WOMEN ON THE VERGE... Reviews

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 12:47am

Today is Thursday, November 4, marking the official opening night performance of the world-premiere musical "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", starring Sherie Rene Scott, Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, et al., at the newly restored Belasco Theatre on 44th.

Tony-nominated collaborators - of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" fame - David Yazbek (music and lyrics) and Jeffrey Lane (book) adapted the source material for the stage. Lincoln Center Theater's resident director Bartlett Sher helms the show, based on Pedro Almodóvar's Oscar-nominated 1988 cult film.

This is how LCT bills the show: "Both touching and hilarious, it's a story about women and the men who pursue them... finding them, losing them, needing them, and rejecting them. At the center is Pepa (Scott) whose friends and lovers are blazing a trail through 1980s Madrid. And why do they all keep showing up at her high-rise apartment? Is it her gazpacho? Along with Pepa, there's her missing (possibly philandering) lover, Ivan (Mitchell); his ex-wife of questionable sanity, Lucia (LuPone); Pepa's friend, Candela (Benanti), and her terrorist boyfriend; a power-suited lawyer (Aziza) plus a taxi driver (Burstein) who dispenses tissues, mints and advice in equal proportion. Mayhem and comic madness abound, balanced by the empathy and heart that are trademarks of Almodóvar's work. And of Bartlett Sher's too."

My best to all involved!

- M

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 12:48am

Can't believe opening is already here. I'll be there Friday. May the critics treat it better than our self-proclaimed critics on here. Best to the cast and crew!

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 7:42am

This is not going to be pretty. I can guarantee it.

[Kevn520]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 8:29am

I don't think it's going to be the bloodbath that everyone is expecting.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 4:52pm

Neither do I!

[Steve2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 5:54pm

"I admired the original screen version of "Women on the Verge" so much that I feared I might be unfair in reviewing the musical, so I made a point of bringing along a friend who'd never seen the movie. Not only did she find the show dramatically pointless and musically tedious, but she said something that stayed with me long after I left the theater: "I don't get it—why should I care about any of these crazy people?" When you're watching the film, you never think of asking such a question. Mr. Almodóvar's women are creatures of flesh and blood who effortlessly engage your emotions, whereas the women of the Lane-Yazbek version of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" are stick figures set up onstage for the sole purpose of selling tickets. That's how commodity musicals work—and why this one doesn't."...
Wall St. Journal - Terry Teachout

[phantom39]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 5:57pm

First review calling it "a flavorless mess". ouch!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:24pm

The Wall Street Review captures my feelings about the show perfectly. Finally, some validation.

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:29pm

someone needs to explain to the wall street journal that is a WORK IN PROGRESS!

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:35pm

kyle4, but the show is opening tonight so whatever changes they made to "freeze" the show should have been done when the reviewer saw it.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:38pm

uncageg, don't encourage him.

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:47pm

A problem child?

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 7:43pm

Talkin' Broadway predictably tears the whole thing to shreds save Benanti, who gets a love letter.
Review

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 8:08pm

Talkin' Broadway's review was not that bad... They by no means tore it apart. They did point out that weaknesses that a lot of people on this board pointed out though. Sounds like they loved the set, orchestrations, costumes, and lighting though!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 8:36pm

USA Today gives it two and a half out of four stars, but thinks its talented cast and crew deserves much better. Latin-flavored Muzak is pretty rough.
Broadway's 'Women on the Verge' is all over the place

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 8:54pm

Although people on this board think the accents just do not work, apart from Benanti, I actually think the whole cast works well with their accents!

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:08pm

LA Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/11/theater-review-women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown-at-the-belasco-theatre.html

AP/ABC news: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=12060635

NY1: http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/theater_reviews/128368/time-out-theater-review---women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown-

ShowBiz411: http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/11/04/women-on-the-verge-musical-the-gazpacho-is-sour

Showbiz's review is pretty funny, but so far ABC News probably has given it the best review. Not saying much still.
Updated On: 11/4/10 at 09:08 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:16pm

The one posted on ABC's website is the AP review.

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:24pm

Thank you.


Does anyone know at what time does the NYT review usually come out at?

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:27pm

Just as I predicted after watching the footage from BWW and reading what people have to say this musical turned out to be the "Valentine's Day" (2010 film) of Broadway. There's an A-list Broadway actors taking part in it, but it turned out to be bad.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:28pm

Ok, child.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:38pm

Ouch, i dont think the rest of the reviews will be any better.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:42pm

Not looking good, I was actually looking forward to seeing this, when I fly over from London next week.

This getting slaughtered by the critics and Spiderman being cancelled, yeap a CRAP day!

[dshnookie]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:43pm

How many times are you going to make that Valentine's Day (2010 FILM) comparison? This is the third thread I've read it in.

Point taken.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:55pm

I don't think this is like Valentine's Day at all. It is a new world premiere musical with some well known Broadway stars in it... I don't think the issue is that it has too many stars in it.