Diva Renée Fleming “delighted” to make London stage debut in The Light in the Piazza

Opera legend Renée Fleming has revealed she is looking forward to treading the London boards in the London premiere of The Light in the Piazza in June.

Fleming is one of the world’s leading lyric sopranos and a veteran of concert halls and opera houses around the globe. The Light in the Piazza, supported by Bruno Wang Productions, will be her first role on the stage.

“I’m delighted to be a part of the London premiere,” she says. “Adam Guettel’s score is ravishing, reaching beyond the boundaries of how we think of musical theatre.”

Fleming adds: “For my London theatre debut, to play Margaret Johnson – a fascinating, deeply human character whose predicament I find incredibly moving – this was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”

The Light in the Piazza follows the story of a mother (Margaret Johnson, played by Fleming) and her daughter Clara on holiday in Florence in 1953.

When Clara falls in love with a young Italian man, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own deep-seated hopes and regrets as well.

The London production at the Royal Festival Hall is directed by multiple Olivier Award-winner Daniel Evans and features Opera North’s 40-piece orchestra.
Fleming will be joined by a cast that includes Dove Cameron (The Descendants) playing Clara and Alex Jennings (Netflix’s The Crown).

The Light in the Piazza was adapted by Craig Lucas from a novella by Elizabeth Spence. Music and lyrics are by Guettel, the grandson of Broadway legend Richard Rodgers.

The musical has already won six Tonys, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations, as well as five Drama Desk awards.

Critics have consistently praised its musicality, with CurtainUp calling it a “gorgeously staged and musically sophisticated adaptation… the Guettel sound is nevertheless plush and enjoyable with a genuine musical theatre sensibility.”