WOMEN ON THE VERGE... Reviews- Page 4

[tgrabon2]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 1:41pm

"disappointing, the tone is disastrously ambivalent" Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2010/11/broadway-review-women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown.html#more

[goldenboy]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 1:58pm

Based on the 4 or 5 clips of the songs and performances from Women on the Verge
i that were posted on here---
And granted I don't wish to kick a dog while he's down (but I'm not gonna
stop because the evil twin in me rears his ugly head on these boards as it does other) But......


To me, the music and lyrics are a large part of the problem as they were with Full Monty.

I personally don't think David Yazbeck should be writing musicals.
Isn't there a jazz room we can have him play in??

There is nothing that fantastic about the Full Monty Score and
even though Dirty Rotten was a tad better... I am just not a fan
of this gentlemen's songs.

There are much better composers out there! Undiscovered ones. I've heard them. I know there are.
Mr. Yazbeck's songs are not well contructed theatre songs or memorable
in any way.


I can't imagine there ever being a David Yazbeck Review
of his songs as there have been for kander and Ebb, R and H,
Bock and Harnick, Coleman and Leigh, Cole Porter
and others.

Thoughts? Bashing? Evil Twins?

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 2:05pm

I actually thought that Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was genius.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 2:30pm

I disagree goldenboy. David Yazbek is a great composer. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Full Monty both had great music. So he wrote one musical that turned out to not be a hit and got bad reviews. It happens to every composer. I don't think we should start saying he belongs in a jazz room just because this show wasn't the work of genius people expected. Based on the videos I have seen I actually like the bit of music I've heard and I think the visual elements are great.

Updated On: 11/5/10 at 02:30 PM

[Ryan4]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 6:29pm

I understand. I do. But I didn't find the music in "On the Verge" to be ugly - in fact, I like it better than his previous scores.

The real problem is that the guy cannot write lyrics. At all. If he were smart, he'd collaborate with someone else.

[Holbee]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 8:19pm

I completely disagree with that. He is a very good lyricist. Updated On: 11/5/10 at 08:19 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 8:20pm

He has moments of near brilliance as a lyricist.

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 8:23pm

the goal is normally BRILLIANCE.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 8:29pm

Will he ever croak?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 10:34pm

So now that it didn't get great reviews, do we think it will be easier to snag a good seat? ha.

[Luscious]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 11:53pm

All of the reviews, including Brantley's, are too kind. It's a steaming pile of s#!t.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 12:08am

This is definitely going to turn into a cult musical.
Those disastrous reviews with that cast?
And now the cast is stuck in it. And they are getting LCT pay!
Let's see who starts missing and who drops out from injury.
It's gonna be an interesting Winter on the Bad side of Broadway with a ghost and an overworked cast and crew. I believe they will have a following and maybe some Pone antics. But nerves will fray and egos collide. Foder will follow.
I'll be back for more at discount I'm sure.
And I think the score will age like the cheap wine served by the cute bartender in the balcony, better with each viewing.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 12:10am

This is definitely going to turn into a cult musical.

And I think the score will age like the cheap wine served by the cute bartender in the balcony, better with each viewing.

Whoa, do I really agree with you about this? Haha, this may be a first.
Updated On: 11/6/10 at 12:10 AM

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:32am

"Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True". IMHO, Yazbek's stunningly simple and beautiful ballad. A luscious melody, and very wonderful "title". I'm sure I'll get disagreements here, but I never tire of listening to it.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:46am

^ I agree! I can listen to so many of his songs over and over again and not get tired of it. The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels overture is a pure work of genius. It is so catchy and lush sounding.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:48am

I absolutely love all three of his "overtures." Each one is just perfect.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:51am

I am absolutely DYING to here the Women On The Verge overture. I absolutely love the instrumental bits in the promo material. I ripped the audio from the video and put it on my i pod. What songs are included in the Women On The Verge overture?

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:53am

It's basically just parts of "The Chase." But it's pretty great.

[Steve2]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 9:18am

Michael Giltz, Freelance writer on Huffington Post:

"Neither the complete train wreck some people predicted nor the fizzy blast of fun promised by the marriage of Pedro Almodovar's classic comedy with songs, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown is simply a new musical that doesn't work and has almost no good songs. Undoubtedly Laura Benanti will be singled out for her winning performance (it helps that she has the only good song) -- they might say she's the only one to remain unscathed by a show overstuffed with talent. But in fact, no one is hurt here. It was a great idea and simply didn't work. It happens." ...

Women On The Verge Of Bad Updated On: 11/6/10 at 09:18 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 1:05pm

I'm not surprised at all with the critical reception this show has received.

Michael Glitz said it best:

It was a great idea and simply didn't work. It happens...

It just goes to show you that sometimes a movie adapted for the stage by a proven composer, directed by a well known director, starring an all-star (for theater) cast with great poster art does not guarantee a critic-proof, bona-fide hit.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 2:57pm

Not that it'll do much good but here's the opening night vid from Broadway.com:

http://www.broadway.com/shows/women-verge-nervous-breakdown/video/153328/on-the-scene-women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown-opening/

Wonder how they're all handling the bad reviews.

[dramarama3]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 10:33pm

hahahaha

Sherie: It's been a labor.

Patti: It's been really easy.


who's lying?

[binau]

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

Or maybe they just had different experiences.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 11/6/10 at 11:25pm

Unless the cast is absolutely stupid, and we know they are not, they knew the buzz on the street was very negitive.
I'm sure it was rough for Sherie since she was suppose to be the lead in a highly anticipated new musical. The Pone, on the other hand has been through it all, but to say it was easy smacks of untruth and flipancy, but hey, that's why her fans love her.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/9/10 at 2:42am

So much was made of the negative reviews, but here are three very positive reviews.


There’s a lot of theatrical craft on display in “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” (which has a witty book by Jeffrey Lane and an appealing Latin-flavored score and clever lyrics by David Yazbek), and Sher has assembled an A-team of actors to perform it.
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/theatre/2010/11/15/101115crth_theatre_lahr


In the small but rapidly growing universe of Broadway musicals-based-on-movies, I don't think I've ever seen a more faithful adaptation than this one.
Best of all is a surprisingly engaging score by David Yazbek (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), who deploys a variety of Latin rhythms to make everything from patter songs to wistful laments stand out from the generic-Broadway crowd.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2023893_2023892_2029892,00.html#ixzz14ljNBWVA

The clever makers of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," writer Jeffrey Lane and composer-lyricist David Yazbek, now serve Broadway audiences a saucy, splashy and mighty tasty musical comedy distilled from Pedro Almodovar's movie "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown."
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/movies/review-sexy-women-throw-a-festive-broadway-party

Updated On: 11/9/10 at 02:42 AM