There's not really a show here in the true sense of the word if you want a plot. Mr. Riabko opens the show like a concert by speaking off-the-cuff to the audience welcoming them and giving them a bit of background on how the show came about. After he launches into the music, not another word is spoken. It's pure entertainment for sure. The mind is put to work with each tune trying in the early notes and words to figure out just what the old version was and then left to admire the face lift that it has been given.
I had the on-stage seating experience. While there was a lot of butt-watching (they played downstage from us a lot), the one magical thing to be a part of was the sound. I imagine the audience heard the fully mixed and amplified sound out in the classic seats. We, on stage, however, were treated to actual natural, un-amplified vocals and harmonies and sounds directly from the instruments. It was refreshing to hear and I found it remarkable to learn just how talented these young artists actually are.
NYTW seems to be a veritable petrie dish for new artists and unique shows for the past few years (Once and Peter and the Starcatcher both originated here prior to their Broadway transfers). I just wish the play list was published in the Playbill - I left remembering most of the tunes but would have enjoyed looking back on them and remembering the performance even more days afterward too.
And poor Hal David. Nobody gives him as much credit for those lyrics as Mr. Bacharach gets for the music!