New York City Center today announced additional casting for Encores! The Light in the Piazza. Joining Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles are Shereen Ahmed as Franca Naccarelli, Andréa Burns as Signora Naccarelli, Rodd Cyrus as Giuseppe Naccarelli, James D. Gish as Fabrizio Naccarelli, Ivan Hernandez as Signor Naccarelli, and introducing Anna Zavelson as Clara Johnson. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. Rob Berman, former Encores! Music Director, returns to lead The Encores! Orchestra for the production directed by Chay Yew with choreography by Parker Esse. Encores! The Light in the Piazza runs for seven performances only, June 21 through 25, at New York City Center.
Heralded as a new direction for musical theater when it opened on Broadway, The Light in the Piazza follows an American mother and daughter on vacation in 1950s Florence, as they confront painful memories and life-changing opportunities alike. Buoyed by Adam Guettel’s Tony-winning score and book by Tony winner Craig Lucas, director Chay Yew and Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles embark on a deeply personal exploration, transmuting the musical’s drama of encounter across barriers of language, culture, and ability into something as essential as it is revelatory.
The 2023 Encores! Season, led by Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, Producing Creative Director Clint Ramos, and new Music Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell, also includes the upcoming production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! (May 3 – 14) and opened with Dear World (March 15 – 19). This Tony-honored series of concert stagings has revisited the archives of American musical theater for nearly 30 years. Centered around The Encores! Orchestra, these revivals are produced with limited runs and rehearsal schedules, spotlighting the vocal talents of star-studded ensembles.
Tickets starting at $35 can be purchased online at NYCityCenter.org, by calling 212.581.1212, or in person at the City Center Box Office. Access City Center Club is available to those 35 years of age and under and offers a limited number of $25 tickets (plus a $3 facility fee and no handling fees) to City Center productions. For more information and to sign up, visit NYCityCenter.org/AccessClub. New York City Center is located at 131 W 55th St between Sixth and Seventh avenues.