It will be a night of firsts when The Light in the Piazza opens tomorrow – the musical and its two stars will all make their debuts on the London stage.
The first production pictures of soprano Renée Fleming and American actor Dove Cameron in the London premiere at the Royal Festival Hall have been released.
Three-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings and Rob Houchen, who played Marius in Les Miserables, are also in the leading cast.
Chichester Festival Theatre artistic director Daniel Evans, who has also won an Olivier Award for acting, directs the production, set in Florence in the summer of 1953.
The story, adapted by Craig Lucas from Elizabeth Spencer’s novella with music and lyrics from Adam Guettel, follows Margaret Johnson (Fleming) and her daughter Clara (Cameron) as they take in the wonders of the Italian city. When a chance encounter throws Clara into the path of local young man Fabrizio, a secret comes to light that has lain hidden for years.
Cameron told the Standard that she’s been wanting to play Clara since she was a child: “It’s been my favourite musical score since I was really young.”
The cast is completed by Simbi Akande, Danny Becker, Jordan Castle, Nicholas Duncan, Chlöe Hart, Molly Lynch, Rhona McGregor, Marie McLaughlin, Tom Partridge, Monica Swayne, Celinde Schoenmaker, Malcolm Sinclair, Liam Tamne and Matthew Woodyatt, with set design by Robert Jones, costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel and musical direction by Kimberley Grigsby.
The Light in the Piazza runs until July 5 in the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
