It would have been Sondheim’s debut production and in many ways, one can see the rawness of this composer. For one, there’s a gentleness to it, a romantic sense of fun that is very much atypical for a man much better known for his cynical view on the world. And for another, there’s a more direct tunefulness, the music lacking the complexity that has characterised his oeuvre but in all honesty, not much the worse for it.
Anna Francolini and Sam Newman are a delight on ‘So Many People’, likewise Tracie Bennett and Mark Haddigan on ‘I Remember That’, Newman also shines on ‘Class’ and James Millard ‘s ‘Exhibit A’ in another strong track. Some of the accents may be a little shaky (the show is set in Brooklyn) and there’s little sense of the narrative coming through unaided by a synopsis.