Word: figaro
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...popular works into one massive play, which would cover topics ranging from romance, inequality and greed, and would even stay funny while doing it. But as wonderfully acted and produced as the Loeb's version of Robert MacDonald's adaptation of The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro is, it lacks a certain something. Maybe the idea works for breath mints, but somehow putting two, two, two plays in one just doesn't quite make...
Before discussing the script, thought, it is only fair to give the Loeb players their due; and certainly, they deserve a rave. From Jon Goerner, who balances Figaro's cynical honesty with just the right degree of humor, to Linda Cameron, Figaro's master's love, to Jonathan Prince, the hilarious flunky who serves the highest bidder, the cast is one of the best assembled in some time at the Loeb. If at times we are given a few too many slapstick gags, these times are few. For the most part, the buffoonery is nicely balanced by a moment...
...done a spectacular job with all the technical aspects of the production. From the opening moments, the play is a riot of color, with elaborate costumes, scenery and lighting giving the show a wonderfully festive air. Like the actors, the technical staff has done its best to keep Figaro from dragging. And its best is very, very good...
...Figaro doesn't fall on its face, by any means; but it comes close enough to make one wonder at the disparity between the production and the book. It's hard to figure out quite what the problem is, but as the play moves into its third hour, it begins to dawn on you. Basically, this is two plays, with two not-quite-linked plots put on either side of the intermission...
...Marriage of Figaro, at least as presented in this version, is a little less cutesy. To begin with, there's a major shift in mood: Figaro is not straight comedy, which The Barber certainly is. Instead, it is a fairly cynical look at marriage (the four-years-later episode of Count Almaviva and Rosina's romance), the master-servant relationship (the Count repays Figaro's first act help by demanding the droit du signeur of Figaro's bride), all made more complicated than necessary by intrigues and mishaps. The cast manages generally to overcome the mood-change by keeping...