"I’ve seen scores of road casts for Broadway musicals. I don’t ever recall hearing a group of singers on par with the current temporary occupants of Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre. They are only in town through July 22. If you have any passion whatsoever for serious musicals — or if you are someone who claims interest in new American opera — you’d be a fool to miss them. Touring Broadway gets no better. And if you first saw this show at the Goodman Theatre in 2004, know that “Piazza” now inhabits an entirely different qualitative universe."

"As will already be obvious, I regard “Piazza” as a masterpiece. Aside from the beauties of the music, the show features uncommonly wise and emotional lyrics and a book from Craig Lucas (“Prelude to a Kiss”) that collapses all of one’s usual defenses against Broadway flim-flam."

"At Wednesday’s performance, the audience was gripped into total silence for much of the night. And lest you think this is come cerebral affair, the show’s first-act love scene sizzled with such sexual heat, you could taste the sweat in the orchestra."

"Piazza, which is based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, tells the story of Margaret Johnson (Christine Andreas), who journeys to Italy with her daughter Clara (Katie Rose Clark). Clara, we quickly discover, has certain problems that hinder her maturity. Nonetheless, she falls in love with a young, impulsive Italian named Fabrizio (David Burnham)."

"That leaves Margaret with a problem that any parent of any child of any age instantly recognizes. Do you protect your young against all harm, without situational equivocation? Or do you set them free to make their own choices, even if you know they don’t understand the risks or the impending disappointment?"

"That’s half of what the show’s about. The other half ponders the potential of love. Say you’re young and penniless, or pregnant, or wounded from some past horror. Can a lover overcome that? Or is that just childish optimism?"

"I’ve seen this show four times with three mostly different casts. This, overall, is the best. Andreas attacks Margaret with steely resolve in place of Victoria Clark’s wry ruefulness. That initially seems strange — until Andreas knocks you dead with a precisely structured yet heart-wrenching rendition of “Dividing Day” and only soars upwards from there. Guettel influenced the casting of this piece, and I suspect he was at least partly behind the choice of Clark (who did the role for months on Broadway). She has a voice of dazzling clarity and purity. And Burnham, who sings with extraordinary drama, totally knocks the house down in the role of Fabrizio, who never popped like this before. Supporting players are exquisite."

"Road shows rarely take the time to properly tune the Auditorium — it’s an opera house, not an old movie palace. And although the amplification here is adequate (if initially muddy), you are still left wondering how sublime this all might have been if more had been done to reinforce natural acoustics."
 
"But with riches like these on the stage, such irritations have no bite. Anyway, these actors are no fools. They gravitate down stage, peering out into the wonders of this emotional venue. Once planted there, they open their mouths and sing with incomparable passion and technique of heartache, loss, hope and love. It is as if their lives — all our lives — depended, impossibly, on the resolution of the knotty problems that haunt us to the grave."
 
- The Chicago Tribune

"When The Light In The Piazza had its pre-Broadway engagement at the Goodman Theatre in 2004, the warmth and emotion of this special piece of musical theatre spread throughout this city. Now more than three years later, and a critically acclaimed Broadway run garnering six 2005 Tony Awards, the national tour brings this masterpiece back to Chicago." 

"The Light in The Piazza is based on a 1948 novella entitled "Fire In The Morning" by Elizabeth Spencer which was made into a feature film in 1962 with Olivia de Havilland and featured costumes by famed clothing designer Christian Dior."

"The musical got its start a the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle followed by the Goodman, then Broadway with a book by Craign Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and direction by Bartlett Sher."

"The Light in the Piazza is the story of Margaret Johnson (Christine Andreas), an upper crust South Carolina matron traveling in Italy in 1953 with her daughter Clara (Katie Rose Clarke who recreates her Broadway performance). As mother and daughter are admiring the naked statues in Florence, Clara's hat is blown off by a fateful gust of wind and retrieved by Fabrizio, a young apprentice in his father's tie shop. David Burhnam, who was in the Broadway ensemble, plays the role here."

"Fabrizio and Clara are instantly enamored with each other, but there are obstacles. Clara may be 26, but a childhood accident has left her with the emotional maturity of someone half her age. Trying to protect her daughter, Margaret does her best to keep the lovers apart. When that inevitably fails, Margaret has to come to terms with the flowering of her daughter's identity, the withering of her own marriage, and the future they all must face. The story of Clara and Fabrizio stand in direct contrast to the relationship of Clara's parents. Although Margaret and her husband Roy had a joyful honeymoon in Florence, almost immediately as Margaret notes in the song "Dividing Day," they were never united in love with each other."

