"Sleepless: A Musical Romance," which debuted on Tuesday at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater in London, is more significant for its symbolic importance than for the actual production itself. It is London's first fully staged indoor musical since the coronavirus pandemic forced live performances to stop in March. While there have been several musical revivals in outdoor locations around the city, they have had limited casts or no live actors at all. Despite being fairly unremarkable, "Sleepless" marks a return to a scale of live entertainment that was previously unimaginable, and for that reason alone, it deserves praise. The musical benefits from being based on the successful 1993 film "Sleepless in Seattle," featuring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as leads who are kept apart until the end. This version of "Sleepless" is not related to a 2013 stage musical. The show incorporates a geographical separation theme that resonates with the current socially distanced era. Safety measures, such as daily coronavirus testing for the cast and crew, mandatory mask-wearing for audiences, temperature checks, and hand sanitiser stations throughout the building, are in place. The theater, located in northwestern London away from the West End, is only selling less than one-third of its seats for each performance, a decision made by producers to limit revenue but still have some paying audience. The musical "Sleepless: A Musical Romance" at Troubadour Wembley Park Theater is based on the hit film "Sleepless in Seattle" and is London's first fully staged indoor musical in months. Despite the effort put in by all involved, it is disappointing that director Morgan Young's production is not more exciting, despite the likable leads. Young and his English stars previously collaborated on the West End premiere of the musical "Big," another screen-to-stage adaptation of a Tom Hanks film. 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. The show, based on the 1993 film "Sleepless in Seattle," is London's first fully staged indoor musical in months. The production introduces a new British composing team, Robert Scott and Brendan Cull, in a theater scene still dominated by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Despite some repetitive and easy-listening songs in the score, the musical follows the story of Annie, who becomes infatuated with a man on the other side of the United States after hearing about him on the radio during the holiday season. The character of Walter, portrayed by Daniel Casey in the film, evokes empathy as he is taken by surprise by his partner Annie's growing attraction to someone she has only heard. Similarly, Sam, a depressed architect in Seattle, is overshadowed by his son Jonah, who takes on the role of matchmaker. Jonah, played by Jobe Hart, delivers a standout performance in a duet with Cory English, who plays Sam's lively friend Rob. The musical "Sleepless" stays true to Nora Ephron's screenplay, occasionally overemphasizing certain references. It is acceptable to introduce Annie, a reporter from The Baltimore Sun, as a movie enthusiast who has a strong interest in the Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr film "An Affair to Remember," which served as inspiration for Ephron's film. However, it is unclear why Annie feels the need to express her admiration for Grant, and it is hard to believe that a devoted film buff would argue about the pronunciation of Kerr's last name. Nevertheless, Annie is the type of person who finds even simple words like "exotic" to be exotic, so her conversations can take unexpected turns. McGuiness and Walsh, both known for their work with pop groups, are affable leaders in a production that feels somewhat lacking. Despite this, "Sleepless" leaves you satisfied yet yearning for more and better theater experiences in the future. Copyright 2020 New York Times News Service.