Katie Clarke to Replace Kelli O'Hara in The Light in the Piazza

Katie Clarke will be the new Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza starting on December 16. Kelli O'Hara, who received a Tony nomination for her performance in the tuner, will depart on December 4 to begin preparation for her upcoming role in The Pajama Game revival. Understudy Jennifer Hughes will perform the role of Clara from December 6 through December 15.

Clarke will be making her New York stage debut in The Light in the Piazza. She has appeared in Anything Goes at Houston's Theater Under The Stars and in The Exonerated, Ragtime, Smokey Joe's Café, Anything Goes and The Sound of Music at Sam Houston State University, where she'll graduate with a BFA in Musical Theatre next month.

Clarke will join a cast that includes Victoria Clark, Aaron Lazar, Chris Sarandon, Patti Cohenour, Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry and Beau Gravitte.

The Light in the Piazza is currently scheduled to end its limited engagement at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on March 26, 2006.