"Anyone who has seen prior versions of Piazza and are concerned that the largess of the Auditorium Theatre would take away from the intimacy of the show need not worry. Especially when the show is in such competent hands of its' leads, Christine Andreas, Katie Rose Clarke and David Burnham."

"As the matriarch, Christine Andreas gives one of the most powerful performances, both vocally and acting wise, to be heard and seen in Chicago in a very long time. Her range is incredible and Ms. Andreas hits all the notes in this difficult score effortlessly. Seeing Ms. Andreas makes me very nostalgic as her Broadway revival of My Fair Lady opposite Ian Richardson was the first Broadway show I ever saw back in the mid 1970's. Her voice is pure magic to listen to."

"Katie Rose Clarke is equally as moving as Clara Johnson. I didn't get a chance to see her on Broadway (as her understudy was performing the day I attended), however I did see her perform the role on PBS telecast of Light on Live at Lincoln Center. What caught my attention was the use of her hands, especially when throwing a childlike fit. This is brought more to the forefront seeing Ms. Clarke in person. Her hand gestures are fascinating to watch and all her emotion pours out through them. Ms. Clarke also has an beautiful voice and in the duets with her mother, the two voices are seamless together."

"The breakout performance in this tour though is David Burnham's portrayal of Fabrizio, who falls head over heals with Clara the moment he lays his eyes on her, and visa versa. Burnham plays the part so truthfully that his lovelorn puppy dog antics over Clara never feels cliché or forced. Instead you can feel honest emotion of someone truly finding their soul mate. And when Burnham unleashes his gorgeous tenor pipes in "Il Mondo Era Vuoto", the rafters of the theatre are blown off. He has great comic timing as well, especially with the reactionary moments with Mrs. Johnson."

"The sets and lighting all combine to make this production of Piazza the best to date. Those who have seen other productions of Piazza should definitely make it a point to catch the Light while it shines so brightly at the Auditorium Theatre through July 22nd."

- Broadway World

Edgy musical 'Light' shines bright

"Infused with sophistication and edgy romanticism, the dramatic musical "The Light in the Piazza" impresses most with its originality."

T"he Broadway Sacramento presentation of the national touring production opened Wednesday night at the Community Center Theater with the fresh aura of innovation. Much of the spark comes from the elegant music and lyrics of Adam Guettel, who won a 2005 Tony Award for his score."

"While the music and performances have an intense operatic feel, the emotions and story are unaffected but deeply moving."

"Elizabeth Spencer's 1960 story originally was published in the New Yorker magazine before coming out later in book form. The novel was then adapted into a film starring Olivia de Havilland, Yvette Mimieux and George Hamilton."

"Playwright Craig Lucas ("Reckless" and "Prelude to a Kiss") wrote the musical's spare book, and inventive director Bartlett Sher has given it equally lean and meticulous staging."

"The story of American Margaret Johnson vacationing in Italy in the summer of 1953 with her adult daughter, Clara, soars on sublime performances from Christine Andreas and Katie Rose Clarke. Andreas and Clarke are both highly skilled actresses with marvelous voices who comfortably deal with the complexities of Guettel's imaginative score."

"Clarke played Clara on Broadway, pairing there with the expansive David Burnham, who is also here as Fabrizio Naccarelli, the young Italian with whom she falls in love."

"Margaret and Clara are both smartly dressed (Catherine Zuber designed the costumes) and obviously well off as they see the sights of Florence -- but their intended vacation plans are overturned when Clara meets Fabrizio. As much as Margaret tries to discourage and derail the romance, the all-encompassing attraction between the two overwhelms her efforts, with Fabrizio continually finding them in their explorations of the city."

"Though Fabrizio doesn't speak English, when he sings "Il Mondo Era Vuoto," we easily understand he is in love with Clara. Similarly, when the two duet on "Passeggiata," it's also clear that lack of a common language won't be a barrier to their developing relationship."

"Margaret initially seems overprotective of her daughter, suggesting that Clara is "young for her age" despite her woman's body."

"Naive, guileless and straightforward, Clara says what she honestly thinks without realizing how uncomfortable that makes most people. Yet Fabrizio and his family embrace both Clara and Margaret."

