Love the score, but I do think the book drags it down. I saw a decent production of it in Chicago last year and I was excited to finally see the show. And perhaps it was the direction, but the second half was quite leaden, the structure of the show was a bit hackneyed, and the content rarely ever scratched the surface of a very basic and episodic narrative. The story basically played out like a brief newspaper article on the event rather than revealing much insight into the man, his relationships and the effect the stakes of his plight may have on others. There was some business with his brother, but even that came across as more of a Hallmark moment. I guess with all the praise the show had received, I was thinking it may end up being more like Piazza in its depth, but what I experienced seemed like the opposite.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian