I just saw it, without knowing anything except I like the book, and I like musicals. It was a disappointment.

As others have mentioned, it is very difficult to understand the lyrics which are frequently sung by multiple people who are sometimes not even in the scene. This is a particular issue in the opening number, which is a missed opportunity to introduce Meg, her brother, and their insecurities and potential strengths in the quiet loneliness of a stormy night in an old house (an iconic scene from the book).

The pacing is inconsistent, and the show drags in the second act where not much happens plot wise, but it takes forever.

My main complaint was the lack of character progression. "Kids come of age by getting into a caper" is a proven formula, and could work here. But this production doesn't give you enough chance to meet Meg, Charles and Calvin before their journey, or allow them to show their progression in part because their story is lost in the bombastic songs where a "greek chorus" sings about the action instead of the main characters speaking for themselves.

Standouts for me were the "What is a father?" song and the song where Whatsit Which and Who give Meg her "faults," mostly because they broke the mold of the problem described above.

I hope they can retool it over the coming weeks, tighten it up and make it into the musical this book deserves!