronan Apcar (piano) present Ocean Whisperings. The program is made up…

$25 – $30

1 event, 20

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Tempo Rubato: Sunday Mattutino – Melbourne Guitar Quartet

July 20 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Tempo Rubato: Sunday Mattutino – Melbourne Guitar Quartet

MELBOURNE GUITAR QUARTET Dan McKay | Sophie Marcheff | Benjamin Dix | Rose Gonzalez PROGRAM Robbie MELVILLE Brothers* Phillip HOUGHTON Opals…

$25

1 event, 21

6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Dvořák’s Cello Concerto – Quick Fix at Half Six

July 21 @ 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Dvořák’s Cello Concerto – Quick Fix at Half Six

Yearning and tenderness German cellist Raphaela Gromes performs Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. Dedicated in part to the composer’s dying sister-in-law, this work…

$20 – $93

1 event, 22

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Musica Viva Australia: Mozart’s Clarinet

July 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Musica Viva Australia: Mozart’s Clarinet

The Spirit of Invention. Vienna, 1785. Johann Friedrich Schink is blown away by a new work featuring the clarinet and basset…

$49 – $153

3 events, 23

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event Series

Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

July 23 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event Series

Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

Virtuosity and grace: Natalie Chee and Benett Tsai join Kathryn Selby for a masterful concert. The third program of this season…

$63 – $81
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Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

July 23 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Event Series

Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

Virtuosity and grace: Natalie Chee and Benett Tsai join Kathryn Selby for a masterful concert. The third program of this season…

$63 – $81
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Astra: Commas and

July 23 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Astra: Commas and

FORTY-EIGHT: FALLING & RISING, GLINTS, COMMAS, TILING CANONS, SPIRAL STUDY with canons by JS Bach An ensemble of leading Australian musicians…

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0 events, 24

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Sjaella

July 25 @ 7:30 pm - 9:20 pm

Sjaella

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$59 – $69

4 events, 26

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Robin Fox – The History of Australian Electronic Music

July 26 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Robin Fox – The History of Australian Electronic Music

Experience the history of Australian electronic music with acclaimed artist Robin Fox. As part of Open House Melbourne 2025, Melbourne Recital…

$10
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Homophonic! presents: ‘Moonlite’

July 26 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Homophonic! presents: ‘Moonlite’

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$35.00 – $49.00
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July 26 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

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$19 – $69
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

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July 26 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

La La Chorale Française de Melbourne: Bastille Soirée 2025

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$20 – $35

2 events, 27

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

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July 27 @ 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

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$35 – $40
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Kate Milligan, Louise Devenish, and Aaron Wyatt: Dark Oceanography

July 27 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

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$20 – $39

0 events, 28

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0 events, 31

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Grigoryan Brothers: Amistad

August 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

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$52 – $65

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July 2
July 2 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Listening Room #6: New York Minimalism & the Avant Garde

July 3
July 3 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Live at Toorak: Richard Tognetti x Konstantin Shamray

July 3 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Mozart and the Mendelssohns

July 3 @ 8:00 pm - 10:20 pm Event Series

Orchestra Victoria: Indie Symphony II: Video Games in Concert

July 4
July 4 @ 8:00 pm - 10:20 pm Event Series

Orchestra Victoria: Indie Symphony II: Video Games in Concert

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July 7
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Tempo Rubato: Darcy Gilkerson – A Glow in the Dark

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July 10
July 10 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra: Pastorale

July 11
July 11 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

MSO and Short Black Opera: Yinya dana: lighting the path

July 11 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Simon Svoboda | Callum Mintzis

July 12
July 12 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event Series

BENAUD TRIO 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

July 12 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Event Series

BENAUD TRIO 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

July 13
July 13 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra: Pastorale

July 14
July 14 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Dvořák’s Cello Concerto Quick Fix at Half Six

  • There are no events on this day.
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July 17
July 17 @ 7:30 pm - 9:20 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Fiesta! Dvorak’s Cello Concerto & Chindamo

July 17 @ 7:30 pm - 9:20 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Fiesta! Dvorak’s Cello Concerto & Chindamo

July 18
July 18 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

ELISION Ensemble AXIS MUNDI

July 18 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Beyond Time Trio – Butterfly Garden

July 18 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Inland and Astra: Still Lives

July 19
July 19 @ 2:00 pm - 3:50 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Fiesta! Dvorak’s Cello Concerto & Chindamo

July 19 @ 2:00 pm - 3:50 pm Event Series

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Fiesta! Dvorak’s Cello Concerto & Chindamo

July 19 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Tempo Rubato: Olive Cullen & Ronan Apcar – Ocean Whisperings

July 20
July 20 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Tempo Rubato: Sunday Mattutino – Melbourne Guitar Quartet

July 21
July 21 @ 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents Dvořák’s Cello Concerto – Quick Fix at Half Six

July 22
July 22 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Musica Viva Australia: Mozart’s Clarinet

July 23
July 23 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event Series

Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

July 23 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Event Series

Selby & Friends: A Ghostly Afternoon

July 23 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Astra: Commas and

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July 25
July 25 @ 7:30 pm - 9:20 pm

Sjaella

July 26
July 26 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Robin Fox – The History of Australian Electronic Music

July 26 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Homophonic! presents: ‘Moonlite’

July 26 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Orchestra Victoria’s Southbank Series Concert 2: Prismatic Echoes

July 26 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

La La Chorale Française de Melbourne: Bastille Soirée 2025

July 27
July 27 @ 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

The Classical Collective in Concert

July 27 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

Kate Milligan, Louise Devenish, and Aaron Wyatt: Dark Oceanography

August 1
August 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Grigoryan Brothers: Amistad

July 27
July 27 @ 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

The Classical Collective in Concert

July 27 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Event Series

Kate Milligan, Louise Devenish, and Aaron Wyatt: Dark Oceanography

  • There are no events on this day.
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August 1
August 1 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Grigoryan Brothers: Amistad

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