Jackster, an excellent post. I'd like to point people interested to an article I wrote on the differences - or lack thereof - between opera and musicals:
http://mondomusicals.blogspot.com/2008/02/musicals-operettas-operas-whats.html
I don't think there's any hard & fast rule about what should or should not be sung-through. One thing about Jim's songs is that they are not necessarily expository - they are more about mood, description and inner dialog. I feel that to work on stage, some dialog is almost always going to be necessary and welcome. And no offense, but if "Tanz" is anything to go by, he's not got a huge store of previously-unheard melodies to which recitives may be set. I think a book-musical "Bat" - provided the book is high quality - is the best bet.
> > > > > > > of the greatest lyricists ever to be writing dialogue. Jim
> > > > > > > has the talent of both George and Ira Gershwin.
Much as I love Jim, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree on that one.
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