A new chapter begins in the already long history of Teatro da Palmilha Dentada. The Porto company makes an unprecedented incursion into classical repertoire. But here is an advance warning: this The Bourgeois Gentleman is not “by” but rather “based upon” Molière, an expedient that both indicates a source and marks an appropriation. Ricardo Alves and his troupe revisit this 1670 evergreen, an extravagant and colourful ballet-comedy written in collaboration with the composer Lully, mixing dances and songs. A portrait of all-devouring ambition and all-purchasing nouveaux riches, O Burguês Fidalgo continues to speak about us and our cities, in short: about our ugliness.