(Enlarge) Amy Pierson as Clara tours Italy with mother Margaret (Nancy Parrish-Asendorf) in the area premiere of the Tony-winning “The Light in the Piazza” now at Theatre Hopkins.

Like one of its main characters, "The Light in the Piazza" is delicate. The appropriately sensitive production at Theatre Hopkins makes a fine case for this 2005 Broadway musical, getting its area premiere here.

It's a sophisticated show that keeps its focus on an American mother and daughter visiting Italy in 1953. Margaret Johnson (Nancy Asendorf) is a thoroughly conventional, middle-aged North Carolina lady who wouldn't go anywhere without her hat and gloves. Her 28-year-old daughter, Clara (Amy Pierson), is the delicate young woman whose childhood contained an incident that will influence her romantic prospects.

New World innocence meets Old World experience as the seemingly cheerful mother and daughter tour Florence. The absence of Margaret's businessman-husband frees this Eisenhower-era wife to question her domestic conformity.

When the unmarried Clara meets a handsome young Italian, Fabrizio Naccarelli (Robert E. Tucker), their puppy love courtship leads to rather melancholic developments. The tender qualities of this relationship are beautifully captured by the two lead actors.

Others in the first-rate cast are Tom Burns, Tamarin K. Lawler, Michael Salconi, Alyson Shirk, Eddie Chell, Molly Massa, Joey Hellman, Kerry Brady and Josh Siems.

They're often called upon to speak and sing in Italian as well as English. Although they do so proficiently, the relatively bold score and lyrics by Adam Guette and book by Craig Lucas occasionally prove awkward in furthering the narrative.

Fortunately, there is nothing awkward about how seamlessly meshed the acting, singing and pacing are under the direction of Todd Pearthree. Whenever this talented veteran is in charge of a show, you know you're in good hands.

"The Light in the Piazza" takes an appealingly intimate approach. Essentially a chamber piece played out on a spare stage defined by a few classical arches, it's not the sort of show that aims to wow you, but it does quietly win you over.

That subdued tone extends to the two-person musical ensemble reliably playing just to the side of the stage -- music director Robert C. Rose on keyboards and David Ponder on the harp. And when was the last time you heard a harp in a Broadway musical?

Theatre Hopkins performs "The Light in the Piazza" through July 5 in the Swirnow Theater on the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University, at 3400 N. Charles Street in Baltimore. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 410-516-7159 or go to www.thehop@jhu.edu.

'Wizard of Oz' opens 2009 Cockpit summer

So many local children are gathered on stage for Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre's "The Wizard of Oz" that it looks like a summer camp for Munchkins. This stage version of the film classic receives an uneven production, but it's a family-friendly show that offers plenty to enjoy.

Director Diane M. Smith, set designer Brad J. Ranno, costume designer Marie Rogers and other members of the creative team are able to capture the look of the movie in many scenes. High marks go to the flying sequences, which accumulate many frequent flier miles.

While the Yellow Brick Road must exist largely in one's imagination, the transitions from Kansas to Oz are generally handled smoothly. The blocking by director Smith and choreographer Arianna Maggard is static in some scenes, while in other scenes the legions of performers are in dire need of coordination.

For all the dozens of people and creatures on stage, it's Dorothy who determines whether any "Wizard of Oz" remains earthbound or soars. As Dorothy, Kaitlyn Hamrick is better with her spoken dialogue than with her singing. She captures Dorothy's personality reasonably well, but tends to rush the lyrics in "Over the Rainbow," and needs to move more gracefully in some scenes.

Dorothy's traveling pals are more consistently entertaining. The Cowardly Lion (Dan Hasty), Tin Woodsman (Tim Flaharty) and Scarecrow (Jeff Baker) embody these characters' quirky personalities. Baker's limber moves are especially fun to watch.

Other performers who stand out in the enormous cast include Liz Boyer Hunnicutt as a Wicked Witch whose fierce screeching is capable of scaring adults; a rhetorically ripe Chip Meister as the Wizard of Oz; and the adorable dog playing Toto, which remains remarkably calm considering the surreal events on stage.

"The Wizard of Oz" runs through June 28 at Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre, located on the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m.; there also is a Saturday matinee June 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 general, $16 for seniors and $12 for children. Call 443-840-2787.

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