The Curtain Comes Down

The Light in the Piazza is closing on Broadway on July 2nd...and I haven't seen it! Sniff, sniff.

There are quite a few songs in the show that are truly amazing, like "Love to Me." Upon first listen, it could be glossed over as a simple, easy love song. In actuality, it is precisely that simplicity and ease that perfectly and beautifully convey Fabrizio’s inevitable love for Clara.

The orchestration is flawless. The use of harp throughout, the single violin in counterpoint with the voice in the second verse, the five-note descending cello line that ends the song.... Perfection.

The day we meet,
The way you lean against the wind,
And do not know that you are beautiful,
Or that anyone is watching you,
This is what I see.

And I notice how you hunger for surprise,
And do not think that you are tall enough,
Like you’re standing on a mountainside alone,
This is what I see.

Ohhh...
You’re not alone.

Now I see as I have never seen before.
Since that moment in the square,
When your hat is carried in the air,
Just so you can chase it,
Just so I can be there,
This is how I know,
This is what I see,
This is love to me.