I just saw A Catered Affair today, and I really liked it. Yes, it has some flaws, but I found myself being very moved by it. I actually thought they did a really good job with blending some of the period elements, but still making it not seem emotionally dated. My only complaint would be with the ending. I thought it was a little bit of a cop out. Overall though I'm very glad I saw it.
It sounds sort of like the part of Cliff in Cabaret. In the original his sexuality is only hinted at, and then in the movie its broader, until the recent revival where it just flat-out says he's basically gay. Times change, and so maybe Harvey was just updating the the show a little. It seems like a beautiful piece.
I'm not saying you can't like the show, but can you give us more feedback as to why you didn't enjoy it? What was so awful about the direction?