This production, of songs by David Shire and Richard Maltby, takes an unconventional look at various kinds of relationships, including love, family, obsession, friendship and rejection. There is no single narrative; each song presents a snapshot of one particular aspect and tells a complete story in itself.
The performance opens with Doors, an ensemble number, and then moves straight into She Loves Me Not. This features two men and one woman in a complicated and funny relationship. Initially, it seems to be a conventional situation where one man loves the woman but she loves the other man. However, all is not as it seems.
In You Wanna Be My Friend, a woman whose lover wants to break up with her but to stay as friends, makes it abundantly clear that the last thing she needs is another friend.
Often, the songs appear to be leading us in one direction before suddenly changing course. Miss Byrd tells the story of what appears to be a quiet mousy secretary, who we discover has a wild sex life.
In Father Of Fathers, the young father of a new-born baby is juxtaposed with another man who has just taken on the role of caring for his elderly, dying father. This is the most serious and moving song of the whole cycle.
This is an excellent selection of songs, performed well by experienced and talented singers. Well worth seeing.