"Craig Bennett as the imposing patriarch of the family and Wendi Bergamini as his dramatic daughter-in-law, Franca, are especially memorable in their performances."

"Guettel scatters truly beautiful songs throughout the production, particularly Margaret's reflective ballad "Dividing Day," her closing theme "Fable" and Clara's assertion of self in the title song."

"(The luminous orchestrations require an actual 9-foot-long piano in the pit of the Community Center Theater, where most touring shows use electric keyboards simulating the acoustic piano sound. There also are a harp and nine string players, but no brass.)"

"The tension between the need to break away and the natural impulse of protection provides a deeply resonant theme for this musical. Entertaining and emotionally absorbing, the neat curves of the story keep the fulfilling outcome in doubt."
 
- Sacramento Bee

Light in the Piazza: Ciao Bella

"The warm glow of 1953 Florence, Italy that permeated the Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater in New York for more than a year in 2005 and 2006 is now filling the Colonial Theatre in Boston, the current stop on the Broadway Across America tour of the Tony Award-winning musical, The Light in the Piazza.  Lush in its design, score, and performances, this throwback to a more innocent time embraces the senses and tugs at the heart with a richness reminiscent of movies such as "Roman Holiday" and "American in Paris."

"A lot about The Light in the Piazza is movie-like, in fact. Adam Guettel's at times operatic, at times dissonant, at times soaring score often feels and sounds like a sweepingly romantic soundtrack. The haute couture costumes by Catherine Zuber are evocative of the sleek and sophisticated designs of Chrisian Dior. The richly artistic and vaulting sets by Michael Yeargan more than amply suggest real-life locations such as the piazzas, cathedrals, museums, and ancient winding streets of Florence and Rome."

"The '50s film feel may be due in part to the fact that Elizabeth Spencer's original 1953 novella upon which this stage musical is based was adapted for the screen in 1962. Director Bartlett Sher has remained faithful to that era, guiding his design team to be authentic in every detail and his cast to be guileless in their performances."

"The story centers on an American mother from the South (Margaret Johnson) who must decide whether or not to let her child-like adult daughter (Clara) wed a passionate and charming young Florentine (Fabrizzio Naccarelli) whom they meet while vacationing in Italy. Because of the language and cultural differences between the two families, the Naccarellis see Clara's innocence as charming and old-fashioned. They don't understand that she might have limitations emotionally and mentally. Margaret, on the other hand, worries that eventually Clara's "special" nature will become apparent and that her marriage would ultimately be doomed. At the same time, she yearns for Clara's happiness and knows that one day she won't be there to care for her. While Margaret's particularly agonizing ambivalence is bred from the unusual circumstances that define her relationship with Clara, it is at once symbolic of the maturing relationship between every parent and child."

"As Margaret, Christine Andreas gives a deeply felt performance, full of love and anguish and the determination of a lioness. At first controlling with Clara in a way that suggests she has made a habit out of being overprotective, she later allows Clara and Fabrizzio's obvious love for each other to melt her convictions and win her over to their cause. In her climactic finale song, "Fable," Andreas reveals conflicting emotions that underscore the bittersweet nature of the entire show. There is joy at seeing Clara's happiness, hope that her daughter's future will be secure, concern that the fairy tale won't last, and profound sadness over her own business-like marriage that she has suddenly realized is more perfunctory than passionate. It's a tremendously touching moment in which Andreas succeeds in baring Margaret's aching soul in a way that the role's originator, Victoria Clark, did not. Andreas' performance is slightly sharp-edged and raw and all the more penetrating for it."

"Katie Rose Clarke reprises the role of Clara that she assumed on Broadway following Kelli O'Hara's departure. Singing sweetly and surely, Clarke has developed an assured stage presence over the past year, and her chemistry with Andreas is sublime. Her Clara is a bit too mannered to suggest anything other than mental retardation, however. A subtler approach would leave one wondering if her innocence were indeed caused by her developmentally stunting childhood injury or if it were perhaps instead a result of her family's suffocating overprotection of her since the accident. When expressing herself through song, however, she is more convincing. Her Act I ending duet with Fabrizzio, "Say It Somehow," and her impassioned Act II The Light in the Piazza, in which she pleads her love for Fabrizzio to her mother, are both very strong."

