These 2 Bandits Are No Bonnie and Clyde

Beyond the show’s two maids, the most riveting aspect of “Wanted” is the sly way in which Pfeiffer’s Mary goes from real gold digger to committed lover with her follow-up song, “The Way I Am.” With these two back-to-back hits, Ross Baum delivers beguiling melodies that are a kind of elevated recitative. Elsewhere, this Broadway-debutant composer comes down with a bad case of anthem-itis. Several songs begin small and promisingly, but after a stanza or two, the tunes inevitably go big and quickly crescendo into deafening. It’s difficult to tell if the audience is applauding the performer or the sound design by Gareth Owens.