Elegies - A Song Cycle by William Finn
William Finn's career in the musical theater is pretty remarkable considering that he doesn't write traditional show tunes--much less traditional shows. But Finn has a gift for catchy melodies and his emotionally engaging work has a way of intimately connecting with audiences (during the initial run ofElegies, hardened New Yorkers could be seen trying to hide their tears). Though no storyline links these songs, they are united by the underlining idea of loss; in turn funny, tender, witty, biting and quietly devastating, they form a unified tapestry. Musically, Finn can turn out perky little numbers and powerful ballads--"Anytime (I Am  There)" could conceivably be a hit if some contemporary pop diva did  it. Led by Betty Buckley and Carolee Carmello, the cast is completely  in sync with the material. Some of the narrative-heavy pieces recall  Michel Legrand's sung-through work (and there are Legrand-like  flourishes on "Monica & Mark"), but in the end Finn is very much his  own man: There's nobody quite like him in the American  musical-theater world, andElegiesjust brings more evidence of  that.--Elisabeth Vincentelli