"Sleepless: A Musical Romance," which premiered at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater on Tuesday, is more significant for what it symbolizes rather than the show itself: London's first fully staged indoor musical since the coronavirus pandemic forced live performances to stop in March. While several musical revivals have been performed in concert outdoors in the city, the limited plays available have featured small casts or no live actors at all. Despite its lack of excitement, "Sleepless" will be running until Sept. 27 on a scale that was previously unimaginable, which is worth celebrating. The musical benefits from being based on the popular 1993 film "Sleepless in Seattle," which starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and is known for keeping its main characters apart until the end. This version of "Sleepless" is not related to a 2013 stage adaptation. The plot reflects the current trend of physical distancing, with the characters only coming together at the end of the show on the Empire State Building. The production has implemented safety measures such as daily COVID testing for the cast and crew, mask requirements for audience members, temperature checks, and hand sanitizers throughout the building. The theater in northwestern London, located away from the West End, is only selling less than one-third of its 1,300 seats for each performance. This decision was made by producers who believed that having some paying audience was better than having no audience at all. The musical "Sleepless: A Musical Romance" at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater is London's first indoor musical production in months, based on the 1993 hit film "Sleepless in Seattle." Despite the dedication of everyone involved, it is disappointing that the director Morgan Young's production is not more exciting, despite the likable performances of the main actors. Young and his two English stars had previously worked together on the West End premiere of the Broadway musical "Big" last year. An image provided by Alastair Muir shows Kimberley Walsh, Jack Reynolds, and Jay McGuiness in the musical "Sleepless: A Musical Romance" at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater in London. Based on the popular 1993 film "Sleepless in Seattle," this production is London's first fully staged indoor musical in months. The musical features a new British composing team, Robert Scott and Brendan Cull, in a theater scene still dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber. However, some critics find that too many songs in the score have a similar easy-listening quality, with Annie's numbers mainly focusing on her feelings of being "out of my mind" or "out of my head" due to her sudden obsession with a man she heard about on the radio. The film's portrayal of the character Walter, played by Daniel Casey, evokes sympathy as he deals with his partner Annie's growing attraction to a voice she wants to meet in person. The role of Sam, a depressed architect in Seattle, is overshadowed by his son Jonah, portrayed by Jobe Hart, a talented young actor known for his work in "Big." Hart shares the role of Jonah with three other boys due to union regulations. The standout moment in the film is a duet called "Now or Never" between Hart and Cory English, who plays Sam's lively friend Rob. The song even has its own reprise, showcasing the chemistry between the two characters. The film's script is based on Nora Ephron's Oscar-nominated screenplay, occasionally overemphasizing certain references. It is acceptable to introduce Annie, a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, as a movie enthusiast with a strong interest in the Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr movie "An Affair to Remember," which influenced Ephron's film. However, it is unclear why Annie must express her admiration for Grant, and it is hard to believe that such a devoted movie buff would argue about the pronunciation of Kerr's last name. Nevertheless, Annie is the type of person who finds the word "exotic" intriguing, so her conversations can go in unexpected directions. McGuiness and Walsh, both known for their work with pop groups, are affable team leaders in a production that feels somewhat lacking. After watching "Sleepless," you are left feeling satisfied but also eager for more and better theater in the future. Copyright 2020 New York Times News Service.