"The audience favorite in this touring production of The Light in the Piazza is the charming and powerfully voiced David Burnham as Fabrizzio. A delightfully overly dramatic lovesick pup, Burnham infuses Fabrizzio with such passion and sincerity that you can see why Margaret would be willing to entrust Clara to him, despite her general skepticism of the amorous ways of Italian men. Whereas Fabrizzio's older brother, Giuseppe (given a nice balance of machismo and boyishness by Jonathan Hammond), and father (a slightly world weary but warm and wise David Ledingham) have had histories of ill concealed extra-marital affairs, Burnham's Naccarelli seems above such dalliances. His true blue interpretation leaves us feeling optimistic for his and Clara's future. It's a sweet contrast to the slightly jaded perspectives drawn for the senior characters in the show."

"And his songs are stratospheric. In "Il Mondo Era Vuoto" and "Aiutami," both sung in Italian, Burnham manages to convey through grandiose but heartfelt flourishes his youthful sense of urgency in loving Clara. We understand what he's saying without the benefit of an Italian dictionary: "If I can't have her I'll die." As a totally embraceable Fabrizzio, Burnham is totally winning."

"In support, Wendi Bergamini as Franca, Giuseppe's embittered but still loyal wife, delivers a biting yet longing "The Joy You Feel" in which she tries to teach Clara the cold hard facts of love and life. Diana DiMarzio as Signora Naccarelli is duly deadpan, maternal and stoic, and John Procaccino as Margaret's husband Roy brings a surprisingly soft and even sympathetic side to his pragmatic tobacco company businessman. His trans-Atlantic telephone conversations with his wife are tinged with layers of stern authoritarianism as well as compassion. He reveals his own longing for a love that may not be, just as Andreas does for Margaret. Though brief, their exchanges are quite poignant and effective."

"Librettist Craig Lucas has infused his book for "The Light in the Piazza" with darkness and light, pathos and humor. While some plot twists come rather abruptly, this touring company's skillful delivery of both the words and music smoothes out any rough spots in the show's structure."

"This multiple Tony Award-winning musical is not Broadway's typical song and dance extravaganza. It is, however, an enveloping ray of warm light for those who enjoy a little crusty bread with their glass of full-bodied red wine."
 
- Broadway World

"Like so many Broadway shows these days, The Light in the Piazza is based on a story that audiences already know from the big screen, but it is definitely not a cookie-cutter musical."

"Instead of cheesy stereotypes and cheap thrills, this multiple Tony winner from 2005 tells a simple, touching tale of an ordinary woman struggling with a real-life dilemma."

"It is the character of Margaret (Christine Andreas) that adds richness to a somewhat familiar plot about letting go. She has a grace about her, but not a Hollywood glamour. She is unhappily married, but she doesn't wash that man right out of her hair. She develops an attraction for another man, but she doesn't kick off her heels and sing Anything Goes." 

"Such subtlety and complexity, so rare on Broadway anymore, is reflected in the music, which explores multilayered harmonies and tends more toward the operatic than the pop. In the production now at ASU Gammage, these challenging 
tunes are performed with all the polished professionalism you'd expect from a Broadway tour, particularly from leading lady Christine Andreas, whose gorgeous restraint on numbers such as Dividing Day is a beauty to hear."

"Despite its lofty ambitions, The Light in the Piazza has its shortcomings. There is, in fact, only so much complexity that can be accommodated in the genre of musical theater, which, by nature, uses songs rather than literary detail to provide emotions and subtext."

"But if all of the characters do not achieve the same level of reality (as the film version), the character of Margaret is so finely drawn that Andreas is able to carry the show on her own. Despite what the lyrics say, she is the 
true light in Piazza."
 
- The Arizona Republic

"Intiman Theater's Seattle-born The Light in the Piazza comes back to town 
in a savvy and enchanting production at the Paramount."
 

"Christine Andreas is worth the price of admission for her Margaret. It's a funny, wrenching, deeply felt portrayal, taking us through the arc from protective mother to someone who lets go and realizes the book on her own happiness hasn't been closed."
 
- Crosscut Seattle

From the musical's opening sequence, Andreas draws out the vulnerability that is the flip side of Margaret's determined, nurturing personality. In "Statues and Stories," this first scene's vocal number, she sings with gentle, humorous intonations that display Margaret's compassionate relationship to Clara and the brave front this battle-scarred mother has turned to the world. But in a later song such as the devastating solo "Dividing Day" -- about the flaws in the Johnson marriage -- her voice cuts an achingly sad line against the wistful background of pizzicato strings.
 
