American opera legend Renée Fleming will make her London stage debut opposite television star Dove Cameron in the London premiere of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.

Directed by Chichester Festival Theatre’s current artistic director, Daniel Evans, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA runs at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 14th June next year. PIAZZA has design by Rob Jones, costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel and lighting by Mark Henderson. The production will feature Opera North’s forty-piece orchestra, conducted by Kimberley Grigsby.

Fleming, a four time Grammy winner and Tony nominee, will play the role of Margaret. This production marks Fleming’s second foray into musical theatre, following a run as Nettie in CAROUSEL on Broadway earlier this year. Fleming leads the cast alongside Dove Cameron as Clara. Cameron is known to audiences from her roles in various Disney Channel series and films, such as Liv and Maddie, and Descendants. She is currently set to star on stage in New York, in an Off-Broadway musical adaptation of the cult 90s teen movie CLUELESS later this month.

Speaking on the production, Fleming said: ‘For my London theatre debut, to play Margaret Johnson—a fascinating, deeply human character whose predicament I find incredibly moving—this was an opportunity I couldn’t resist’.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA marks the first production for new company Scenario Two. Founded by John Berry and Anthony Lilley, the company aims to bring together top talent of opera, theatre, television, film and beyond. Berry said: ‘By bringing together a cast from different genres we hope to appeal to a wide audience and make this limited run of performances a ‘must see event’ before it travels to the USA’.

First produced in Seattle in 2003, Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel’s musical adaptation of Elizabeth Spencer’s novella, is set in 1950s Florence, Italy. The show follows a wealthy Southern women Margaret, and her young daughter Clara. When Clara falls in love with a young Italian man, Margaret is forced not only to consider Clara’s future, but her own deep seated hopes and regrets. THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA transferred to Broadway in 2005, where it won the Tony Award for Best Original Score, and picked up a nomination for Best New Musical.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA runs at Southbank Centre from 14th June for 20 performances only. Tickets for the run go on general sale from 16th November.