Faith Presbyterian takes a trip to Italy with 'Light in the Piazza' | Theater Review
“Don’t bring your dreams to Italy.” In a mother’s cry for her broken hearted child, "The Light in the Piazza," presented this weekend by Faith Presbyterian Church's Arts@faith benefitting their music and educational programs, does just the opposite.
The audience is transported to Italy to watch two young people meet and fall in love, and watch their parents deal with that blossoming love.
Set in Florence, "The Light in the Piazza," a musical based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer, follows Margaret Johnson and her daughter Clara on what was intended to be a family holiday. Margaret, played lovingly by Melinda Melendez, watches her young, exuberant, and innocent daughter Clara (Ashley Lewis) meet Fabrizio (Everett Reed). Fabrizio and Clara quickly fall in love and Margaret is left with a secret about Clara and a possible new family to share it with. Lewis and Reed play the young lovers so sweetly and purely you can feel the Italian sun shining down on them.
Director Naomi Rose-Mock utilizes the entirety of the space at Faith Presbyterian church to create many spots in her Florence. A piazza, a cafe, a family home, a hotel room, a church, and many historical sites. The audience sits almost in the set and the cast of characters moves in, around, and through them.
You feel encompassed by the story. Between the warm lighting, designed by Katie Redd, and the multiple pathways, you sometimes truly feel the busy piazza the Johnsons found themselves in. Watching the way the actors changed the sparse but important set pieces felt like watching a dance.
Italy is brought even closer to Tallahassee through language. There are multiple songs and even entire scenes spoken in Italian. Don’t worry, the actors do a very good job of conveying what they are saying. I was especially impressed with Steven Woodell and Dakota Miller, who both play Signore Naccarelli on different nights.
Both men were convincing in their use of the language as well as making sure the audience understood what Fabrizio’s father was saying. There are two different casts for the ensemble for this production. I was able to see acts for both and enjoyed all of the casting options.
The live orchestra, directed by Dr. Just Aurthur in the room, was beautifully balanced and fit right into this version of Florence. The actors all have incredible voices. Clara (Lewis) and Fabrizio (Reed) were sweetness personified. Melendez is a powerhouse with some wonderfully soft moments of full true feeling for the protective mother.
Come and listen to some incredibly talented voices of Tallahassee and feel a little closer to Italy.
If you go
What: "The Light in the Piazza," a musical based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7-9 and 14-16
Where: Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 N. Meridian Road
Tickets: $20; visit faithpcusa.org/piazza/
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Faith takes a trip to Italy with 'Light in the Piazza'