- The Washington Post

A language barrier is part of the plot of "The Light in the Piazza". But - at the risk of sounding cliched - music, light and love transcend that barrier in this resplendent musical.

There is no doubt about what is being felt and said in this soaring, not-to-be-missed touring production at Washington's Kennedy Center.

Despite the love affair at its core..."The Light in the Piazza" is really Margaret's story. And though Clara grows up considerably in the course of the musical, it is Margaret's heart that is truly opened. The mother learns the nature of love from her daughter's simple, candid example.

Andreas' big number is the closing song, "Fable." In this touching song, we watch Andreas' Margaret change from a woman who derides love as "a fake," "a fable," "just a children's fairy tale," to someone who dares to hope that a fairy tale can come true for her daughter.

All of the performances are bellissime, including those of David Burnham...whose Fabrizio is a rich-voiced Romeo, and David Ledingham as Fabrizio's debonair father.

In fairy tales, the heroes and heroines frequently journey to a place where they have a magical experience that changes their lives for the better. "The Light in the Piazza" has some probingly dark moments, but ultimately, Clara and Margaret's experience affects every character on stage. The real magic, however, is the way it affects the audience as well.

- The Baltimore Sun 

"The Light in the Piazza" is a museum-quality musical, possessing a subdued and sophisticated beauty and the kind of delectable languor that steals over you when you get lost in a painting or another work of art.

There is nothing typical about "Light in the Piazza". The musical has a graceful, circular rhythm rather than trajectory propulsion, which is similar to the experience of discovering Italy at your own pace rather than following a tightly scheduled tour.

The most aching theme belongs to Margaret (Christine Andreas), the wealthy American wife who narrates the musical and is its moral compass. Her music is autumnal and melancholy, particularly in the fragile world-weariness of "Dividing Day," as opposed to the dizzying, springlike strains of Clara seen in "The Beauty Is," "The Light in the Piazza," and "Say It Somehow." However, the second act highlight, "Let's Walk," is imbued with Clara's motif, only deeper and more mature as Margaret and Signor Naccarelli (David Ledingham) court with seasoned delicacy.

Margaret is, on the surface, a cold-eyed realist, forced into a role of great responsibility due to the fact that Clara is not a typical young woman. Margaret feels the need to protect her daughter from life, but a summer in Florence reawakens her to the prospect of dreams, both for Clara and for herself.

Miss Andreas is a commanding Margaret, crisp and ladylike in public but falling apart in the privacy of her hotel room. It is delicious to see her bend and soften under Italy's spell, her body language and exquisite voice becoming warmer and expansive.
  
- The Washington Times

It is no surprise that Christine Andreas, one of Broadway's great leading ladies, offers the work's most star-powered turn. Andreas has one of those voices that commands attention, with its richness and range of expression. Nowhere does she shine more than in the heartbreaking "Dividing Day," which chronicles the tragic unraveling of her marriage. It is Piazza's standout song among many lovely contenders, and Andreas delivers it with devastating passion.
  
- The DCist

Piazza’s ability to both dazzle and devastate is amply showcased in its touring production, which has settled at the Kennedy Center for a run through January 7th.

Andreas...grows beautifully into the role of Margaret throughout the course of the performance. ...she offers a deeply-felt, richly-crafted portrait of a woman who is devoted to her daughter’s happiness and well-being. Andreas, who has a great onstage rapport with Shaddow, performs the show’s 11 o’clock number "Fable" with fiery pathos, but is even more heartbreaking with her subtle reprise of "The Beauty Is."
     
- Broadwayworld.com

the bottom line:  
An exhilarating breath of Italian lyricism and music has just blown into town.

"The role of Clara's mother is a tough one, which Olivia de Havilland in the (1962)movie played with a magnificent virtuoso restraint that couldn't have worked in a megabucks Broadway musical. So Christine Andreas, armed with a magnificent voice and a romantic streak, proceeds to give a warm, wise, witty and totally human tour de force performance of her own."
  
- The Hollywood Reporter

"The Light in the Piazza, the Tony Award-winning musical that opened at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, entered South Florida's cultural record books as the forever-first production in the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. But it also made a statement about how truly artful the right Broadway Musical can be."

