An Evening on Broadway reads like a musical-theatre fan’s dream: Australians Amy Manford and Josh Piterman, whose many triumphs include The Phantom of the Opera’s leading roles on the West End; a top orchestra, the MSO, conducted by the show’s curator, Jessica Gethin; and nearly two hours of classic tunes from the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim and Lloyd Webber.

What’s not to like? The sound mix for this first of four concerts, whose problems may be more pronounced where I am seated in the circle, roughly opposite the massive speakers above the stage.

An Evening on Broadway: Amy Manford and Josh Piterman. Photo @ Laura Manariti

Of course, the MSO needs to be amplified for musical theatre’s colourful, textured scores, so that balance is achieved across instruments from harp to a plentiful array of percussion.

However, the treble is so high until late in the concert’s first half that the percussion often sounds tinny, and the strings wail in the title song from Sunset Boulevard.

It is more problematic...