‘The Light in the Piazza’ Shines at Arena Stage
With a lush score and romantic Italian backdrop, “The Light in the Piazza” is Arena Stage’s newest musical tour de force. Starring Margaret Anne Florence and Nicholas Rodriguez, “The Light in the Piazza” explores the budding romance between Clara Johnson and Fabrizio Naccarelli. “On the surface, Fabrizio is the typical young Italian man,” explains Rodriguez, “ but there is a sensitivity and yearning to him. Even though he appears to be polished and slick, there is not one element of scheming or manipulation to him. He loves with his whole heart and dives in with both feet.”
Clara’s innocence and beauty attract the debonair and seemingly sophisticated Fabrizio. Originally from South Carolina, Florence brings her Southern charm to the role as the sweet Clara. “Childlike in many ways, she comes into her own as a woman when she meets and falls in love with Fabrizio,” says Florence.
It is love at first sight for the couple. “From the moment he first sees Clara, he knows she’s his destiny,” says Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a native Texan, is no stranger to wooing attractive women as he stars in the upcoming “Sex and the City 2″ movie and has a recurring role on ABC’s “One Life to Live.”
The musical’s score is replete with passionate songs that emphasize the tender relationship between the seductive Italian boy and naïve American girl. Rodriguez comes to Arena with several years of stage experience and a highly developed vocal styling. When asked about his favorite songs in the production, he responds: “I have 2: ‘The Beauty Is’ and ‘Love to Me.’ [‘Love to Me’] appears to be simple, but underneath, it is rhythmically challenging. It’s a pure declaration of love. I remember working on it with Adam [Guettel] and singing along with him to learn it. It’s such an awesome memory. And a lesson in how simplicity and complexity can live side by side,”
Reflecting on her role, Florence describes Clara as “a girl fiercely loved and protected by her mother.” Despite the connection of Clara and Fabrizio, their love is threatened by a family secret held by Clara’s mother who opposes their relationship.
General admission tickets range from $25 to $74. Arena Stage also offers various saving programs, including student discounts, $10 tickets for patrons age 30 and under, and half-price tickets through HOTTIX. Check www.arenastage.org for ticket purchasing information and additional saving options.
“The Light in the Piazza” runs from March 5 through April 11 at Arena Stage: 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA; 202-488-3300; www.arenastage.org.
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39 Steps at Warner Theatre
March 23 – 28
Broadway’s longest running comedy thriller and Hitchcock “whodunit” makes its way to DC, promising a night of thrills, laughter and awe. With just four cast members playing over 150 characters, this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure is a mind-blowing casserole of fun. It’s no small wonder that it has won 2 Tony Awards.
Warner Theatre: 1299 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; 202-783-4000; www.warnertheatre.com
Join On Tap for a dinner and a show! For the same price of a regular theatre seat, your ticket will also include a $25 gift certificate to Elephant & Castle. It’s a steal of a deal! Visit our website at www.store.ontaponline.com for details.
‘Dear Sara Jane’ at The Soundry
This month The Hub Theatre presents its one-woman show, “Dear Sara Jane.” Written by Victor Lodato, “Dear Sara Jane” is about a woman sitting alone at home waiting for her husband to return from war in Iraq. “The longer she sits at home, the more she reveals, with a little help from some alcohol,” says Casie Platt, who plays the title role. According to Platt, “The play deals with themes like the effects of war, the bonds of family, expectations we put on ourselves and others, the lies we tell especially to ourselves, patriotism and what happens when we begin to question it and the people we hold the most dear in our lives.”
Despite her sweet exterior, Sara Jane is hiding secrets that reveal a much darker and sadder side. “She is a good woman — the epitome of the perfect hostess. She has become very good at hiding it in front of others and from herself. It is her ultimate goal to be the perfect wife, have the perfect house, [and] have the perfect life. And she looks like she has all of that on the surface,” explains Platt, “But underneath, there is something that slowly begins to reveal itself the deeper we get into the play.”
Tickets are available for $20, with discounted tickets for students and seniors available for $15.
“Dear Sara Jane” runs through March 21 at The Soundry: 316 Dominion Road, Vienna, VA; 703- 674-3177; www.soundry.net.
Also on Stage
Gdirk from Gdansk
Now through March 7
Keegan Theatre presents Liam Heylin’s “Gdirk from Gdansk” is a story about two brothers from Ireland who are at odds when one brother falls in love with a polish immigrant. The brothers’ relationship becomes further strained when the boys’ mother falls in love with a local man. Directed by Joe Baker and Mark Rhea. Tickets are $30. Tickets for students and seniors are $25.
Church Street Theater: 1742 Church St. NW, DC; 703-892-0202; www.keegantheatre.com.
Sweeney Todd
Now through April 4
Signature Theatre presents the Stephen Sondheim classic musical “Sweeney Todd.” As gory as it is romantic, “Sweeney Todd” is a grand musical about a man’s revenge after his wife commits suicide and his daughter is abducted. Wrongfully imprisoned for several years, Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd falls into a state of madness exacting revenge on anyone who crosses his path. Despite his lust for blood, Sweeney Todd’s story is flush with grand musical numbers and inspiring lyrics. Edward Gero stars as the murderous Sweeney Todd and Helen Hayes award-winning actress, Sherri Eden, stars as Mrs. Lovett, the proprietor of a meat pie shop. Tickets are $52 to $76.
Signature Theatre: 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA; 703-820-9771; www.signature-theatre.org.
Clybourne Park
March 15 through April 11
Woolly Mammoth’s newest play, “Clybourne Park,” offers an important lesson about how views of race and gentrification have changed, and yet, have not changed over the decades. Beginning in the 1950s, “Clybourne Park” looks at how a white community in Chicago comes apart after a Black family moves into the neighborhood. Both hilarious and thought-provoking, “Clybourne Park” also looks at the same community’s views on race in the present day. Tickets are $27 to $46.
Woolly Mammoth: 641 D St. NW, DC; 202-393-3939; www.woollymammoth.net.
Porgy and Bess
March 20 through April 3
Washington National Opera’s critically-acclaimed production is back. George Gershwin miraculously melded classical music, popular song, jazz, blues and spirituals into iconic American songs like “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’Nuttin’” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now.” This American masterpiece follows the story of a crippled beggar and the headstrong woman he loves. Tickets are $50.00 – $300.00.
Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center: 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, DC; 202-295-2400; www.dc-opera.org
El retablillo de Don Cristóbal/The Puppet Play of Don Cristóbal
April 8 through May 2
Written by Federico Garcia Lorca, “El retablillo de Don Cristóbal/The Puppet Play of Don Cristobal” is a tribute to the poetic beauty of marionettes. Inspired by his love of puppetry as a child, Lorca incorporates lyrical dialogue with the humor of the classic marionette storylines. Argentina’s Adhemar Bianchi directs this puppet play set against the Spanish Civil War. In Spanish with English super titles.
GALA Theatre: 3333 14th Street, NW; 800-494-8497; www.galatheatre.org.
Fiddler on the Roof
April 13 through May 9
Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein reprises his Broadway role as Tevye in the North American Tour of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Directed by Sammy Dallas Bayes, this production allows a new generation of audiences to explore the universal themes of rebellion and minority oppression that were so poignant in its original run in the 60s and 70s.
National Theatre: 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.; 800-447-7400; www.nationaltheatre.org.
