>Is it actually >worth listening to if you haven't seen the play and don't have >the full context?
It's the type of musical where 95% or more of the dialogue is song. So you get more or less the full show.
What is it that makes this *so* good in your >opinion?
Too much to type. Just listen to it, beginning to end, and be surprised. Any feelings of "corniness" (outside of the usual musical theatery stuff) should vanish after a couple of songs.