The Light in the Piazza was developed as a musical at the Intiman Playhouse in S

eattle in June 2003 and then at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in early 2004.[1]
After 36 previews, the Broadway production opened on April 18, 2005 at the Vivi
an Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, where it ran for 504 performances and clo
sed on July 2, 2006. The musical was directed by Bartlett Sher, choreographed by
Jonathan Butterell, with lighting by Christopher Akerlind, set by Michael Yearg
an and costumes by Catherine Zuber. The cast featured Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Ha
ra, Matthew Morrison, Michael Berresse and Sarah Uriarte Berry. Chris Sarandon j
oined the cast as Signor Naccarelli later in the run, Aaron Lazar was a replacem
ent in the role of Fabrizio Naccarelli and Katie Rose Clarke was a replacement i
n the role of Clara Johnson. In the pre-broadway production in Seattle and Chica
go, Kelli O'Hara played the role of Franca rather than Clara (who was played by
Celia Keenan-Bolger), and Steven Pasquale had played Fabrizio, but could not ope
n on Broadway due to a conflict with the television series Rescue Me that he had
just joined.
On June 15, 2006, shortly before its closing night, the show was broadcast on th
e PBS television series Live from Lincoln Center, and drew more than two million
viewers. The cast consisted of Victoria Clark (Margaret Johnson), Katie Rose Cl
arke (Clara Johnson), Aaron Lazar (Fabrizio), Chris Sarandon (Signor Naccarelli)
, Patti Cohenour (Signora Naccarelli), Michael Berresse (Giuseppe Naccarelli), S
arah Uriarte Berry (Franca), and Beau Gravitte (Roy Johnson).[2]
A United States national tour starring Christine Andreas as Margaret, Elena Shad
dow as Clara, and David Burnham as Fabrizio Naccarelli started at the Orpheum Th
eatre in San Francisco, California, in August 2006 and ended in Chicago on July
22, 2007.[3]
A Japanese production of the musical was produced in December 2007, having a lim
ited engagement of about a month. It starred Kaho Shimada as Margaret Johnson.
An Australian concert version had a one-night only presentation at the Lyric The
atre, Star City in Sydney on August 17, 2008. The cast consisted of members of t
he Australian company of The Phantom of the Opera, with Jackie Rees as Margaret,
Kathleen Moore as Clara and James Pratt as Fabrizio. The production was directe
d by John O'May.[4]
In the summer of 2008, Guettel reconfigured the musical as a smaller chamber pie
ce for the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Weston, Vermont, where Sarah Uriart
e Berry reprised her role as Franca.[5]
The show had its opera house premiere in October 2008 at Piedmont Opera in Winst
on-Salem, North Carolina. It starred Jill Gardner as Margaret and Sarah Jane McM
ahon as Clara, directed by Dorothy Danner and conducted by James Allbritten.[6]
The first Los Angeles area local premiere was seen at the Covina Center for the
Arts, in Covina, California in 2009. It starred Christopher Callen as "Margaret"
, Brooke Tansley as "Clara" and Craig D' Amico as "Fabrizio" (all Broadway veter
ans) under the direction of Brady Schwind.
The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra in Alberta presented the musical at the Yates
Memorial Theatre October 19 21, 2009 which was the Canadian premire.[7] Directed by
Fran Rude and musical direction by Ken Rogers this production starred Diane Lle
welyn-Jones as Margaret, Nicole Higginson as Clara and Steven Morton as Fabrizio
.
The Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto saw the Canadian premire by Acting Up Stag
e open on January 30, 2010.[8]
The Arena Stage (Washington, DC), production ran from March 5, 2010 through Apri
l 11, 2010, with Hollis Resnik as Margaret.[9][10]
The European premiere was directed by Paul Kerryson at the Curve Theatre, Leices
ter, UK in May 2009, starring Lucy Schaufer as Margaret and Caroline Sheen as Cl
ara, with design by George Souglides, musical direction by Julian Kelly, lightin
g design by Giuseppe di Iorio, sound design by Paul Groothuis.[11]
A highly acclaimed production at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater in Chicago opened o
n March 11, 2012 starring Kelli Harrington as Margaret and Rachel Klippel as Cla
ra. Harrington's performance won the Jeff Award for Best Actress. The run has be
en extended through June.[12][13]
The 2013 Shaw Festival production runs in rep at the Court House Theatre in Niag
ara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada. Preview began July 3, 2013 and officially open
ed July 26, 2013. Directed by Jay Turvey, starring Patty Jamieson as Margaret Jo
hnson, the show runs till October 13.
Front Porch Theatricals (Pittsburgh) staged a performance as the second show of
their 2015 season in August. It received rave reviews from both local and nation
al critics with Broadway World hailing the overall production and Josh Grosso in
the role of Fabrizio. The cast included Becki Toth as Margaret and Lindsay Baye
r as Clara. It was directed by Stephen Santa.
On April 4, 2016, the entire original Broadway cast reunited for a benefit conce
rt version of the musical at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, where it originally pl
ayed.