2005 Tony Award Winner for 6 Awards, including Best Original Score (Music)
. The New York Times calls this Tony Award-winning Adam Guettel musical "the most intensely romantic score of any Broadway musical since West Side Story .
This book is exquisitely faithful to the original score. If you have not yet heard the Light in the Piazza, go buy the soundtrack and get this book if you're a piano player.
The American musical in the past few years has often beenof the "jukebox" type(Mama Mia, Good Vibrations)orfeatured music that hearkens back to a particular period (Hairspray)or verges on contemporary pop. There is a lot oftongue-in cheek out there (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,Urinetown), and much of it is excellently crafted.
The simplified arrangements in this book gut the harmonic resonance of almost all the songs. Numbers like "Dividing Day" and "The Beauty Is" are very nearly unrecognizable.
As the other reviewers correctly point out, the vocal line is included in the arrangement, which is a problem for those looking to accompany a singer. However, for those who just want to play this stunning music on the piano, this is a terrific book that deserves 5 stars.
Adam Guettel's latest masterwork, The Light in the Piazza, has graced the Broadway stage since April 2005. Now, we can all enjoy the love songs that have made audiences swoon in our homes and our local stages.
