<p>?Light in the Piazza?
<br/>Ahmanson Theatre
<br/>Oct. 31 through Dec. 10</p>

<p>They say that theater is the willful suspension of disbelief. Rarely does a show come along that does not require the will. When that happens, you know you?re witnessing exceptional theater.
<br/>?Light in the Piazza? is one of those gleeful aberrations that truly captures its audience from the first to last curtain.
<br/>Now, the Tony award-winning show has come to Los Angeles in the Center Theatre Group?s current production, which runs at the Ahmanson Theatre until Dec. 10.
<br/>The show, set in 1953, follows an American mother and daughter, Margaret and Clara Johnson, as they vacation in Florence, Italy. Much to Margaret?s dismay, Clara meets a handsome young Italian man named Fabrizio Naccarelli, and the two quickly fall in love.
<br/>The unexpected twist of the show comes when Margaret reveals that the stunningly beautiful Clara is mentally challenged. The question that then arises is whether Fabrizio and his family will find out and reject Clara.
<br/>The true strengths of the show are the brilliant music and lyrics by Adam Guettel and the vocal talents of the virtuoso cast. Christine Andreas transforms herself into the role of Margaret with an ease that belies the age difference between herself and the character.
<br/>Elena Shaddow keeps her character Clara?s secret masterfully, playing Clara as a inquisitive and unguardedly honest young woman. David Burnham stole more than one heart, and possibly the show, as the lovesick Fabrizio.
<br/>To call ?Light? a musical would be a disservice to this unbelievable production. The show rises above what we know as musical theater; the music is closer to an aria than a sing-along Disney melody.
<br/>What makes ?Light? a rare find is that it makes the audience care. You feel the pulse of Florence, relate to Margaret?s parental dilemma, and leave inspired by the unconditional love between the Italian and the American.</p><br><br><a href='http://www.dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=39137&#039; target='_blank'>http://www.dailybruin.com/news/articles.asp?id=39137&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br>