The Tony Award-winning musical by Craig Lucas (book) and Adam Guettel (music and lyrics), based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer, is staged by Arena artistic director Molly Smith. This is a chamber version of the lush Broadway musical about a mother and daughter who are on vacation in Florence, Italy.

While Arena Stage builds its new home in Washington, DC, it is performing in borrowed DC-area spaces, including Crystal City, in Arlington, where Piazza glows. It opens March 11.

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Margaret Anne Florence (Clara) appeared in Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks. Resnik is a multiple Jeff Award winner who starred in the national tours of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Les Misérables. Regionally, she appeared in Grey Gardens (Northlight Theatre, Sarah Siddons Award), A Little Night Music, House of Martin Guerre (Goodman) and Always Patsy Cline (Apollo).

The Arena cast also includes Nicholas Rodriguez (Fabrizio Naccarelli), Mary Gutzi (Signora Naccarelli), Ken Krugman (Signor Naccarelli), Ariela Morgenstern (Franca Naccarelli), Jonathan Raviv (Guiseppe Naccarelli), Thomas Adrian Simpson (Roy Johnson), Drew Eshelman (Priest/Ensemble), Jennifer Irons (Tour Guide/Ensemble), Michael Vitaly Sazonov (Ensemble) and understudies 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 Cho, choreographer Parker Esse, lighting designer Michael Gilliam, sound designer Timothy Thompson, projection designer Adam Larsen and stage manager Susan R. White.

Here's how Arena bills The Light in the Piazza: "While touring Florence with her mother, Clara meets by chance the handsome Fabrizio. As their tender romance blossoms, Clara's mother struggles to conceal a family secret which may put an end to Clara's happiness as well as to her own."

Arena Stage in Crystal City is at 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA. Tickets may be purchased online at ArenaStage.org, by phone at (202) 488-3300.