"What is certain is that this touring company has the vocal chops to deliver a score that would challenge any of Broadway's best. And in their fourth stop on a yearlong tour, their acting has become even more nuanced and powerful."

"As Margaret Johnson, star Christine Andreas is a gorgeous woman who knows that vocally, less can be much, much more. When she sings a ruminative Dividing Day, her quiet dissection of her fading marriage becomes devastating. Elena Shaddow is open and sweetly alluring as Margaret's daughter Clara, a young woman fighting for a future even as the girl within is stirring up trouble. Her thrilling solos and impassioned duets with David Burnham as her handsome beau Fabrizio -- a knockout both vocally and visually -- are as good as it gets."
 
- Miami Herald

"Miami's long-awaited arts center rose into being this week as much on the lights as the sound of The Light in the Piazza, the passionate and often edgy musical about new love found, and old ones lost."

"The warmly glowing national tour of the 2005 Broadway show opened Tuesday in the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Carnival Center of the Performing Arts. It is the first ticketed event and a promising preview of what's to come in the galas of the days and weeks to come--not to mention the generations to follow."

"The show's lighting design by Christopher Akerlind, an adaptation of his Tony Award winning concept for Lincoln Center, plays with haunting effectiveness throughout the house. It softly illuminates and sculpts Michael Yeargan's sets--a plaza in Florence, Italy--and reflects it into a theater that evokes the lines of an Italian opera house. In this first peek, the audience was naturally as curious about the place as the event within it."

"Leading lady Christine Andreas brings heartache and hope to the role of Margaret Johnson, a well-to-do woman from Winston-Salem, N.C. who's revisiting the places in Italy from her honeymoon. This time, her husband remains home and her companion is her 26-year-old daughter, Clara (Elena Shaddow)."

"The interplay between Andreas and Shaddow is touching, while Andreas can abruptly shift to the lighter or sometimes antic interactions with Fabrizio's family."

- Sun-Sentinel

"Go to Broadway now and it is filled with dumb jukebox musicals like "Mamma Mia," the agonies of drugs and AIDS in "Rent," witches in Oz burdened with social messages and "Tarzan" swinging by through a multimillion-dollar jungle into creative vapidness according to New York."

"But back to the Aronoff. "The Light in the Piazza" isn't quite a complete throwback to those musicals from Rodgers and Hammerstein in the '40s and '50s. Those romances mostly celebrated love in lighter ways until a little darkness crept in at the end, generally in the form of death."

"In "Piazza," Lucas's book concerns Clara's condition and romance. The themes of immaturity and love concurrently build tensions. All this is carefully managed by the light hand of director Bartlett Sher."

"And composer-lyricist Adam Guettel's score doesn't reach the dramatics in sound that "Carousel" or "The Sound of Music" achieves. Instead, for "Piazza," Guettel chooses a smaller but exceedingly rich chamber orchestra sound - celesta, harp, violin, cello, etc. - to preserve an intimacy in this story. This music complements; it does not dominate the story."

"Of course, the very subtlety of these compositions will not please those audiences who like their musicals to come with an overdose of brass and skimpily clad kick lines."

"But in lieu of trombones, Christine Andreas's sensitive performance skillfully balances Margaret's protectiveness and her desire to see her immature daughter emotionally fulfilled."

"But the inner compassion Margaret feels for her daughter's happiness at last dramatically defeats her maternal sheltering when she sings in almost a prayer for Clara, "Love if you can/And be loved." It's a soaring vocal moment."

"Andreas, who spent her own early career, singing the romantic leads in revivals of some of those aforementioned Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, is a little more humorous as Margaret than Victoria Clark, who sang the role on Broadway in 2005. But Andreas has a command of Margaret. The charm is there but so is the emotional muscularity when it comes to her daughter's welfare and an eventual decision to assert herself in her own disappointing marriage."

"Vocally, Andreas is faultless in navigating difficult phrasing, intonations and unpredictable tempos. Her years of singing experience pay off handsomely here."

"The remainder of the cast offers superb support. Elena Shaddow's Clara is carefully sketched so that she projects a maturing spirit trying to scale the walls of psychological impairment."

"Equally important is Burnham as Fabrizio. The joy, the enthusiasm he infuses into the acting and his passionate singing raises "The Light in the Piazza" several notches up from mere melodrama."

"The final effect...a celebration of the power of love."
 
- The Cincinnati Post