The Course of Twisted Love: 'The Light in the Piazza,' Arena Stage

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"THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA" is a postcard for 1950s Italy, when you could walk around the city without being mowed down by a scooter, and , apparently, when handsome men were just waiting to catch your hat and propose marriage.

The 2005 Tony-winning musical, currently produced by Arena Stage, centers on a naive young American named Clara (Margaret Anne Florence) who is in Florence with her seemingly overprotective mother, Margaret (Hollis Resnik). When Clara meets Fabrizio (Nicholas Rodriguez), Margaret balks at the whirlwind romance, for reasons more complicated than ordinary suspicion of charming Italian men.

Clara is "special," Margaret maintains, and the musical takes its time unveiling exactly how (beyond Clara's referring to Florence as the "land of naked marble boys").

Meanwhile, Fabrizio's family wholly accepts Clara and encourages marriage. Several musical numbers are sung in Italian, so unless you know the language, you don't know the words, but you can tell by the amusingly overwrought delivery that Fabrizio is really, really in love with Clara.

At first, "The Light in the Piazza" — directed by Molly Smith — seems a little superficial, with its romantic depiction of Florence and Italians in general, the soaring score full of melodic numbers and seemingly storybook romance.

But by the end, it depicts complicated, imperfect people who find themselves messy situations that have no real resolution within the confines of the play. The ending feels like real life.

» Arena Stage in Crystal City, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington; through April 11, $55-$74; 202-488-3300. (Crystal City)

Written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter
Photo by Scott Suchman