I'm thunderstruck that this musical is considered a classic. The thin story is watchable, but the musical numbers are nothing but immediately forgettable. I've seen Laura Bernanti before in the Lincoln Center revival of "My Fair Lady," and she can be spectacular as well as funny. But the songs here don't justify her almost-operatic voice. Full disclosure: I watched this online and by the second act, I started fast-forwarding through the songs. It's hard to believe the same composer/lyricist team that wrote the immortal score for "Fiddler on the Roof" produced this score. Great sets, great costumes. But a two-hour snooze.

This delightful musical is one of those little gems that rarely comes up with a success on Broadway. This happens to be the third production of the show on Broadway, and without a doubt one of the most attractive sets in recent memory. But in a Broadway musical, you don't come out singing the sets, and composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick came up with a totally gorgeous score for this frequently utilized plot. This production was my second visit to the Budapest perfume shop, first having seen an excellent Los Angeles production from the Reprise company starring Rebecca Luker. Considering that Luker had already revived several musicals in roles which Barbara Cook originated, she was a perfect choice, but that production was only several years after the previous Broadway production, so a return at that time was not considered.

The 2016 Roundabout production of thus show cast Tony winner Laura Benanti in the role of feisty Amelia Balash, tough on the outside, but romantic and too filled in the heart where everything that matters is formulated. It's hate at first sight for Benanti and veteran clerk Zachary Levi who resents her being hired and her high and mighty outwardly attitude. But there's a secret between them that even they are unaware of: they are secret pen pals, and while you'd think an "eew" factor would keep them apart, well...think again.

Having won a Tony for seducing Antonio Banderas while swinging from the ceiling wearing nothing but a bed sheet, Jane Krakowski practically tops that with her energetic, lovable performance as the lovelorn sexy clerk fearing the lack of matrimonial prospects, basically used by nefarious playboy clerk Gavin Creel for commitment free encounters, and this all sends aging store owner Byron Jennings on edge, especially when he learns that one of his clerks is seeking his (unseen) wife, and it all comes to a head when these conflicts explode as the busy Christmas holidays approach.

There's definitely a romantic atmosphere abound in this glorious show, featuring way too many glorious melodies to mention. The cast is letter perfect, with Benanti glittering in her multi layered characterization, stubborn and funny, hopeful and sweet, yet independent in her way of looking at life. Zachary Levi fills his role with absolute charm, with Gavin Creel deliciously smarmy as the sex obsessed lothario who misses out on a good thing with the devoted Krakowski. Peter Bartlett scores in delight as a huffy head waiter, while Tom McGowan is huggable as the sadder and wiser older clerk. Nicholas Barasch is the type of growing young man that older women in the audience want to slip in their purse and adopt, especially when he sings of his own ambitions, not content with just running people down on his bike as he makes deliveries. After seeing this, you too may be craving vanilla ice cream and searching for your own romantic atmosphere, especially when you get near to those twelve days to Christmas.

Shining 2016 Broadway production of this beloved and nearly perfect musical stars Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski, and Gavin Creel as employees of a perfume shop in 1930s Budapest. Superb music and lyrics by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick propel the story so well, the 140 minutes fly by.

The story goes back to the original Hungarian play by Miklos Laszlo, which was adapted for the 1940 Hollywood film THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER starring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. A musical version followed in 1949 as IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson. The first Broadway musical production in 1963 went back to the original play and starred Barbara Cook, Daniel Massey, Barbara Baxley, and Jack Cassidy. This production was revived in 1993 with Boyd Gaines and Judy Kuhn and again here in 2016. There was also a British TV movie in 1978 starring Robin Ellis and Gemma Craven, based on a West End stage production. The story was also used for the 1998 film YOU'VE GOT MAIL, which starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Story has battling co-workers Benanti and Levi who each writes lonelyheart letters to "dear friend." They have no idea that they are writing to each other. The romantic story unfolds amid tensions and work and the problems of fellow employees.

Benanti and Levi are wonderful as the would-be lovers Amalia and Georg. They act and sing well. Krakowski nearly steals the show as the hard-luck Ilona, and Creel is snarky as Kodaly. Co-stars include Byron Jennings as the store owners, Nicholas Barasch as the delivery boy, Michael McMcGrath as toady Sipos, Peter Bartlett as the frantic head waiter, and Michael Fatica as the busboy.

The many variations on stage and screen of the well-loved story missed out on what may have been the definitive version. At one point, Julie Andrews planned a film version of the musical but it never got made after musicals fell out of favor at the box office. She would have been a sublime Amalia.