Not that I'm saying its Act I is weak -- not with "Another Hot Day,"
"Rain Song" (my favorite number in the show), and "Old Maid."
But it's so unusually structured (following the lead of the source
play): Act II is virtually a two-person chamber musical, playing out
in what feels like real time, with occasional cutaways to other
doings. It pulls the characters together after the Act I setup, and
has a different feel and pacing. Each time I see it, I'm reminded how
different its two-act structure is from that of other musicals -- to
good purpose.
JAC
So would ANYONE CAN WHISTLE have the best of all musical third acts? :)
Hardly. The Most Happy Fella's third act is extremely emotional,
filled with love and forgiveness. It far outshines Anyone Can
Whistle's ponderous piffle. (I'd take No No Nanette's over ACW,
although Threepenny's third is better than both.)