Theater News

Renée Fleming to Star in The Light in the Piazza

The limited engagement will play at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House.

Renée Fleming will star in an upcoming Lyric Opera House production of The Light in the Piazza.
Renée Fleming will star in an upcoming Lyric Opera House production of The Light in the Piazza.
(© David Gordon)

Renée Fleming (Carousel) will star in an upcoming Scenario Two production of The Light in the Piazza, running December 14-29 at the Lyric Opera House.

The news follows recent announcements that Fleming, along with Dove Cameron (Clueless), will lead an upcoming run of the musical at LA Opera. No additional casting has been announced for the run at Chicago's Lyric Opera House.

This production will originate at London's Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre, running June 14-July 5. Olivier Award winner Daniel Evans directs.

Based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer, The Light in the Piazza is set in the summer of 1953 and tells the story of a mother (Fleming) and daughter (Cameron) traveling through Italy; the daughter's romance with a handsome, high-spirited Florentine; and the mother's determined efforts to keep the two apart. With a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, the Broadway musical won six Tony Awards in 2006, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

The production will feature design by Robert Jones, with costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Mark Henderson, and sound by Mick Potter. The score will be played by the Lyric Opera Orchestra under the baton of Kimberly Grigsby, conductor of the original Lincoln Center production.