New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Sh-K-Boom / Ghostlight Records) In Honor of Mother's Day, a Free Gift from Ghostlight Records and the Creators of Lincoln Center Theater's 'WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN'
Original Broadway Cast Recording:
A Free Stream of the Song 'Mother's Day'
"The recording is sensational"
"An amazing document of a show whose run on Broadway was much too short"
In the spirit of Mother's Day, and in advance May 10th physical release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Lincoln Center Theater's production of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, Ghostlight Records, David Yazbek and the creators of 'Women on the Verge' are pleased to offer fans a free stream of the song 'Mother's Day', featuring Drama Desk Nominee for Best Actress in a Musical, Sherie Rene Scott. Here is a link to the free audio stream: https://soundcloud.com/shkboom/12-mothers-day
Ghostlight Records has already earned attention on Sirius/XM and universal early raves for the OCR, which features book by Jeffrey Lane, and music and lyrics by Yazbek. The album was released digitally on April 19th, in advance of next week's brick-and-mortar availability. Hear samples, order the CD and learn more here: https://sh-k-boom.com/womenontheverge.shtml
"The recording is sensational, preserving the beautiful Spanish-flavored David Yazbek score and the vocal performances of a stellar cast that includes Sherie Rene Scott, Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell," raved Joe Myers in The Connecticut Post. Read his full review, here: https://blog.ctnews.com/meyers/2011/04/22/back-from-the-dead---the-flop-musical-'women-on-the-verge/
Theatermania's Andy Propst, in a lead review, buzzed that the OCR is "a recording that will be hotly devoured...by musical theater fans for some time." Full review here: https://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/04-2011/10-terrific-discs_36602.html
"Sherie Rene Scott gives a standout performance on "Mother's Day". It's the sort of performance that could (or should) single-handedly earn her a Tony nomination; a grand soliloquy that turns the action of the show toward the eventual resolution. Scott is in perfect voice here, and sells the song like she's lived it." "An amazing document of a show whose run on Broadway was much too short." See more of the Four-Star Wildysworld review, here:
https://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/women-on-verge-of-nervous-breakdown.html
"The physical presentation of the CD is absolutely top of the line. The 42-page, full-color booklet includes essays by Pedro Almodovar, director of the movie on which the musical is based, and Frank Rich. There is a detailed synopsis, complete lyrics, and a slew of wonderful pictures. Original cast recordings are never a given...and many thanks are owed to Ghostlight Records and Sh-K-Boom for their commitment to the fabulous American art form of the musical and to its incredibly talented practitioners."
ShowShowdown, https://showshowdown.blogspot.com/2011/05/women-on-verge-of-nervous-breakdown-cd.html
Look for more coverage of the OCR to run in the weeks ahead!
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown has been nominated for six Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Music (David Yazbek), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sherie Rene Scott), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Brian Stokes Mitchell), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Laura Benanti & Patti LuPone) and Outstanding Orchestrations (Simon Hale, Jim Abbott and David Yazbek). The show also received four Outer Critics Circle nominations, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Laura Benanti & Patti LuPone).
The acclaimed 'Women on the Verge' OCR includes a 40+ page full-color booklet featuring an essay by Pedro Almodovar, liner notes by the renowned Frank Rich, and even a recipe for gazpacho by NY Times writer Mark Bittman. Rich comments: "Listen to Yazbek's haunting score, and you'll start to understand why the show has legs. Its blend of Latin and pop owes more to the Almodovar/Madrid spirit - and to the romantic soundtracks of vintage Hollywood - than it does to other Broadway musicals. The music and lyrics alike delve to the core of Almodovar's signature characters."
The CD features de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Danny Burstein, Justin Guarini, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Beth Peil and Sherie Rene Scott, and was produced by Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, with Kurt Deutsch serving as Executive Producer. The album was recorded on January 19th at MSR Studios in New York.
Based on Pedro Almodovar's internationally acclaimed 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is set in late 20th-century Madrid and tells the story of the intertwining lives of a group of women (Sherie Rene Scott, de'Adre Aziza, Laura Benanti, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Patti LuPone) whose relationships with men lead to a tumultuous 48 hours of love, confusion and passion. Featuring book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher, the production ended its limited engagement run on Sunday, January 2 at the Belasco Theatre.
OCR Track Listing:
Overture
Madrid is my Mama
Lie To Me
Lovesick
Time Stood Still
My Crazy Heart
Model Behavior
Island
The Microphone
On The Verge
Entr'acte
Mother's Day
Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today
Tangled
Invisible
Island (Reprise)
Shoes From Heaven
BONUS: My Crazy Heart (Original Show Opening)
Here is a sampling of reviews from the Lincoln Center Theater production:
"Positively giddy...A joyride with a witty book by Jeffrey Lane and clever lyrics and score by David Yazbek." - John Lahr, The New Yorker
"Bustling! Mesmerizing! And chock-full of talent." - Elysa Gardner, USA Today
"Vastly entertaining!" - Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post
"Barlett Sher's production is chic, smart and visually adorable." - Richard Zoglin, Time Magazine
"Filled with fabulous moments by huge talents." - Linda Winer, Newsday
"What fun you'll have!" - David Richardson, WOR Radio
"A giddy, glamorous musical party! Not to be missed!" - Michael Sommers, NewJerseyNewsroom.com
More about the film and the Lincoln Center Theater production:
When Pedro Almodovar arrived in town in 1988 to show his new film at the New York Film Festival he became an instant sensation. Channeling the burst of energy and freedom in post-Franco Spain, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown was one of the most unusual and exhilarating new films in years. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and quickly became not just a classic, but a favorite.
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN is a new musical based on the film. Lincoln Center Theater's Resident Director, Bartlett Sher, still happily reeling from his achievement on South Pacific, leads the extraordinary collaborators Jeffrey Lane (book) and David Yazbek (music and lyrics). Lane and Yazbek, the team behind Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, have taken Almodovar's tale and infused it with their own wry, comic style and an irresistible Spanish beat.
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 (Sherie Rene 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? Gazpacho anyone?
Along with Pepa, there's her missing (possibly philandering) lover, Ivan (Brian Stokes Mitchell); his ex-wife of questionable sanity, Lucia (Patti LuPone); their son Carlos (Justin Guarini); Pepa's friend, Candela (Laura Benanti), and her terrorist boyfriend; a power-suited lawyer (de'Adre Aziza) plus a taxi driver (Danny 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 Almodovar's work. And of Bartlett Sher's too.
Visit https://sh-k-boom.com/womenontheverge.shtml
Visit www.ghostlightrecords.com
