The Light in the Piazza Cast:
Hollis Resnik (Margaret) currently resides in Chicago, where she's been seen at the Goodman, Lyric Opera, CSO, Northlight, Apollo, and Court in such notable productions as The Little Foxes, The Chairs, A Little Night Music, Titus Andronicus, Always ... Patsy Cline, and The Immigrant. Most recently, she appeared at Philadelphia Theatre Co. as Big/Little Edie in Grey Gardens. Other appearances: Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire for Cleveland Play House, The Guardsman at Alliance, and Man of La Mancha at Long Wharf. National tours include Les Miz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. She is the recipient of 9 Chicago Jeff Awards, 2 Sarah Siddons Awards, and the Connecticut Critics Circle Award. Ms. Resnik also has her own CD entitled Make Someone Happy.
Margaret Anne Florence (Clara) was last seen Off-Broadway as Luisa in The Fantasticks. Credits include: Maccabeat! (Allura, New York Music Theatre Festival); Company (Susan, Piccolo Spoleto Festival USA); Street Scene (Rose) and Godspell (Robin), NYU. Film: My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Our Lady of Victory (upcoming) starring Ellen Burstyn and Carla Gugino, The New Daughter starring Kevin Costner. TV: Nurse Jackie, White Collar, Law & Order, Guiding Light.
Nicholas Rodriguez (Fabrizio) performed on Broadway in the title role in Tarzan, and Off-Broadway he has appeared in The Toxic Avenger, Almost Heaven, and Bajour. He has toured in Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus), Evita (Che), and Hair (Claude). His regional credits include originating the role of Aaron and understudying Val Kilmer's Moses in The Ten Commandments (Kodak Theatre), JCS (Jesus), Oklahoma! (Curly), Damn Yankees (Joe), Cinderella (Prince), South Pacific (Cable), Master Class (Tony), Love, Valour, Compassion! (Ramon), and The King & I (Lun Tha). This summer, he can be seen in the film Sex and the City 2. Most recently, Mr. Rodriguez portrayed Nick Chavez on ABC's One Life to Live.
Jonathan Raviv (Giuseppe) is thrilled to be recreating the role of Giuseppe after the regional premiere at Weston Playhouse. Other regional work includes: Goodman Theater's production of The Light in the Piazza; Lady Madeline at Steppenwolf; Brigadoon at Marriott Lincolnshire; The Chosen at Writers' Theatre; Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Oakbrook; Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party at Lakeshore Theatre. New York credits include: The Persians at the APAP Conference; A Diner, A Shiner at American Globe; and Hello, My Name Is ... at the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row.
Ariela Maija Morgenstern (Franca) was honored to receive second place at the 2008 Lotte Lenya Competition and to perform in the award-winning Off-Broadway musical Adding Machine. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in the premiere of Imant Raminsh's Symphony of Psalms. Regional theater credits include Man of La Mancha (Aldonza), Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), Hairspray (Velma Von Tussle), Curtains (Georgia Hendricks), Blithe Spirit (Elvira), The Threepenny Opera (Jenny), and the title role in the opera Carmen.
Ken Krugman (Signor Naccarelli) has appeared on Broadway in Assassins, Candide and Les Misérables and Off-Broadway in Splendora and I and Albert. National tours include Jersey Boys, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Titanic, Les Misérables and Sherlock Holmes. Regional theater credits include the Guthrie, Goodspeed, Bay St., Centenary Stage, and Two Rivers theaters and the premiere of Grimm Tales at Man in the Moon Theatre, London. His film and TV appearances include Let It Snow, Hope & Faith, One Life to Live, Chappelle's Show, Late Show with David Letterman and various Law & Order's.
Mary Gutzi (Signora Naccarelli) was last seen in Washington as Grizabella in the national tour of Cats. On Broadway, she was seen as Fantine in Les Misérables and appeared as Mme. Thénardier in productions at TUTS in Houston and Sacramento Music Circus. She has performed in regional theaters across the country, earning a Jefferson nom for Emma Goldman in Ragtime and a Barrymore nom for Countess Aurelia in Dear World. She performed the role of Emma Goldman in the American premiere of Ragtime as well as with companies in Chicago, Vancouver, and the national tour. Other roles include Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard (Vancouver); Aldonza, Man of La Mancha (NCT); and Domina, Forum (Goodspeed). She also is a performance coach, director, and producer and has a theater company in Hawaii.
Thomas Adrian Simpson (Roy) has previously appeared at Arena Stage in The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Antigone in New York, Seagull, She Stoops to Conquer, The Time of Your Life, and The Great White Hope, directed by Molly Smith. Other regional credits include Delaware Theatre Company, Wayside Theatre, Ford's and Studio Theatre, among others. In 2003, Tom received a Helen Hayes nom for 110 in the Shade at Signature Theatre.
Jennifer Irons (Tour Guide/Ensemble) returns to Arena Stage, where she was last seen in She Loves Me and Camelot. Favorite local appearances include Gertrude in Seussical at Imagination Stage (Helen Hayes nom), Follies and Saving Aimee at Signature Theatre, Alexis in Nobody's Perfect at the Kennedy Center (original cast recording), Judy/Ginger in Ruthless at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, and Peter Pan at Olney Theatre Center.
