07/08 main season

inspired by mozart and beaumarchais
adapted by steven epp and dominique serrand
directed by dominique serrand
theatre de la jeune lune’s production
the roda theatre
april 25–june 8, 2008
west coast premiere

running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes,
including one 15 minute intermission

the art

After bringing us a delicious date with The Miser in 2006, the Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune returns with another eccentric take on a timeless text. Figaro marries music from Mozart’s magnificent opera with famous characters from the plays of Beaumarchais to create an accessible and exceptional new show. In this West Coast premiere, Figaro and the Count recall their rivalries years later—amidst the bloodshed of the French Revolution. Steven Epp—the Miser himself—tackles the title role, while director Dominique Serrand portrays his fallen master. Lush video sets the scene as a cast of accomplished singers surrender to intrigue and seduction. In Figaro, juicy love triangles bed down with ruthless satire of a class-conscious culture. It’s a revolutionary experience that’s the perfect birthday gift for Berkeley Rep.

the artists

An inventor, musician and playwright—and at times a spy, revolutionary and gunrunner—Pierre Beaumarchais ranks among the most influential French writers of the 18th century. His life was full of sex and scandal, and his plays overflowed with wicked wit and cutting social commentary. Beaumarchais wrote The Marriage of Figaro using characters from his previous success, The Barber of Seville, but the play was banned for years because of its vigorous critique of the aristocracy.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is without question one of the greatest composers of all time. A child prodigy who wrote his first symphony when only eight years old, he composed an incredible 626 works that also include operas, concertos and sonatas. His eternal music is beautiful and balanced, voluptuous and harmonious. In addition to The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s revered operas include Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.

Dominique Serrand is the artistic director of Theatre de la Jeune Lune, which won the 2006 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. His previous hits at Berkeley Rep include The Green Bird and The Miser.

the buzz

“Soaring on the gorgeously sung melodies of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and infused with comic gravitas and thematic depth by masterful lead performers Dominique Serrand and Steven Epp as the aged Count and Figaro, Theatre de la Jeune Lune’s latest creation is an ingeniously funny and poignant, 3-hour blend of Mozart, three plays by Beaumarchais and bits of French Revolution history. Written by Epp and directed and designed by Serrand, the play looks back in hilarity, wonder and remorse at the opera from the vantage of an aristocrat and his servant hiding out in Paris during the Reign of Terror.”—San Francisco Chronicle (capsule review in its entirety)

“Inspired…A colorful burst of high-tech theatrical fireworks and a dazzling display of imagination…They obviously had entertainment uppermost in mind, and filled the auditorium with an astonishing of theatrical mastery ranging from commedia to opera (indeed, a good half of the show featured songs from the Mozart opera)…The show’s remarkably skillful cast uses an array of devices, ranging from song and dance to large videos projections on the walls to live video with enormous close-ups of the actors underlining action…It is no less than a lavish theatrical feast.”—Contra Costa Times

“Glorious eccentricity…The musical scenes captivate so entirely, the singers bend the notes with such passion…One startling tableaux after another teases the eye…hypnotic.”—San Jose Mercury News

“Figaro is a considerable accomplishment…Dominique Serrand, who also staged the show, and Steven Epp are wonderful as the elder Count and Figaro. Serrand’s Count is an aged, disheveled rake—he looks like an unmade bed—while Epp’s Figaro is already disillusioned with the revolution that had promised so much. What’s funny is that they hate each other, but they can’t let go…It is intriguing…though the dominant tone of this engaging, multimedia production is a kind of wistful sadness.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“hilarious fun…part play, part opera and, despite a dejected Figaro, all gleeful romp. This Figaro sports the sedition in Beaumarchais’ original play and revels in the glorious singing of Mozart’s score…surrender to the flow, and it develops into a delightful frolic with fine singing.”—Talkin’ Broadway

“unforgettable…It is almost embarrassing to gush so unashamedly about the beauty of the music, the brilliant conception of the piece, the masterful performances of the actors and singers, and the sure hand of the director that takes us from joy and ecstasy to a final conflagration that consumes all hope.”—Pulse

the dates

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press photos

 

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production sponsors

The Mechanics Bank

 

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restaurant sponsor

 

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season sponsors