The 1970 Broadway production received mixed critical reception at the time, but some contemporary critics remember it fondly, and it's noted as being an important piece of musical theatre history as being the first well-known concept musical.
The 1995 Broadway revival - the first since the initial Broadway run - used a sparse set and an energetic cast to tell the story of love in New York. Critics worried that the musical was dated and inaccessible to a contemporary audience, a concern that would follow the musical in many subsequent productions.
The most recent Broadway revival, in 2006, had a smaller-than-usual cast play their own instruments. This device, critics suggest, provided a reason for the non-musician Robert to want to join the world of his musically inclined married friends, as the book of the musical itself doesn't offer strong motivation for him to want to be like them. (This concern is reflected across critical responses to multiple productions.)
The 1995 Broadway revival - the first since the initial Broadway run - used a sparse set and an energetic cast to tell the story of love in New York. Critics worried that the musical was dated and inaccessible to a contemporary audience, a concern that would follow the musical in many subsequent productions.
The most recent Broadway revival, in 2006, had a smaller-than-usual cast play their own instruments. This device, critics suggest, provided a reason for the non-musician Robert to want to join the world of his musically inclined married friends, as the book of the musical itself doesn't offer strong motivation for him to want to be like them. (This concern is reflected across critical responses to multiple productions.)