The Light in the Piazza

For the first time in Italy, the musical The Light in the Piazza comes to Florence in a new international production created by Elon University (North Carolina, USA), the European Academy of Florence and Vietri – Irresistibly Italian, as part of the Summer Program 2026, in collaboration with the Metropolitan City of Florence and Fondazione MUS.E.

First staged on Broadway in 2005 and winner of multiple Tony Awards, The Light in the Piazza, directed by Jacob Brent tells the story of Margaret Johnson and her daughter Clara during a trip to 1950s Florence. Among the city’s squares, gardens and palaces, Clara meets the young Fabrizio Naccarelli and experiences an intense love that leads both women to confront questions of freedom, family and acceptance.

Bringing this musical to Florence carries a particularly meaningful significance: the city that serves as the backdrop to the story becomes the very place where it comes to life once again, creating a compelling dialogue between theatre, music and cultural heritage.

The production is the result of an artistic and educational project bringing together professionals from the United States and Italy, American university students, lecturers and local musicians. Under the artistic direction of Polly Butler Cornelius, the production features an international cast of established artists and thirteen students from Elon University, sharing the stage in an experience of intercultural collaboration and artistic growth.

Featured performers include Polly Butler Cornelius, Jill Bowen Gardner, Jacob Brent, Gianni Palmarini, Pedro Carrillo and Simone Balducci, alongside Elon University students, and accompanied by a musical ensemble directed by pianist and conductor Chris Rayis, featuring harp, violin, cello and double bass.

The performance will take place in the extraordinary Courtyard of Michelozzo at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, one of the iconic landmarks of the Florentine Renaissance, offering the audience an immersive experience in which the story on stage meets the city that inspired it.

An event celebrating the meeting of cultures, education through the arts, and the deep connection between Florence and an international community of students, artists and musicians, bringing back to the city that inspired it a story of discovery, encounter and transformation.

Performance in English.

Booking required: info@palazzomediciriccardi.it

Single ticket: €10