Theatre A La Carte kicks off its 20th Anniversary Season with the Tony-Award winning musical, The Light in the Piazza, opening this weekend at the Tallahassee Little Theatre. Set in Italy in 1953, Piazza tells of a chance encounter between a handsome Florentine man named Fabrizio and a young American woman named Clara. As romance unfolds between the two, it becomes clear that the cultural differences between them are not the only barrier they must face.
I had the opportunity to speak with Eric Hurst, Director of The Light in the Piazza and Artistic Director of Theatre A La Carte, about the show.
What was the biggest challenge in directing Light in the Piazza?
Without a cast of excellent singers, we would have been in real trouble. The plot of the show is very simple, the storytelling very gentle. But the musical score is extremely complex and demanding on the singers and orchestra. The composer, Adam Guettel (grandson of Richard Rodgers), is one of the "post-Sondheim" generation of musical theatre composers that includes Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, John Bucchino, and others. These guys grew up learning from the complexities of Sondheim, and their music reflects that. Not that the audience will be aware! The score for The Light in the Piazza is very lush and romantic, and the audience will enjoy it without realizing how hard the musicians are working!
Theatre A La Carte is celebrating its’ 20th Anniversary this year. How does it feel to reach this milestone with your organization?
It can't possibly have been 20 years! I'm not that old! The fact that we have sustained an all-volunteer organization that has never owned a building and that depends on tickets sales and private contributions as its major sources of income for that length of time is unbelievable. It is certainly a tribute to the long-term volunteers and the patrons willing to support our variety of musical theatre.
What: Theatre A La Carte presents the musical The Light in the Piazza
When: February 26th-28th and March 5th-7th
Time: 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays.
Where: Tallahassee Little Theatre, 1861 Thomasville Road at Betton Road
Ticket Prices: $16 for Adults and $14 for Students and Seniors
To purchase tickets, call (850) 224-8474 or visit www.theatrealacarte.org
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