Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Elena Shaddow has the wrong color hair or at least she thought that was the case during her three auditions for the romantic Adam Guettel musical "The Light in the Piazza."
The role of Clara, a young woman with a mental disability caused by a childhood accident, went to blonde Kelli O'Hara. Her replacement, Katie Clarke, was another blonde with similar features.
So when they called Shaddow a brunette in yet again, this time to cast the national tour, she assumed it was a lost cause.
Apparently, hair color is no match for talent.
"The Light in the Piazza," which won Guettel the Tony for best score, is running at the Ahmanson Theatre, with Shaddow as its ingénue.
"I thought they would never give it to me," said Shaddow, who has worked steadily on Broadway since her senior year at New York University, when she was cast as the understudy for Cosette in "Les Miserables." "I went back because I never turn down an audition and a chance to make a good impression."
It was a big decision for Shaddow to take a long national tour, because it meant not being seen for new shows in New York for more than a year.
"But shows like this don't come along very often," she said. "It's so romantic and funny, and the score is hauntingly beautiful. The New York Times review called it the most romantic score since ¿West Side Story.'"
The show's book, written by Craig Lucas, is based on a story by Elizabeth Spencer. It was first published in The New Yorker as a novella in 1960, and was adapted for a 1962 film starring Olivia de Havilland, George Hamilton and Yvette Mimieux as Clara (yes, Mimieux is also a blonde).
The story concerns Margaret (Christine Andreas) and her daughter Clara (Shaddow), American tourists in Italy. Clara falls in love at first sight with Fabrizio Naccarelli (David Burnham), but Margaret attempts to thwart the romance to shield her daughter, who suffers from brain damage after a horse kicked her as a child.
In addition to "Light in the Piazza," Guettel also is known for the critically acclaimed "Floyd Collins," which premiered in 1996 at New York's Playwrights Horizons.
No less than dance icon Tommy Tune, while in town earlier this year with "Dr. Doolittle," called "Light in the Piazza" his favorite musical ever, having seen it a half-dozen times.
The role of Clara gives Shaddow her first chance as a lead in a major production. The Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native began as a pianist but in high school began singing in high school shows.
While at New York University, she landed her first professional role, Katie in "The Student Prince," at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass.
"Then, when I was senior, I was working my $10-an-hour school job and I got the call to audition for ¿Les Miz.' I've been working ever since," Shaddow said. "I feel pretty lucky, but at the same time, it's taken a lot of work. I am always out there, making phone calls and auditioning."
Shaddow is taking a break from that for now. The tour began in August and currently is scheduled to run through next spring. (The show will open May 1, 2007, in Costa Mesa.)
The actress, who has not spent much time in Los Angeles, is looking forward to her six-week stay. But she's not quite ready to leave Broadway for Hollywood.
"There is something to be said for knowing what you're best at," Shaddow said. "I've got a really good thing going now in New York, and I want to see if I can originate a ¿ Broadway role and go from there. And for now I get to sing these incredible songs for people all over the country."
@1-Bytitle: E-mail freelance columnistJeff Favre at jjfavre@yahoo.com.
postCount('G40Vla02EV5110119'); | postCountTB('G40Vla02EV5110119');
To see more of InsideVC.com, or to subscribe, go to www.InsideVC.com.
� 2006 InsideVC.com. All Rights Reserved.
