The TCR @ Brucemore Summer Series is sponsored by Aegon Transamerica Foundation with season support from Grandon Charitable Foundation.
Creative Team
- Director — Angie Toomsen
- Music Director — Janelle Lauer
- Choreographer — Megan Robinson
- Scenic Design — Lucie Greene
- Lighting Design — S. Benjamin Farrar
- Costume Design — Joni Sackett
- Sound Design — Darin Ulmer
CAST
- Margaret Johnson — Rebecca Fields-Moffitt
- Clara Johnson — Catherine Blades
- Fabrizio Naccarelli — Tejas Gururaja
- Giuseppe Naccarelli — Brandon Burkhardt
- Franca Naccarelli — Kyra Kanz
- Signor Naccarelli — Max Moreno
- Signora Naccarelli — Paige Kennedy (Zoe Murphy 8/10, 8/11)
- Roy Johnson — Shane Noel
- Painter, Painting, Waiter, Maid, Nun — Nancy Andreasen
- Flower Seller, Tour Guide, Maid, Nun, Featured Dancer — Karissa Burkhardt
- Priest, Painting, Stranger — Emma Gostonczik
- Woman on Bike, Painting, Stranger, Featured Dancer — Zoe Murphy
Orchestra
- Piano/Conductor — Janelle Lauer
- Keyboard 2/Harp — Forrest Green
- Keyboard 3/Strings — Christian Drollinger
- Bass — Ken DeKeyser
Production Team
- Stage Manager — Lisa Kelly
- Calling Stage Manager/Board Operator — Lacey J. Ritter
- Assistant Stage Manager — Rebekah Leipold
- Production Technical Director — Jason “Blue” Herbert
- Properties — Lisa Kelly
- A2 — Jenny Titus
- Vocal Coach — Mia Gimenez
- Dialect Coach — Katy Hahn
- Italian Diction Consultant — Max Moreno
- Intimacy Consultant — Carrie Pozdol
- Wig Designer — Sarah Fried
- Costume Design Director — Jess Helberg
- Costume Director — Joni Sackett
- Carpenters — Jason “Blue” Herbert, Emily Clemen, Theo Brock, Bryan Kisling, Britin Robinson
- Master Electrician — Britin Robinson
- Electricians — Theo Brock, Bryan Kisling
- Scenic Artist/Master Painter — Lucie Greene
- Painters — Emily Clemen, Bryan Kisling, Theo Brock
- Backstage Crew — Claire Cassidy, Andria Pic
- Spotlight Operators — Brian Burkhardt, Bryan Kisling, Haley Graw (Sub)
- Costume & Wig Crew — Ashlee Elliott, Deanna Holtzman, Deb Winter
- Costume Construction — Jill Beardsley, Mary Kay Brandt, Michele Francis, Jess Helberg, Deanna Holtzman, Diane Mulbrook, Kim Novotny, Alice Pei, Jane Sloan, Deb Winter, Maria Camarotti, Melody Wiebold
- Costume Maintenance — Jill Beardsley
- Costume Intern — Ashlee Elliott
- Special Thanks — Bauman & Company
- Production Management — Angie Toomsen, Madi Knaack
Meet the Cast
Rebecca Fields-Moffitt (Margaret Johnson) Rebecca Fields-Moffitt has been seen in many Corridor productions with City Circle, TCR, Crooked Path, and SPT. She is excited to take this journey with this incredible group of humans. Rebecca lives in Iowa City with her husband, Ryan, their children, Eleanor and Arthur and is a General Music Teacher in the Iowa City Community School District. Thanks to Ryan and PDL for the faith and love.
Catherine Blades (Clara Johnson) Catherine loves outdoor theatre at Brucemore! In fact, as a child living nearby, she & two friends wrote and performed their own musical 25(ish) years ago here on the garden’s little brick ‘stage.’ You probably did not see that show, but you might have seen her last summer as Anne in A Little Night Music or as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. You can also see her weekday mornings on KCRG’s Everyday Iowa! Thank you- Angie, Janelle & everyone making Piazza come to life, and to Cindy, Rob, Cameron, Chuck, Amy & Kaleb!
Tejas Gururaja (Fabrizio Naccarelli) Tejas Gururaja is a second-year student at Northwestern University pursuing degrees in Voice and Neuroscience. Tejas recently performed as A Soldier in Northwestern Opera Theater’s production of The Emperor of Atlantis and Il Commissario in Opera Projects for Undergraduate Students (OPUS) production of Il Signor Bruschino. Earlier this summer, he performed as a chorister in Opera Festival of Chicago’s production of Manon Lescaut.
