Previewing Patti LuPone Praises 'Fantastic' Women on the Verge

Dismissing Internet chatter and a New York Times front-page story questioning the wisdom of opening Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown directly on Broadway, an upbeat Patti LuPone told Broadway.com that previews of the new show are “going really well” and chatted about her excitement at creating a musical role on Broadway for the first time since The Robber Bridegroom 35 years ago.

“We had a great show today,” LuPone said after the October 13 matinee. “The audience really got it. There were some technical problems in our first three previews, but [since then] we’ve been fine. It’s a very complicated show technically—everything is computerized—but the past few shows have been very solid.” Lincoln Center Theater's production of Women on the Verge began previews on October 8 at the Belasco Theatre and will open on November 4. The actors are presently under contract for a 10-week run.

As for the musical itself, in which the Tony-winning actress plays Lucia, the jealous ex-wife of Ivan [Brian Stokes Mitchell], LuPone said, “I feel very emotional about this piece. The material is fantastic; I think that [composer] David Yazbek is a genius. What he brings to musical theater in the 21st century is unique. It’s not rock and roll; it’s not the traditional Broadway melody. It’s jazz-inflected, but it’s also extremely theatrical. His music makes me weep, and Jeffrey Lane has written a very funny, moving script.”

LuPone seemed puzzled at the idea that a pre-Broadway out-of-town run might have been advisable to refine the show before facing New York audiences and critics. “What’s the difference in opening from scratch in Philly or opening from scratch in New York?” she said. “If you’re given the proper amount of rehearsal time and the proper amount of technical time and the proper amount of previews, what’s the big deal? I would rather be in New York.”

After spending the past 40 years onstage—a career rivetingly described in her newly released book Patti LuPone: A Memoir—the actress says she can “absolutely” tell when a new show has major problems. And has she felt that way about Women on the Verge? “No,” she said firmly, “because I trust [director] Bart Sher implicitly. Bart, Jeffrey and David are improving the piece, they’re not dismantling it. It’s very faithful to Pedro [Almodovar’s] movie—Pedro’s stuff is filled with heart, soul and eccentricity, and that’s what we have on the stage. If you’re coming to the theater to see Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, you will not be seeing anything you’ve ever seen before.”

For more dish from LuPone, watch for a full Q&A on Broadway.com on October 18.