Ahrens and Flaherty are the spiritual inheritors to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Their shows are accessible, lyrical and don't shy away from sensitive or important themes. That said, A Man of No Importance doesn't have the sweep of Ragtime or the emotionalism of Once On This Island or the freneticism of Seussical. It's a much smaller, quieter tale... Aspects of Love or A Little Night Music instead of Phantom or Sweeney.
For the first time I could detect traces of other shows in the music, some of the ethnic influences that permeated Ragtime or the soft pop ballad of Seussical's quieter moments. And Terrance McNally still loves to have his characters talk about themselves in the third person. There wasn't a blow-me-away song in the show (like "New music", "Make them hear you", "Alone in the universe" or "Forever yours") which is a shame.