Adam Guettel.
Over the last two weeks, the lips of theatre fans Australia-wide have been talking only of one show: Life Like Company’s production of Adam Guettel’s classical masterpiece, The Light in The Piazza. In the lead up to opening night, AussieTheatre was offered an exclusive interview with Guettel, the lyricist, composer and orchestrator of Piazza, and took the opportunity to question him about the process of developing the score, when composition became his career, and why classical and contemporary musical theatre should exist side by side in the hearts of audiences.
“I was confident about the musical world [of Light in the Piazza] from the start. If something is unlike the standard fare but works as a story and a style, it has a chance. […] To me, it’s clear that [classical and contemporary musical theatre] can [co-exist] – Most Happy Fella, much of Sondheim, A Gentleman’s Guide, the underpinnings of Maury Yeston’s work, most of Bernstein, etc… It’s all connected to centuries of successful music drama.”
Introduced by his mother to the 1960 novella of The Light in the Piazza written by Elizabeth Spencer, Guettel immediately knew that the characters, plot, and themes throughout the story would make for an imperfect but engaging musical romance. Featuring a passionate connection between a young Italian man who speaks only broken English and an American woman with a disability, Piazza’s orchestrations illustrate not only a lushly romantic young love, but also delve into the messy emotional depths of marriages bound by the gender constraints of the 1950s, and explores the beauty that exists in the relationship of a mother and daughter. Talking to me about the triggers for Clara’s emotional outbursts throughout the show, Guettel mentioned that Piazza’s music comes from his “own hopes and disappointments”, and that Clara’s bold expression of her feelings was an access point for writing elements of himself into the character.
“[The expression of Clara’s emotion as a differently-abled woman] was my starting point and really the point of doing the piece. My wife would confirm that I’m an absolute unbroken mustang emotionally, a challenge. Bless her. But writing Clara, which is essentially writing myself – it’s deeper than a [physical] tell, subtler, more unpredictable, more lovable at times and at times more impossible. That has always been my connection to Clara and I hope the way our audience connects. Whatever her specific issues may be, she wants to be known and loved.”
Beginning his career with music as a classical performer in his childhood, Guettel’s work has now been performed and recorded by some of Broadway’s biggest names. Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Kelli O’Hara, Billy Porter and Victoria Clark have all used their instruments to give voice to Guettel’s music, a stunning example of just how much his work is appreciated. Knowing this, I asked Guettel at what point in his career he realised he would make a successful composer, and I received a rather unexpected response. Having also considered The Light in the Piazza as the pinnacle of musical theatre composition since my high school days, it was intriguing to hear the artist behind the piece talk about self-doubt, and occupational aspirations that could draw him away from the world of writing music.
While he works on a new score and spends time in the garden, Guettel hopes that Piazza is welcomed by Australia’s “smart and sexy” audiences. After viewing photographs and videos of Life Like’s production over the internet, Guettel’s last response to me was that he wants audiences to be excited by the design elements of the Melbourne production, but above all, he wants his material to inspire audiences to examine their own relationships, and to take the story away with them and keep it in their hearts.
The Light in the Piazza will run for three more performances this weekend in Melbourne, with tickets to be booked at this link. According to the review published on our site, the production is “a gift to be cherished“, and you should drop everything to see it.
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Light In The Piazza boasts a truly beautiful score which is perfect for the romantic element of the show. Life Like Company's production is truly exquisite, from set design to the costumes and last but not least the extraordinary talent on stage. All actors play their parts beautifully.
Genevieve Kingsford plays and sings the role of Clara exceptionally well. She handles some of the more difficult scenes exceptionally well. especially scenes involving her condition as well as her very insular relationship with her mother.
All the actors are exceptional, especially Jonathan Hickey who plays Fabrizio, Clara's Italian love interest. A further congratulations need to be extended to the actors playing Fabrizio's family. There are some comic moments to be enjoyed throughout the show as well. For me personally, the night belonged to Chelsea Plumley. There is a large amount of unhappiness in her character and Chelsea has the ability to make the audience believe. Her role as Clara's mother is really the backbone of this story. She is a mother who, despite her over portectivesness, only wants what is best for her daughter. The story is easy to follow and the score as a whole is pretty much close to perfect.
I was so happy when I discovered last year, when I attended their 2015 musical City Of Angels, that Life Like Company were going to stage Light In The Piazza. A truly beautiful musical with a strong operatic tone. Melbourne audiences have waited 10 years for this exquisite musical to be staged in Australia, and I must confess, it was well worth the wait. One of the best 2.5 hours that I have spent inside a theatre. Life Like Company should be very proud of their latest production. This is a must see theatrical event.