It's about love, parents and their intentions for their children, and what happens when you get what you want. That last item reminds me of Into the Woods a bit. There is also a character whose comic relief specialty is performing death scenes. Never could I imagine death by bowling ball as such an amusing thing.
At first, I was unimpressed with the initial introduction of the young couple in love. They are parted by a wall and their fathers hate one another. When the fathers come on the stage, I was instantly more interested by their scheming and the magic of forbidding something as a means of motivation. It truly made the show into a classic.
