Critical Reaction

Critical Reaction

"Music is the food of love, or so I hear, and Mr. Brown gives us plenty of rich fare to feast on. ...[He] brings layered textures of yearning to his songs for Francesca that make us experience the world through her startled, newly awakened senses."
– The New York Times

"[Contains] moments of musical-theater nirvana. ...Songs like 'What Do You Call a Man?' and 'Almost Real' have a heartbreaking beauty. ...[The] songs brilliantly mix a sense of intimacy with near-operatic grandeur."
– The New York Post

"Jason Robert Brown has written a lush and deeply romantic score, filled with rich and melodic duets that show off its leads' terrific voices."
– Entertainment Weekly

"The characters express the overwhelming nature of their feelings for each other in beautiful solo songs as well as soaring duets. ...Brown's score samples disparate styles, from heartland country flavors similar to last season's short-lived Hands on a Hardbody to more sophisticated melodies in the Stephen Sondheim vein."
– The Hollywood Reporter

"[A] touching doomed romance that features a superb, thrilling score by Jason Robert Brown."
– The Huffington Post

"A ravishingly beautiful musical play."
– Newsday

"The staging and writing add welcome layers of complexity and context, and Brown's score combines consistently intelligent lyrics with diverse, inventive melodies."
– TimeOut New York

"Brown's score... provides a few affecting showcases for his vocally supple leading couple. The closing number, 'Always Better,' a wistfully melodic reflection on different kinds of love and sacrifice, is best."
– USA Today