Brandon Burkhardt (Giuseppe Naccarelli) is always happy to perform with TCR, where he has previously performed in Something Rotten! (Nick Bottom), Wizard of Oz (Tin Man), A Little Night Music (Henrik) and Bright Star (Billy Cane) at Brucemore, Meet Me in St. Louis (Lon), The Sound of Music (Rolf), Cinderella (Prince), Newsies (Race), Mamma Mia, and SpongeBob. Other roles include Titanic (Charles Clarke/Stevedore), Honk! (Greylag) with Revival; a soloist in An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein with Revival/Brucemorchestra; Something Rotten (Nick), HMS Pinafore (Captain Corcoran) and Sunday in the Park…(Soldier) with UI Theatre; and Camelot (Lancelot), Beauty and the Beast (Beast), and Side Show (Terry) with City Circle. Huge thanks to the cast, crew, and everyone at TCR!
Kyra Kanz (Franca Naccarelli) Kyra Kanz is delighted to make her TCR debut in Light in the Piazza. She previously played Cosette in Les Miserables and Maggie Cutler in The Man Who Came to Dinner at Linn-Mar High School. Recently, she starred in her first collegiate opera, Die Fledermaus, at Drake University, where she completed her first year as a music education major. Kyra thanks her family and friends for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout her journey.
Max Moreno (Signor Naccarelli) Max Moreno is excited to make his debut with TCR and has previously performed with City Circle in Coralville. He originally hails from Utah where he enjoyed an active performance career, including 5 years with the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, and moved to the Iowa City area last year to take the position of Music Department Chair at Iowa Conservatory. He currently resides in North Liberty and is thrilled to be part of TCR.
Paige Kennedy (Signora Naccarelli) is excited to be back for another great summer at Brucemore! You may have seen her here last summer as Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music. In May 2024, she graduated from the University of Iowa with an MA in vocal performance. Recent credits: Mary Poppins (Winifred Banks) and The Secret Garden (Lily) with City Circle Theatre; HONK! (Penny/Snowy) and Titanic (Caroline Neville) with Revival Theatre Company; The Sound of Music (Sister Sophia/Frau Zeller) with TCR; and La Traviata at the University of Iowa. Many thanks to friends and family for their love and support!
Shane Noel (Roy Johnson) Shane is thrilled to be returning to TCR after first appearing in Kinky Boots on the main stage in ‘22. He is thrilled to play a small role in this beautiful show with an Uber talented cast! He has found steady work in musical theatre for more than 50 years! He has appeared in multiple productions/venues nationwide. Favorite roles include: George Kinky Boots, Mr. Snow Carousel; Bobby A Chorus Line; Joseph Pulitzer Newsies. Love to my Husband. Thanks for coming & enjoy the show.
Nancy Andreasen (Ensemble) Nancy is excited to make her Brucemore debut in this enchanting show. When not working in marketing for GoDaddy, Nancy enjoys spending time performing. Favorite recent productions include Mary Poppins (Mrs. Corry) at City Circle, Drowsy Chaperone (Mrs. Tottendale) at MVLCT, and Meet Me In St. Louis, Kinky Boots and Cinderella (ensemble) at TCR. She’d like to thank her family and friends for their support and all of you for supporting live theatre!
Karissa Burkhardt (Ensemble) loves TCR and has performed as Esther/Meet Me In St. Louis, Frenchie/Cabaret, Mrs. Anderssen/A Little Night Music (Brucemore), and Featured Dancer/Ensemble/Dance Captain in Something Rotten!, Wizard of Oz, Mamma Mia, Cinderella, and Spongebob; Bewick/Winter Soloist in HONK! with Revival Theatre; Legally Blonde, Camelot, Beauty and The Beast, Newsies with City Circle; Elisetta/Il Matrimonio Segreto and HMS Pinafore with UI Opera; Maria/The Sound of Music, Johanna/Sweeney Todd, Agnes/She Kills Monsters with Theatre West; and Amahl/Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cassandra/Persuasion with Chamber Opera Chicago. Karissa is majoring in vocal performance, theatre, and dance at the UI and also choreographs in the area. Huge thanks to her family and friends and the entire cast and crew!