Drew Eshelman (Priest/Ensemble) returns to Arena Stage after last fall's reading of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. He has appeared at The Shakespeare Theatre as the Nurse in Romeo & Juliet (Helen Hayes Award nom), The Imaginary Invalid, The Taming of the Shrew and The Beaux' Stratagem, and was most recently seen as Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre. He was a long-running Thénardier in the Broadway company of Les Misérables and has worked Off-Broadway at Irish Rep (After the Ball). Mr. Eshelman has done three national tours and extensive regional work, including six seasons with American Conservatory Theatre, where he appeared in more than 25 productions. Film: The Right Stuff and Magnum Force.
Michael Vitaly Sazonov (Ensemble), a Washington native, last worked with Arena Stage understudying The Fantasticks and before that appeared in their during their Downstairs reading of Near East. Mr. Sazonov has also appeared at Kennedy Center, CenterStage, Round House Theatre, Theater of the First Amendment, Quotidian Theatre Company, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Scena Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Firebelly Productions, and Modlin Center for the Arts.
Understudies are Conrad Buck and Kate Guesman.
The Creative Team for The Light in the Piazza includes Musical Director Paul Sportelli, Set Designer Anne Patterson, Costume Designer Linda J. Cho, Choreographer Parker Esse, Lighting Designer Michael Gilliam, Sound Designer Timothy J. Thompson, Projection Designer Adam Larsen, Assistant Sound Designer Ryan Gastelum, Italian Language Consultant, Dramaturg and Line Producer Janine Sobeck, Dialects Coach Anita Maynard-Losh, Stage Manager Susan R. White, Assistant Stage Manager Jenna Henderson, Senior Stage Management Fellow Alexandria Wood, Directing Fellow Flordelino Lagundino, Lighting Fellow Catherine Girardi, Board Interns Margot Kelly and Terry Peel, Musical Contractor Rita Eggert and Line Producer Ronee Penoi.
The Light in the Piazza is sponsored by Margot Kelly and Ira Meiselman.
The Arena Stage musical theater season is sponsored by JayLee Mead.
Arena Stage productions in Crystal City are sponsored by the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID).
The Light in the Piazza Special Events, Ticket Information & Performance Calendar
The Salon - Monday, April 5, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
In the spirit of artistic and literary salons of the past, The Salon features artistic leaders from Arena Stage in a series of lively, in-depth conversations with the playwrights, actors, directors, designers, dramaturgs and audiences that make Arena Stage unique. The Salon is free to Arena Stage subscribers and donors ($75+) and only $3 for the general public. Reservations must be made through the Arena Stage Sales Office at (202) 488-3300.
Southwest Night - Sunday, April 4, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
An invitation is extended to our Southwest D.C. neighbors to buy $20 tickets, plus applicable fees, for one designated Friday evening performance of each production. Proof of Southwest D.C. residency-or continued employment-for each audience member of each party must be presented at the time of purchase. Tickets are limited to four per person and are based on availability. To purchase tickets, call (202) 488-3300 or stop by the Arena Stage Sales Office.
TICKETS:Tickets for The Light in the Piazza range from $25 to $74 plus applicable fees. Discount tickets are available for patrons purchasing tickets for multiple shows, students and groups. A limited number of $10 tickets for patrons ages 30 and under go on sale beginning each Monday for performances that week (All patrons must present valid ID). HOTTIX, a limited number of half-price, day-of-performance tickets, are available 90 to 30 minutes before curtain prior to every performance. Tickets may be purchased online at www.arenastage.org, by phone at (202) 488-3300 or at the Arena Stage Sales Office at 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA 22202.
Sales Office/Subscripti (202) 488-3300
TTY for deaf patrons (202) 484-0247
Group Sales Hotline (202) 488-4380
Info for patrons with disabilities (202) 488-3300
Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (6:00 p.m. curtain on 3/21)
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. curtain on 3/21)
Weekday matinees at noon on 3/17, 3/30 & 4/7
Sign-interpreted performances: 4/1 at 8:00 p.m. & 4/4 at 7:30 p.m.
Post-show discussions: 3/23, 3/25, after the evening show; 3/17, 3/30, 4/7, after the noon show
Audio-described performances: 3/23 at 7:30 p.m. & 4/3 at 2:00 p.m.
Open-captioned performance: 3/31 at 7:30 p.m.
ABOUT ARENA RESTAGED
With construction well underway on the 48-year-old Southwest D.C. theater campus, Arena Stage has launched ARENA RESTAGED, a two-year festival celebrating the rich mosaic of our nation's voices. ARENA RESTAGED, which will lay the foundation for a new home for theater artists and audiences, will take place throughout the time it takes to finish the expansion of the new theater complex, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. At the Center, the two existing performance spaces-the Fichandler Stage and the Kreeger Theater-will be fully renovated and a new 200-seat space dedicated to premiering American theater, The Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle, will be added. Arena Stage at the Mead Center is scheduled to open for the 2010/11 season.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Managing Director Edgar Dobie, Washington, D.C.-based Arena Stage is the largest theater in the country dedicated to American plays and playwrights. Founded in 1950 by Zelda Fichandler, Thomas Fichandler and Edward Mangum, Arena Stage was one of the nation's original resident theaters and has a distinguished record of leadership and innovation in the field. With the opening of the new Mead Center for American Theater in 2010, Arena Stage will be a leading center for the production, presentation, development and study of American theater. Now in its sixth decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 200,000. For more information please visit www.arenastage.org.
