Worth noting, the way the book was described in the first first revival, in 1995
"Though the new production pretends to be timeless, the talk of relationships and commitment forever anchors the show in the 1970's, when sending up such jargon seemed a much wittier endeavor than it does in the 1990's. Mr. Furth's plotless book is no longer startling, but it provides a serviceable frame for the Sondheim music and words." Vincent Canby, NY Times, 10/6/1995
And then:
"The actors are mainly bland, a fault that stings all the worse in the parts of the show that have become dated, both in language (“stewardess,” “grass,” “make it”) and outlook (the young generation doesn’t look at thirtysomethings as the enemy anymore, except maybe when the grown-ups won’t stop bugging them for new MP3s)," Jeremy McCarter, NY Magazine, 11/30/2006 |