AARON LAZAR & THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

There is a new man in my life and his name is Aaron Lazar - I have not heard of him until tonight when I saw The Light in the Piazza on KQED last night. The man broke my heart with his passionate rendition of my favorite song from the show - a real aria for the character of Fabrizzio called "Il Mondo Era Vuoto" (The World was Empty) - it brought tears to my eyes. His amazing tenor voice & gorgeous good looks - not to mention the boy can act - he really impressed me and made me melt. What a voice!!

Thank you Live from Lincoln Center for bringing Broadway to us here in the Bay Area (and all over the country who can't be in New York!) It's funny that the last event they broadcast was that phenomenal concert of Sondheim's Passion. In many ways Piazza reminds me of Passion. Adam Guettel's music is hard to describe - some of his music is very Sondheim-esque with a hint of Rodgers/Hammerstein in it - only he manages to make the music uniquely his own. A truly gorgeous score.


Victoria Clark's performance in this musical HAD to be preserved. She is glorious in it. I must also confess that I thought the voices of Aaron Lazar and 21 year old Katie Clarke surpass the vocals of the original Fabrizzio & Clara - Matthew Morrison (a handsome man that doesn't look the least bit Italian) and Kelli O'Hara. I love the original recording but I would much rather hear these voices instead. The chamber musical is a beautiful theatrical experience - in every aspect. I hope I can afford to see the show when it comes to San Francisco but I will cherish seeing this show with this cast in a beautifully shot live performance of this show. I am very happy right now and a little teary-eyed.