Stage: The Light in the Piazza

Marriott Theatre

Chicago

(847) 634-0200

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The Light in the Piazza may be “the most perfect musical of the past two decades,” said Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribune. Originally performed on Broadway in 2005, the show features Adam Guettel’s “soaring score and poetic lyrics,” which are among the best “ever written for the American stage.” Set in the early 1950s, the show opens on Margaret, a “sad but wise middle-aged American woman,” and Clara, her “mysterious and child-like” daughter, who are on extended vacation in Italy. While touring Tuscany, Clara meets a young Italian named Fabrizio. Their relationship turns serious, and Margaret is forced to loosen the protective reins she’s long kept on her daughter. This small, “deeply compelling” tale swiftly flowers into an extended “musical meditation on the demands of parenting and the redemptive possibilities of love.”

Director Joe Leonardo’s in-the-round production “has finally unlocked the true magic” inherent in this delightful musical, said Hedy Weiss in the Chicago Sun-Times. While previous directors have infused Piazza with heavy doses of “pretense and preciousness,” Leonardo assumes a lighter touch that still gives vent to the material’s “Puccini-esque operatic passions.” An intimate rapport among the performers helps the proceedings to further flourish. As Margaret, Mary Ernster gives “the most vivid, masterfully nuanced portrayal of her long career.” Summer Smart, a “petite charmer,” brings a freshness to her take on Clara, while the “golden-voiced” Max Quinlan plays Fabrizio with youthful exuberance.

The cast handles the ambitious score admirably, but Quinlan’s performance is a true “breakout,” said Kris Vire in Time Out Chicago. He handles tough numbers, such as the all-Italian “Il Mondo Era Vuoto,” with a casual ease that makes the audience forget the language barrier. The strong vocal performances mostly make up for the musical’s sometimes “schizophrenic” composition. Craig Lucas’ script too frequently indulges in “pedestrian” humor and “mid-century clichés of Americans abroad,” which places it unfortunately at odds with Guettel’s “expressive” and entirely original score.