singer234 said: "The show was in significantly worse shape in the most recent reading than it was at PMP. It was like they left all the parts that needed fixing untouched and messed with everything that made it magical before. I was kinda shocked at the changes as someone who has seen it in all 3 incarnations. I thought the most recent version was the worst yet and it made me sad because I love the material...or I did."
It's awful how often this happens. Exactly what happened to Welch's Gatsby leading up to ART, like a crisis of confidence when the project met its director. It was a tremendous score as written but nearly all of the most memorable hooks and theatrical gestures were cut. (Hopefully that won't be the last word, and it was still certainly a hell of a lot better than whatever is on Broadway is supposed to be.)