Quotable Quotes: Partying with the Polished People of Piazza
WHAT: Opening night
WHERE: Tavern on the Green
WHEN: April 18, 2005
"I'm so excited. Anyone would be. We've had the best response I've ever had in my life."—Star Kelli O'Hara on the opening night audience reaction
"This a jewel. A diamond nestled in a velvet box surrounded by a tiffany ribbon, pristine. Just surrounded by talent, great power, great belief, sure handed steady brilliance. I never doubted it."—Patti Cohenour, who plays Signora Naccarelli
"I fell in love with the story before I even heard the music."—Cast member Michael Berresse
"I want to try to move them and I'm very happy when I do."—Composer Adam Guettel
"He's a genius! He channels something very deep and spiritual that give him great joy and confidence."—Leading lady Victoria Clark on Guettel
"The music in Light in the Piazza is something that we've been missing for a really long time on Broadway. It's deep and it is emotional and it's melodic and it's lush. And it takes you someplace. Just the music itself."—Star Sarah Uriarte Berry
"Adam Guettel found a sound with his music that's the sound of the pain of love. Not the kind of 'you're dumping me' kind of pain. It's so good that it hurts. It hurts so good. Like when you poke a fork in your gum."—Mark Harelik, who plays Signor Naccarelli
"The sound of feeling in love I guess is what I wanted to try to do. We all tried to do that."—Adam Guettel
"What's great about [Guettel] is his very distinct voice as a composer. And that distinct voice is something worth cherishing and expressing so we just didn't want to screw that up."—Director Bartlett Sher
"It feels like an aural painting. It feels like you're listening to a painting being painted."— Cast member Michael Berresse on Guettel's score
"I think [Guettel is] probably one of our most special writers now, pushing things in ways that are unique."—Bartlett Sher
"Sometimes I love Adam Guettel, sometimes I hate him. And it's on the high notes that I hate him. Yeah, he's a boob. But it's been incredible to sing his music. He's a genius."—Romantic lead Matthew Morrison
"It's very quiet and delicate and you don't expect to be moved as much as you are by the end of the show because it sort of sneaks up on you."—Sarah Uriarte Berry
"It's accessible to the heart if you except the journey it takes you on, it will take you away, but its also funny. The thing I love about this piece is the humor."—Patti Cohenour
"The piece is so honest and simple and direct."—Mark Harelik
"It makes you feel. This is one of the few shows where I think everybody feels very, very deeply and that's so exciting and sort of cathartic."—Sarah Uriarte Berry
"[Victoria Clark] is one of those people who has the rarest combination of gifts. I can put her in any classical play tomorrow because she such an extraordinary actress."—Bartlett Sher
"I am so grateful that they gave me this opportunity because they could have pulled the plug at any moment."—Victoria Clark on playing the lead role since the first reading of The Light in the Piazza
"She's our captain. She's like captain of the football team. She's amazing. She gives us lots of inspirational speeches to get us through."—Sarah Uriarte Berry on Clark
"She's so wonderful. She's so strong and she takes the show."—Kelli O'Hara on stage mom Victoria Clark
"Victoria Clark is just a beacon of brilliance."—Patti Cohenour
"[Victoria Clark] is the bomb."—Sarah Uriarte Berry
"As soon as I leave the world [of the show], I want to turn around and come back. That's how real it is. As soon as I leave the theater I want to wake up and come back the next day and do it all over again. It's that much fun."—Victoria Clark
Interviews by Paul Wontorek
Compiled by Grace Hernandez
