Historically, Remy Bumppo has focused on careful, thoughtful readings of classic texts, much of the time to the detriment of the staging. Indeed, I find that many of their production veer on the (overly?) safe, conservative side. Hence, in this go-around, I applaud Remy Bumppo for taking a chance on an uber-stylish and stylized staging of Beaumarchais's (as as adapted by Ranjit Bolt) farce, "The Marriage of Figaro", the play immortalized by Mozart's opera. I also applaud the committed cast for working over-time to amuse the audience. However, unlike the concurrent production of "Don't Dress for Dinner", this one lacks the infectious giddy energy to hit this one out of the ballpark. I'd like to blame director Jonathan Barry and his stylized production (as opposed to the capable actors) for this; much of the show is I think too choreographed to set the characters free to rely on their individual comedic chops. Now only if these folks can strike the perfect balance, as these folks did years ago with their stunning production of Tom Stoppard's "Hapgood".Rating: **1/2 (out of *****)
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