Emma Gostonczik (Ensemble) is thrilled to join TCR’s cast of The Light in the Piazza. In college, Emma was in tech for this show when the pandemic led to its eventual cancellation. She is delighted to see it on stage this time. Emma is a 2022 graduate of The University of Iowa, and holds degrees in Voice Performance, Music Education and a minor in Theatre Arts. Some recent credits include the Regional Premiere of String (Night), Songs for a New World (Woman I), Seussical (Mrs. Mayor), Pippin (Catherine) and Godspell (Sonia). In addition to her love for theatre, she is the lead vocalist and keys player for the Mill Creek Band based in the Solon/Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridor. Since Spring 2023, Emma has been the Director of Choral Music at Solon High School. She is excited to now have the perspective of being an actor and a director.
Zoe Murphy (Ensemble) Zoe is excited to take the stage at TCR again and for the first time at Brucemore. Previous credits include Something Rotten (Ensemble/TCR), The Rocky Horror Show (Columbia/RHCR), Rock of Ages (Regina/TCR), The Spongebob Squarepants Musical (Foley Fish/TCR), Cabaret (Lulu/TCR), Meet Me In St. Louis (Katie/TCR), and Mamma Mia (Lisa/TCR). She would like to thank you for supporting local theatre.
Italian Translations
IL MONDO ERA VUOTO (Part 1)
IL MONDO ERA VUOTO. ((The world was empty.))
LE OMBRE LO RlEMPIVAN. ((The shadows jilled it.))
LA LUCE NON SPLENDEVA MAI. ((The light never shined.))
CLARA, LA LUCE NELLA PIAZZA. ((Clara, the light in the piazza.))
CLARA, MIA LUCE, MIO COR! ((Clara, my light, my heart!))
ORA CHE SONO SVEGLIO ((Now that I am awake))
ALL’OMBRA NON VO’ TORNAR. ((I don’t want to go back to the shadow.))
NON SAPEVO DI SENTIRMI SOLO, ((I never felt myself to be lonely,))
PRIVO DEL SENSO DELLA VITA. ((Missing the essence of being alive.))
ERA COST! ((That’s how it was!)
CLARA! CLARA!
CLARA, MIA LUCE, MIO COR! ((Clara, my light, my heart!))
L’ESSENZA CHE MI MANCA VA ((The essence I was missing))
SEITU. ((Is you.))
LA TUA LUCE M’INONDA. ((Your light fills me [inundates me].))
MA LEI NON PUO AMARMI! ((But she won’t love me!))
NON COSI! ((Not like I am!))
OH CLARA!
NON AMEAA UN RAGAZZINO! ((She won’t love a little boy!))
NON PUÒ AMARE UN RAGAZZINO! ((She cannot love a little boy!))
DIO! ((God!))
PAPA! ((Dad!))
DORMIVO! ((I was sleeping!))
IO NON SAPEVO D’ESSER SOLO. ((I didn’t know I was alone.))
SOLO NEL BUIO. ((Alone in the dark.))
NON ERO VIVO! ((I wasn’t alive!))
NON C’ERA CLARA! ((There was no Clara!))
MA ORA LA TUA LUCE M’INONDA. ((But now your light inundates me.))
IL MONDO ERA VUOTO (Part 2)
MA LEI NON PUÒ AMARMI! ((But she won’t love me!))
NON COSI! ((Not like this!))
OH CLARA!
NON AMERÀ UN RAGAZZINO! ((She won’t love a little boy!))
NON PUÒ AMARE UN RAGAZZINO! ((She cannot love a little boy!))
DIO!
PAPA!
CLARA!
CLARA!
CLARA, MIA LUCE, MIO COR! ((Clara, my light, my heart!))
L’ESSENZA CHE Ml MANCAVA ((The essence I was missing))
SEI TU. ((Is you.))
SEI TU ((Is you))
CLARA!
CLARA!
CLARA, MIA LUCE, MIO COR! ((Clara, my light, my heart!))
L’ESSENZA CHE MI MANCAVA (((The essence I was missing))
SEI TU. ((Is you.))
SEI TU ((Is you))
CLARA!
CLARA!
CLARA, MIA LUCE, MIO COR! ((Clara, my light, my heart!))
SOLO NEL BUIO. ((I was alone in the dark.))
NON ERO VIVO! ((I wasn’t alive!))
O DIO, DAMMI LA MIA CLARA! ((Oh God, give me my Clara!))
O PADRE, LA SUA LUCE… ((Oh Father, her light …))