Civic Theatre of Allentown opens its 2025-2026 season with the Lehigh Valley premiere of “The Light In the Piazza: In Concert,” Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, Main Stage, Nineteenth Street Theatre.

“The Light in the Piazza,” based on a 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, is about a young American woman whose serendipitous meeting with a charming Italian ignites a love that transcends language, culture and history.

With Adam Guettel’s soaring, operatic score and a deeply-moving narrative of hope and healing, the theatrical masterpiece leaves a lasting impression.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of 1950s Florence, the show tells the story of Margaret Johnson (Kate Varley}, a wealthy woman from the American South, and Clara (Sierra Safran), her daughter, who is developmentally-disabled because of childhood accident. The two spend a summer together in Italy.

When Clara falls in love with a young Italian man, Fabrizio (Anthony Rizzuto), Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own deep-seated hopes and regrets.

The cast includes Nik Georgievski, Sam Levisay, Jarrod Yuskauskas, Pat Birnbaum. Tom Onushco, Paige Herman, Tony Anthony, Wendy Borst, Amanda Mark and Erin Smola.

“The Light in the Piazza” is directed by William Sanders, Civic Theatre of Allentown Artistic Director. Music Director is Andrew Rudderow.

Guettel’s score breaks from the 21st century tradition of pop music on Broadway by moving into the territory of Neoromantic classical music and opera with unexpected harmonic shifts and extended melodic structures. Many of the lyrics are in Italian or broken English, as many of the characters are fluent only in Italian. The orchestration includes harp, cello, violin, bass and piano.

“The Light in the Piazza” opened on Broadway in 2005 and won a Tony Award for best score.

Civic’s 2025-26 season includes Stephen Karam’s comedy “Speech and Debate,” Sept. 5 to Sept. 14; Broadway hit “Shrek The Musical,” Oct. 17 to Nov. 2; the annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 5 to Dec. 20; family show, “Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins,” Dec. 12 to Dec. 21; Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd,” Feb. 27 to March 15, 2026; TV’s “Stranger Things” parody musical, “Stranger Sings!” May 7 to May 17, 2026, and classic rock musical “Hair,” June 19 to July 5.

“The Light in the Piazza: In Concert,” 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9, 3 p.m. Aug. 10, Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. 610-433-8903, https://civictheatre.com/

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com