April 8, 2026
2026-04-08T19:30:00
Pepperdine University, Smothers Theater
Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
The Light in the Piazza
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Summer 1953: Margaret Johnson, an elegant and strong-willed Southern woman, has taken her daughter, Clara, on a vacation to Italy. Neither age nor language nor familial disapproval can stop Clara’s whirlwind love affair with a young Italian gentleman. As Clara and Fabrizio fall into each others’ arms, Margaret must grapple with the question of whether to disclose Clara’s devastating secret to Fabrizio’s family. With soaring operatic melodies, The Light in the Piazza is a story about mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and the deeply intertwined emotions of love and loss. Winner of six Tony Awards in 2005, including Best Musical and Best Book, this remarkable story of love, loss, and forgiveness is the perfect final project for director Cathy Thomas-Grant as she steps into retirement after 31 years with the theatre program.
Join us for a talkback with the actors and director after the Wednesday, April 8 performance.