Last night, the new musical The Story Of My Life opened on Broadway at the Booth Theatre. Today, the Broadway critics have voiced their opinions. The small cast, chamber-musical tells the story of the friendship between two men, a famous writer and his friend and inspiration. The critical response from the opening night critics has been negative to mixed, though even positive reviews noted that the musical may not have the size or power for a long run on Broadway. Praise was balanced for the performance, production, and score which echoes Sondheim according to multiple reviewers. Can this new small-scale musical translate earnestness into box office success on Broadway? We’ll know soon enough. A sample of critics’ reviews below:

• I don’t think it’s spoiling anything to tell you that Mr. Gets’s character is dead when the show begins. So, for all practical purposes, is “The Story of My Life.”
-Ben Brantley, New York Times

• I hate to say it, but “The Story of My Life” reminded me of “Glory Days,” last year’s small-scale Broadway musical about male friendship, which closed after one performance and a chorus of critical catcalls.
-Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal

• In a Broadway world of big musicals determined to sell themselves, this gentle new show celebrates softly but with an emotional pull that slowly wins you over.
-Michael Kuchwara, AP

• While the authors clearly want their characters’ relationship to be ambiguous, here ambiguity ends up being synonymous with cop-out, depriving theatergoers of the full story of these men’s lives.
-David Finkle, Theatermania

• “The Story of My Life” is a singing Hallmark card. The show hijacks Bobby from “Company” and folds him into a labor-of-creativity scenario a la “Sunday in the Park With George,” then pussyfoots coyly around its burning question of unrequited, undeclared love.
-David Rooney, Variety

• “The Story Of My Life” is about as lean as a musical can get. Broadway-goers expecting more bang for their buck may be disappointed, but I found it artistically consummate.
-Roma Torre, NY 1

• You’ve really got to admire the chutzpah of the producers of “The Story of My Life” for putting on a show with no real audience appeal of any kind. In spite of its honest sincerity and somewhat imaginative storytelling, it’s just way too small to be on Broadway.
-Matt Windman, am New York