This show, by Stephen Flaherty, book by Terence McNally, is based on EL Doctorow's picaresque novel about the American dream and aspires to be The Great American Musical.
The trouble is Doctorow's plot, meatier than musicals need and much too complicated. McNally's book lacks focus – there are at least three storylines – while Flaherty's score never quite manages to reach the heights, let alone exploit the music genre of the title. His rags are no great shakes, his ballads Lloyd Webberish.
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