A star-studded show that hits some, misses others.
When you hear the name Figaro, your mind might wander to the operatic mischief of The Barber of Seville or The Marriage of Figaro. But Figaro: A Musical, with music by Ashley Jana and a book by Will Nunziata, tries to carve out its own space in the musical theatre world—and while it has moments of brilliance, it also left me perplexed more than once. T
The story trails Sienna (Cayleigh Capaldi), a restless dreamer eager to escape her small-town existence in a provincial Italy. Her life takes a dramatic turn after an unexpected meeting with two orphans, Amelia and Gianni, which leads her into the orbit of the mysterious and magnetic showman, Figaro (Jon Robyns). Figaro promises her a shot at stardom, but his guidance soon reveals itself to be a tangled web of mistakes, compromises and difficult choices.
The cast is packed with musical theatre royalty, and their performances alone make it worth the ticket. Jon Robyns and Aimie Atkinson are absolute powerhouses on stage. Robyns, as always, brings a commanding presence and flawless vocals, while Atkinson lights up the room with her charisma and razor-sharp delivery. You could tell from the roaring applause after each of their songs that the audience was packed with fans who were here for them—and they didn’t disappoint.
Then there are the child actors, Cian Eagle-Service and Sophia Goodman, who completely stole the show whenever they were on stage. Both are already seasoned pros, and they were handed some of the best, funniest lines in the script. Their comedic timing was spot-on, and you could feel the audience collectively melt every time they delivered a punchline.
A standout for me was Ava Brennan in the role of Gia. Her character had a bit more depth than the rest—probably because she was one of the few with an actual backstory—and Brennan made the most of it. She brought layers of vulnerability and strength to Gia that made her feel like the most grounded part of the whole production.
Visually, the show nails it. The staging is atmospheric and immersive, pulling you into this slightly chaotic world. The lighting and set design do a lot of heavy lifting, creating mood and texture even when the plot feels a bit all over the place.
Here’s where things get tricky. Sitting in the audience, I overheard someone behind me say, “It feels like it was written by an AI,” and honestly? I kind of get it. The story felt like a mishmash of Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Oliver!, without the emotional through-line to tie it all together.
At times, it felt more like a vanity project—a chance for the creators to pull in their talented friends from the musical theatre world for a few nights on the Palladium stage. And while the performances were top-notch, the narrative left me wondering who exactly this show was for.
This confusion was most obvious in the show’s tone. On one hand, you’ve got these funny child actors delivering sweet, light-hearted moments. On the other, there are raunchier numbers—especially from Aimie Atkinson—that felt completely out of place in a musical with kids. It was like the show couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be family-friendly or an edgier, adult-oriented piece.
Musically, while the cast gave their all, none of the songs really stuck with me. And for a musical, that’s a bit of a problem. I wanted to leave the Palladium with at least one tune bouncing around in my head, but instead, all I could remember were the powerhouse vocals—not the songs themselves.
Figaro: A Musical is one of those shows where the performances outshine the material. The cast—especially Jon Robyns, Aimie Atkinson, and Ava Brennan—are worth the price of admission alone. It’s a show that feels like it’s still searching for its identity. With some tightening of the narrative and more memorable songs, Figaro could be something special. But as it stands, it’s a star-studded ride that dazzles in moments but doesn’t quite hit the high notes it’s aiming for.