▁of ▁Y ale ▁Re pert ory ▁Theater ▁in ▁New ▁H aven , ▁and ▁this ▁served ▁to ▁provide ▁the ▁basic ▁material ▁for ▁the ▁musical . ▁ ▁The ▁musical ▁was ▁originally ▁co - produ ced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁by ▁Br ust ein ' s ▁American ▁Re pert ory ▁Theatre   ▁in ▁Cambridge , ▁Massachusetts ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Music ▁Theatre ▁Festival ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁and ▁was ▁directed , ▁ch ore ograph ed ▁and ▁edited ▁by ▁David ▁Gordon , ▁who ▁one ▁critic ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" a uteur " ▁of ▁the ▁production . ▁Crit ic ▁John ▁L ahr , ▁writing ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York er ▁about ▁the ▁show ▁in ▁its ▁run ▁at ▁AR T , ▁said ▁that ▁Gordon ' s ▁" f resh ▁and ▁elegant ▁production ▁... ▁filters ▁a ▁traditional ▁tale ▁through ▁an ▁avant - gar de ▁a est h etic " ▁and ▁has ▁" an ▁element ▁of ▁wonder . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁it ▁d ares ▁the ▁musical ▁to ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁its ▁beg inn ings ▁and ▁start ▁again ." ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁production ▁subsequently ▁played ▁at ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Center ▁Ser ious ▁Fun ▁Festival , ▁the ▁American ▁Conserv atory ▁Theater ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁the ▁Ge ffen ▁Play house ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁– ▁where ▁it ▁earned ▁Gordon ▁D rama - Log ue ▁Awards ▁for ▁Out standing ▁D irection ▁and ▁Ch ore ography ▁– ▁and ▁also ▁tou red ▁the at res ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁of ▁Florida ▁and ▁in ▁St am ford , ▁Connecticut . ▁ ▁A ▁planned ▁Broadway ▁book ing ▁by ▁Alexander