Out of the Box Theatre Company has gained a reputation for smart productions of “unusual” rock musicals with high standards and a big quotient of fun and challenging material. This time out, with “Amelie,” based on the smash hit movie of the same name, OotB has gone in a more pop direction, perhaps aiming to please a wider audience. The play itself is a pleasant though slightly non-sensical romp set in and around Paris, with nice musical numbers and a certain surreal quality. Out of the Box gives the affair a jolt of their usual energy and panache, moving everything along at fast pace toward the inevitable happy ending as the cast of slightly crazy and somewhat lost souls are helped along to fulfillment by the generosity of the intimacy-shy Amelie who eventually is forced to give in to her own destiny. A fun and crowd pleasing show!
