WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN begins previews TONIGHT!- Page 38

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 11:32am

theatreguy, I really enjoyed your review of this show. Your suggestions are really terrific. I think you're hired!

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:21pm

Kyle4, will you be keeping your promise and leaving tonight, after all of the reviews are in?

are you asking for specifics as to my departure or was that just meant as a nasty "dig"...

let me know and i will give you the info you need!!!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:28pm

It's a pretty straightforward question, kyle. Will you be keeping your word to leave this board after WotV has opened?

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:32pm

Don't leave, kyle4! I've developed a poster-crush on you.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:40pm

are you asking for specifics as to my departure or was that just meant as a nasty "dig"...

Earlier in this thread, you claimed you would be "leaving the board" after WOTV opened. My question is simply asking you if you'll be keeping that promise.

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:41pm

Yes, kyle should definitely stay. And not only because I totally agree with him that WOTV is a complete mess (I want my money back, really, plus my two and a half or so hours that I wasted having to watch it).

[Holbee]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:42pm

I saw the show last night as well. I had refrained from reading these comments before seeing it. I read a few today and stopped as they were not reflections of the show I saw.

Its far from perfect. Well, actually its not that far. An out-of-town could have really helped. Two great songs ("Model Behavior" and "Invisible". A nice restructuring of the film plot to make it fit a more American farce mode. Mostly wonderful direction and a talented cast working at peak (when the material allows it) and some wonderfully fun original and also lifted dialogue (Why no Pepa: "We were talking about her dress" Candella through her tears: "Its awful"). LOVED the projections and set.

Someone said the courtroom scene is too long. They're right. But don't cut Invisible. Make IT the scene.

Get rid of Marisa's Mambo dream sequence. it slows down the build to the climax, a farce should speed toward a resolution. The music should be driving (like it is through most of the show) not slogging everything down. From here to the poky conclusion with reprises and three endings, this is where Bartlet finally fails after two hours of mostly wonderful direction. Why is it so hard for people to end a show?

Was the woman who plays Marisa cast only because of her striking resemblance to the Marisa of the film?

Why doesn't Pepa have one good song? At least a great "I want" song at the top. "Lie to Me"? Really? Really? That's the best they could do?

I laughed hard and long. And I have a feeling the score will sound much better on second hearing (There are songs in "Wicked" I actively disliked when watching it that our now my favorites). With the right reviews this thing could last as long as the original cast stays with it. I hope it does. Its got a lot going for it.

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:44pm

Yazbek, is that you?

[dave1606]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:50pm

So now that I have had some time to think about it I wanted to share my thoughts on last night. The audience was far more into the show tonight that the last time I saw it.

Pepa is now a much more fully formed character. Sherie seems to have really found the character has really grown in the part.

Madrid really works so much better as the show opener, but we immediately delve into camp territory by (SPOILER) having the taxi drive through Pepa's bedroom. The added dance breaks and character entraces are MUCH better. Thank god someone decided to have Patti take off her hat. She is not getting entrance applause because the audience can actually see who she is!


Two scenes are still stopping the show cold. The Microphone and the court room scene are still a mess. The Michrophone really should have been cut.

How much more would the courtoom scene have been if they hadn't given away Patti's big secret in the first act. I think if the court room scene was a place to reveal that (SPOILER)_she had been in a mental institution for 19 years it would work. As it stands now I kept wondering who this show was about? I am ok with finale, and I loved the curtain call! I still wish that Yazbeck had written some new songs for the show, but as it stands it is a show that I like instead of one that I love.

[Holbee]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 1:51pm

Yes, Mimi it is. I joined BW five years ago just hoping I'd someday musicalize an Almodovar film that you won't like so I could post my own review to contradict you.

Oh...you were being funny...you don't really think I'm David Yazbek. Oh you silly.

You're such a scamp.

You're so funny.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 2:05pm

I agree about Microphone. Just by watching the video I could tell it was out of place

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 2:12pm

i'm pretty sure he was just being bitchy when he asked that question... but, to be clear, i am only going to stay on the boards until WOTV opens and then closes...

i am interested in seeing what the critics say... but, word of mouth will kill the show WAY before any critic does... well, i guess that depends... it will certainly be a horse race...

as i have said, i am leaving the boards because they do not lend themselves to proper discussions... if you have a STRONG negative opinion... you are "troll" (such a corny word, btw)... people will debate and argue your negative opinion whether they have seen the show or not...

its sad... but, its fine...

so yeah, i will be here through reviews and to read what people say after it has opened... then i will watch the audience numbers... then i'll go...

i also can't wait to hear what patti will say once she is free of it...

other than that, i will be CHECKING OUT... i will certainly ANNOUNCE my departure..

there will be a WRAP UP!!!!

have a great day guys!!!

(i got some cute emails today from some of you!!! thanks!!!)

[Joey.]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 2:27pm

Is this place unmoderated?

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 2:36pm

^ it seems that way lately.
I've received some harrasing almost threatening PMs from a newbie who just joined. And guess what? They use the same typing style and sentence structure as kyle4! Craig has been notified, but something really needs
to be done!

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 3:54pm

now i am being randomly accused of sending harassing, threatening emails....

itjay... you are a class act!!!!

[Steve2]

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

Lots of people have negative opinions of a show, kyle. You are only a troll if you haven't seen the entire show and keep posting the same comments over and over and over and over and over.

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 4:21pm

that's a very specific definition!

thank you for clarifying, steve!!!!

off to the gym!

[Joey.]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 5:22pm

45, huh? Talk about a class act.

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:30pm

45 ?

[mikem]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:50pm

Curtain going up soon on opening night, and there are 944 postings and 201,809 views of this thread, which started exactly 4 weeks ago. That's got to be some kind of record for BWW.

It's been a strange and interesting trip over these past 4 weeks, and I'm sure it will continue to be one.

For comparison's sake, the In the Heights love thread started in March 2008 and has 281,000 views. The Memphis love thread has 61,000 views since it started in Dec 2009.

Updated On: 11/4/10 at 06:50 PM

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 6:59pm

wow, i wonder what was different about this thread? what made it so riveting? as opposed to the other threads that come and go...

i guess you would have to figure out what was NEW or DIFFERENT about this thread... as opposed to the other ones... what did this thread have that the other don't... that would be a good way of figuring it out!

there has to be a reason why this one was soooo popular...

it can't just be happenstance!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 8:49pm

Sven Ortel (the show's projection designer) has posted some pictures of the set with projections on his website. Here's the link for those interested!
Sven Ortel - Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown

[Jgssf]

Posted: 11/4/10 at 9:02pm

What an exciting night! Congratulations to Justin on his Broadway Debut, and to the entire cast. Break a leg!

[kyle4]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 12:30am

Happy to Be Me- A Ladybug


I'm a ladybug

nothing more

but I'm happy to be me,

so free,

with so much beauty to see...

I'm red with black spot

found in field,

meadow,

or flower pot...

on blade of grass,

tree limb

shrub or flower,

perhaps even on the Eiffel Tower!

hill or dell,

by a stream

in wood serene-

I've been to so many places

it's hard to tell...

I'm very little

but please do not belittle,

just content to be a creature of this earth,

isn't that a measure of worth?


-Marie Lawrence

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 11/5/10 at 10:56am

kyle, you're famous in England! Check this out (and congrats!!): http://blogs.thestage.co.uk/shenton/2010/11/reviews-that-are-not-on-the-verge-of-rav/