▁refuse ▁to ▁cond esc end ▁to ▁their ▁own ▁characters , ▁from ▁the ▁small - town spe ople ▁Billy ▁grows ▁up ▁with ▁to ▁the ▁w ry , ▁knowing ▁employees ▁at ▁Alice ' s ▁highly ▁regarded ▁journal ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁As he ville .... The ▁tone ▁in ▁which ▁that ▁story ▁is ▁delivered ▁can ▁also ▁wob ble ▁a ▁bit , ▁especially ▁later ▁on , ▁when ▁what ▁seems ▁dest ined ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁maj estic , ▁Ham mer stein - es que ▁resolution ▁is ▁mit ig ated ▁by ▁z any ▁musical - com edy ▁fl our ishes . ▁Still , ▁in ▁what ▁may ▁well ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁rich est ▁Broadway ▁season ▁for ▁new ▁musical s ▁in ▁dec ades , ▁this ▁g ently ▁sh ining ▁Star ▁holds ▁its ▁own ." ▁ ▁Rec ording ▁The ▁original ▁Broadway ▁cast ▁album , ▁produced ▁by ▁Ghost light ▁Records , ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁and ▁released ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁in ▁stores . ▁It ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁digital ▁format ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁The ▁album ▁pe aked ▁at ▁number ▁two ▁on ▁the ▁US ▁Cast ▁albums ▁chart ▁and ▁to pped ▁the ▁US ▁Bl u egr ass ▁and ▁Amer icana / F olk ▁Albums ▁charts , ▁the ▁first ▁cast ▁recording ▁to ▁enter ▁either ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁two ▁chart . ▁In ▁its ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁recording , ▁N PR ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁" ▁inter lock ing ▁narr ative ▁can ' t ▁help ▁but ▁lose ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁detail