Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: Bartlett Sher to work on developing Pedro Almod�var's musical

The New York Times reports that Bartlett Sher, resident director at the Lincoln Center, is to work on developing Pedro Almod�var's musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Sher is working with Pedro Almod�var in adapting his film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which Almod�var both wrote and directed, into a musical comedy. Jeffrey Lane is writing the book for the musical and David Yazbeck the music and lyrics.

The search is on for actors for at least one reading of the musical.

At a press conference in Cannes, the Spanish film producer, director and screenwriter, Pedro Almod�var, told reporters that �The dialogues are done, the songs are almost finished.�

Sher told the NY Times that several songs were still in the works, and that the week of work in June �would be a great opportunity to work with Pedro and draw on his sensibility for certain parts of the story.� Sher would not commit himself to when the musical would be ready for its world premiere, but hoped that a production would be ready for 2010.

In Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Pepa's lover leaves her, and she wants to know why. She seeks out his wife and son, but they have no answers. Meanwhile Pepa's girlfriend believes the police want to question Pepa because of her former lover's criminal activities. They decide to engage a lawyer, who unknown to them is the lover's new lover...

Pedro Almod�var (Writer) is arguably the most well known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. He has won countless awards (88 wins & 57 nominations) including an Academy Award for 'Hable con ella' (Talk to Her).

Bartlett Sher (Director) is currently represented on Broadway with the revival of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" - for which he has been nomonated for a 2009 Tony Award, and the revival of "South Pacific" for which he won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He was nominated for Tony's for Best Director for "Awake and Sing!" (2006 revival) and the musical "The Light in the Piazza" (2005).

Jeffrey Lane (Book) made his Broadway debut with "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (2005) for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.

David Yazbeck (music and lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for 'The Full Monty' (2000) and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (2005) for which he was nominated for Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Lyrics.