▁the ▁music , ▁but ▁felt ▁that , ▁" character izations ▁are ▁distinct ly ▁under co oked . ▁Gu ile less ▁Billy ▁seems ▁un touch ed ▁by ▁w art ime ▁service , ▁too ▁call ow ▁to ▁craft ▁gre eting ▁cards ▁let ▁alone ▁the ▁' s we eping ▁tale ▁of ▁pain ▁and ▁re dem ption ' ▁Alice ▁un account ably ▁expects ▁of ▁him ", ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁show ▁could ▁benefit ▁with ▁higher ▁st akes ▁in ▁its ▁drama . ▁ ▁K ai ▁E lij ah ▁Hamilton ▁of ▁Mountain ▁X press ▁wrote ▁that , ▁" Wh ile ▁Martin ▁and ▁singer - song writer ▁Br ick ell ’ s ▁passion ▁is ▁evident , ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁most ▁authentic ▁representation ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁In cor por ating ▁a ▁deeply ▁root ed ▁Southern ▁writer ▁would ▁have ▁made ▁the ▁journey ▁more ▁reward ing . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁not ▁well ▁sculpt ed , ▁and ▁although ▁the ▁script ▁certainly ▁has ▁its ▁moments , ▁it ▁is ▁largely ▁predict able . ▁However , ▁the ▁music ▁here ▁is ▁truly ▁master ful ▁and ▁becomes ▁a ▁prominent ▁story t elling ▁device ." ▁ ▁Broadway ▁The ▁Broadway ▁production ▁received ▁fairly ▁positive ▁reviews . ▁For ▁instance , ▁E ly sa ▁Gard ner , ▁in ▁her ▁review ▁in ▁USA ▁Today , ▁wrote : ▁"... Martin , ▁a ▁master ▁iron ist , ▁capt ures ▁some ▁of ▁that ▁old - school ▁spirit ▁with ▁a ▁book ▁that ' s ▁as ▁forth right ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁smart , ▁fun ny ▁and ▁char ming .... Martin ▁and ▁Br ick ell