For me the production by Trevor Nunn, with its amazing projections on a constantly moving cyclorama, topped the show itself. As Officer Lockstock reminds us... "Nothing kills a show like too much exposition" and this one is loaded with it. It's the most plot heavy musical I can remember and, in true operatic style, the plot is revealed in endless recitative. Much of it is clever thanks to the lyrics of the brilliant David Zippel, but nevertheless it is wearying. There is a decided lack of dramatic thrust.
The second act plays much better than the first, in part because most of the explaining has already been done.
The score is effective and atmospheric without ever erupting into a truly memorable "big tune". And then there's the fact that the Lead is really the comedy relief - Count Fosco, now smartly played by Anthony Andrews. Things perk up whenever he appears but the fact remains that he is decidely peripheral to the main action. By far the biggest audience response was for his second act showstopper, You Can Get Away With Anything, in part thanks to an amazing white rat that scampers over his arms and shoulders and truly stops the show.
All of that said, I must admit that when things finally approached a conclusion I discovered that I was quite moved by it, perhaps because Ruthie Henshall, now playing Marian, brought so much force and charisma to her role that one couldn't help but be affected.
I honestly don't know how it will do on Broadway. It's not Phantom. It's more like Masterpiece Theater with music.
Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!