Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Belasco Theatre

Last night I saw the first preview performance of the new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the newly renovated Belasco Theatre. I never intended to go to the first preview of this show, but after they cancelled several performances I ended up as one of the first people to see this new work.  Unlike many new musicals, Women... didn't have an out-of-town tryout.  All the tweaking and re-working that would normally be done before arriving in New York will presumably be done during their preview period, making their preview performances more like rehearsals and perhaps less indicative of the final product.  This was especially true last night.


The night began with a curtain speech from Director Barltett Sher explaining that not only was this their first preview performance, but it was also going to be their first run through (!) since they were unable to make it all the way through the show the night before (!!).  GLAD I PAID $126 TO WATCH A REHEARSAL! I mean, it is part of the risk when you buy a ticket for a preview performance, but I was hoping to see something a little more polished than a first run through.  Still, there was much to enjoy in this show despite the numerous battles with the set, conveyor belts, and other technical issues.  The performers did a great job of working through the hiccups and ad-libbing during some of the more obvious foul ups.

Things that I loved:
Laura Benanti - As Candela, a model, she finds the perfect balance of outrageousness and believability.  Her big Act I number "Model Behavior" was the only real show stopper of the evening.  Unfortunately, the song is structured in a way that made the audience think it was over several times before it was actually over.  When the real ending arrived it seemed a little false and tacked on.  More an afterthought than part of a cohesive whole.

"Invisible" - Patti LuPone (as Lucia) sings this beautiful number in Act II.  It doesn't really move the plot forward, but she acts the hell out of it.

The Design - The overall look of the show is perfect.  The lighting design creates boxes and shadows on the stage to great effect.  The overall look is very colorful and lively.  Very 80s.

Things that needed work:
The Score - David Yazbek's score is serviceable, with a few real standout numbers. He seems to have trouble figuring out how to end each number.  Sometimes the last word is spoken, sometimes people leave the stage as the song trails out, sometimes (like "Model Behavior") there is a strange tacked on ending.  Also, the numbers are surprisingly down tempo for what I thought was more of a farce.

Tone - Is this a serious show or a farce?  Laura Benanti is in a farce, Brian Stokes Mitchell is in a drama (I guess... he seems a bit lost overall).  I think the show needs a faster pace and lighter touch.  Changing some of the musical numbers could go a long way in solving this problem.  The best parts of the show are the lightest parts.

Entrances - This is a cast full of stars, but the opening group number and a series of other awkward entrances didn't allow the audience to clap for the stars as they appeared.  Instead we were left with odd smatterings of applause interrupting dialogue and songs.

These are just a few of my observations.  I would definitely consider returning to the show once it has opened to see it once it has gotten its sea legs.  There is a lot of potential in this show.  At its heart it has an interesting, charming, and potentially funny story as well as a killer cast.  Hopefully the team can figure out how to take advantage of all that potential and create a truly great show.

Want to see for yourself?  Click here for tickets