The Light in the Piazza Returns to Chicago, July 10-22

Direct from Broadway, the romantic new musical The Light in the Piazza returns to Chicago for a limited, two-week engagement at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, July 10 through 22, 2007. 

Principal casting for the North American Tour of The Light in the Piazza includes Christine Andreas as Margaret Johnson, a protective Southern matron, Katie Rose Clarke as her daughter Clara, a beautiful 26-year-old American traveling abroad, and David Burnham as Fabrizio Naccarelli, a 20-year old Italian suitor who barely speaks English and is the source of the romantic tension central to the story.

The cast also features Craig Bennett as Signor Naccarelli, Wendi Bergamini as Franca Naccarelli, Diana DiMarzio as Signora Naccarelli and Jonathan Hammond as Giuseppe Naccarelli.  The Ensemble includes Amy Arbizzani, Jane Brockman, Betsy DiLellio, Laurent Giroux, Leslie Henstock, Prudence Wright Holmes, John-Charles Kelly, Adam Overett, John Procaccino, Andrew Ragone and Timothy Shew.

Katie Rose Clarke, David Burnham, Prudence Wright Holmes and Adam Overett join the tour directly from the Broadway cast.

"The musical, based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer, is set in the summer of 1953 and tells the story of a mother and daughter traveling through Italy, the daughter's romance with a handsome, high-spirited Florentine, and the mother's determined efforts to keep the two apart.  The beautiful songs echo the romantic feelings of love and have been the key to winning the hearts of audiences," state press notes.

The new musical played a pre-Broadway developmental production at Chicago's own Goodman Theatre in January/February 2004. It then opened on Broadway April 2005 and instantly became a favorite of critics and audiences alike, extending its run until July 2006 at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater. With book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and direction by Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza is the winner of six 2005 Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards for its acclaimed New York run, and was seen nationwide on PBS's "Live From Lincoln Center."

NETworks presents the Lincoln Center Theater production, which reunites the award-winning creative team from Broadway.  The musical has sets by Michael Yeargan (2005 Tony Award winner), costumes by Catherine Zuber (2005 Tony Award winner), lighting by Christopher Akerlind (2005 Tony Award winner), sound by ACME Sound Partners, orchestrations by Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel and Bruce Coughlin (2005 Tony Award winners), music direction by Kimberly Grigsby and musical staging by Jonathan Butterell.  The official website for the tour is www.piazzaontour.com.

Tickets range in price from $18 to $70 and are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., and 18 W. Monroe St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312) 902-1400, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Carson Pirie Scott stores, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com. 

Groups of 20 or more may receive a discount by calling (312) 977-1710.  For more information, go to www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

The Original Cast Recording of The Light in the Piazza is available on Nonesuch Records, and four tracks are available now at www.nonesuch.com/Hi_Band/piazza.