Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

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Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:04pm

"And I think there’s going to be a Women on the Verge… production in London next year. So Jeffrey and I have done a lot of rethinking and rewriting the structure of it. There will definitely be changes. We’ve tried to make it more efficient. We didn’t really get the time we wanted or needed when we did it in New York. Now, we’ve had plenty of time to do some nips and tucks and we’re really looking forward to doing it. When the cast album came out, we got all these glowing reviews, we were like, ****. We’ve got to get this up on its feet again."

http://thecraptacular.com/2012/05/qa-caught-in-the-act-with%E2%80%A6-david-yazbek/

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 03:04 PM

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:13pm

Absolutely loved the Broadway production. The cast and staging were fantastic. I hope it does go to the West End, but I can't imagine what another production would be like.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:14pm

If they rework it and make a case for musicalizing the film, I'm all for it. ONE RULE: Get rid of the stupid Spanish accents. I believe it was a BWW poster who made a comparison that I really love: When they do "Oklahoma!" in Spanish-speaking countries, they don't sing with horrible American accents. So there's no need for us to do the same.

ETA: Okay, two more rules: 1) Get rid of the ridiculous projections and 2) Add a few songs that advance the plot instead of stretching out metaphors that were weak to begin with (Madrid as a busty mother, Love as an illness, Love as an island, Love through a microphone, Love tangled up like telephone wires, etc.) You are permitted keep "Island" and "Invisible", though. I love those songs. Also, bring back "Shoes from Heaven". :)

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 03:14 PM

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:20pm

They should really cast ethnically appropriate actors this time around. As good as the cast on Broadway was, for a piece that is so informed by its setting and the Latin flavor of the source material, it was downright embarrassing (and offensive) that not one principal actor was actually Spanish.

The reading that featured people like Salma Hayek and Mia Maestro sounded much more appealing, and certainly truer to the spirit of Almodóvar.

Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.

Updated On: 5/22/12 at 03:20 PM

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:21pm

I hope they give Pepa more exciting songs. She has all the ballads so the focus went to all the supporting characters instead of the lead.

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:28pm

Somethingwicked, I completely agree. I was pretty shocked when none of the principals ended up being of Spanish/Latin American descent, especially when people like Andrea Burns, Karen Olivo, Olga Meredez, and Raul Esparza have shown that there isn't really a lack of Latino actors with a lot of talent on Broadway. I was surprised that Salma Hayeck didn't go through with the project, though given the reviews, it's probably a good thing that she didn't make her Broadway debut in this show. What role did Mia Maestro play? I don't really see her as Candela, so I was curious. Didn't Chita Rivera play Lucia in the reading that featured Hayeck? I wonder why she didn't stay with it.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 3:55pm

Pepa does get Lovesick, one of the best upbeat songs in the show.

I said it during previews, there was one heck of a score. I knew people would come around.

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 4:00pm

LOVE this show. The score is one of my all time favorites. Still waiting for those vocal selections to come out!!!

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 4:02pm

looking forward to this if it's really happening.

Regarding casting, I don't think they will be choosing latino actors or actors with spanish background as I don't think there's many in the west end. Another Almodóvar movie, All About my Mother, opened as a straight play at the Old Vic a few years ago with an all british cast.

Judging by what people who saw it said the show had many flaws, hopefully they can fix it and can have a decent run, also considering that the west end audience is probably more familiar with the movie and with Almodóvar movies in general.

#10

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 5:09pm

@Bwayphreak234 Digital vocal selections have been released and the hard copy will be available soon.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-The-Verge-Nervous-Breakdown/dp/1458417182/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337720919&sr=1-1

#11

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 5:18pm

I think that the movie had the potential to be a great musical, and the musical itself had some great moments. It needs focus, it needs tightening. Someone needs to convince David Yazbek that not all songs have to be metaphors. I agree about cutting the accents and finding a more ethnically diverse cast.

#12

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 5:55pm

I'm so excited! I didn't get to see it on Broadway. I am loving the trend of creators not being held back by ego and reworking shows that had problems (like they did with Addams Family tour). It's so great.

#13

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 7:47pm

I wouldn't get your hopes up about this being a major production. All it says is that the show may happen in London next year - what that probably means is one of the tiny Fringe venues like the Union or the Landor (50 seaters in unused pub rooms) that all the small/quirky American musicals play, like Bernarda Alba etc.

MAYBE it'll play the Menier Chocolate Factory, but these days that's not the indicator of quality it was even two years ago.

#14

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 8:04pm

A play version of Almodovar's All About My Mother was done in London several years ago at the Old Vic (http://www.allaboutmymother.com/), so perhaps there's an appetite for another Almodovar adaptation on the London stage.

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

#15

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 9:09pm

jacobsnchz14- THANK YOU!!! Just pre-ordered :)

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#16

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/22/12 at 11:29pm

I saw the show twice during its short run. I thought it was fantastic and def. an overlooked gem that season.

Was it perfect? Heck no. But not many shows are perfect. I liked it a lot. I just wish they could have done it at the Beaumont. It's a big show with a lot of characters and I think it needed a bigger theater. There were some big design elements, etc. It just seemed so crammed.

#17

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:34am

ray, Maestro played Marisa, the role later played by Nikka Lanzarone. Chita Rivera was supposed to play Lucia in that workshop and had to drop out. Joanna Gleason did it then and Patti LuPone became involved later.

#18

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:38am

Did the West End do something bad to deserve this?

Considering the talent, this was one of the biggest messes I have ever seen on a Broadway stage.
It was a huge flop for a reason.

#19

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:40am

Meh. I like Invisible, Time Stood Still, and Laura Benanti, but otherwise my memory of it is foggy. Probably not a good sign.

I know you. I know you. I know you.

#20

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:43am

Thanks for the info, somethingwicked. I didn't realize Rivera didn't actually get to be a part of the workshops. I wonder if she'd be up for doing a show in the West End again, I doubt it, but it'd be so interesting to see her play the role.

#21

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:48am

It's 110% more viable than Carrie.

Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

#22

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 1:34am

And CARRIE flopped twice too.

The original CARRIE was 110% more fun than WOTVOANB.

#23

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 3:06am

CARRIE has a handful of good songs, but VERGE is in a completely different league. David Yazbek is a real artist. It's definitely his best work.

As written, I think Chita is too old for Lucia. There's also no chance in hell that she could sing Invisible. It would have to be severely altered.

#24

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 3:30am

Good, but the ridicules accent needs to go. Why on earth would they have accents in first place?

#25

Yazbek says WOMEN ON THE VERGE may head to West End

Posted: 5/23/12 at 5:32am

Did anyone actually see this show? It was a disaster, except for Laura Benanti, and even she was sabotaged by bad writing as the evening wore on. Revive it? I say let it rest in peace. How about reviving NICK AND NORA? or maybe THE YEARLING?

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