by June August

When I saw the 1962 film The Light in the Piazza, the thought of its ever becoming a brilliant musical never entered my mind. Although the premise is poignant, and the locations in Italy are breathtaking, somehow I did not envision it beyond the silver screen.  But when I saw the lavish musical road production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in 2006, I understood why it won six Tony awards for its 16-month Broadway run.  The production currently running at Palm Canyon Theatre has reimagined the show in a most delightful way.  

The Light in the Piazza, based on the 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, was brought to the stage by Craig Lucas (book) and Adam Guettel (music and lyrics).  Set in the 1950s, the show tells the story of Margaret Johnson (Se Layne) and her daughter, Clara (Nicole Kennedy), who are spending the summer together in Florence, Italy.  

Margaret takes great pleasure in showing her daughter spots where she and Clara’s father (Tim Steele) spent their honeymoon. Clara is delighted to be on this adventure with her mother.  But then the conflict emerges. At the age of 26, Clara has not reached appropriate mental or emotional maturity because of a childhood accident—a horse kicked her in the head—which left her developmentally disabled. This is not a problem for them until an Italian boy, Fabrizio Naccarelli (Joshua Rach), enters the picture. A breeze has blown off Clara’s hat, and Fabrizio retrieves it.  Clearly, the two young people are attracted to each other.

 From that point, the story becomes a tale of forbidden love. Margaret foresees difficulty and does all she can to prevent them from being together.  Once the Naccarelli family gets involved, Margaret is torn about telling them the truth about Clara.  In the meantime, kids will be kids, and the inevitable occurs, topped off by wedding plans.

I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so I’ll stop here and talk about the Palm Canyon production itself.  Kudos to Dr. William Layne, director, and Marcello Tulipano, choreographer, for superb staging.  I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that Nick Edwards’ special effects and projections are the best I’ve ever seen in any local production in the past 10 years.  I have traveled throughout Italy several times, and, from the opening, I felt like I was back there.  

All the performances were impressive.  I especially call out the remarkable Se Layne in the role of Margaret. David Brooks was a very convincing Signor Naccarelli. The opening night audience gave a well-deserved standing ovation.  And I enthusiastically joined them.

Although the score has been praised as lush and romantic, the one weakness I noticed in the Palm Canyon production was the musical execution. The piano and bass were clear, but not the harp. An amplified violin is difficult to modulate and is especially challenging for one who wears hearing aids. Because Palm Canyon is known for its elegant productions, I wish that the sound system were better adapted to those with hearing devices.  I’m sure I’m not the only one in the audience who was struggling.

The rest of the cast consists of Ben Reece as Guiseppe Naccarelli, Laurie Holmes as Franca Naccarelli, and Erin Shull as Signora Naccarelli. Michele Davis, Donald Kelley, Jessica Lenz, Denise Rooney, Sanai Wright, Jackson Enzler, Joyanne Tracy, and Mark Ziemann round out the ensemble. Dr. William J. Layne directed, with Music Direction by Robert Ollis and Choreography by Marcello Tulipano. J.W. Layne designed the set and lighting, Derik Shopinski designed the costumes, and Nick Edwards the projections.

The Light in the Piazza will run for four more performances, on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00pm; Friday, May 17 at 8:00 pm; Saturday, May 18 at 8:00pm; and Sunday, May 19 at 2:00pm. The final performance will be ASL interpreted. For tickets, call 760-323-5123 or visit www.palmcanyontheatre.net. The theater is located at 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262, between N. Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive, on the north side of E. Alejo Road.

PHOTOS BY SUNNY VON CLEVELAND