Sunset Boulevard – Broadway St James

Here's the link: www.wsj.com/articles/sunset-blvd-review-nicole-scherzingers-norma-desmond-75514e1c?st=PCpcRW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

"Why love, why live, if there isn’t someone “out there in the dark” watching you? Or, better yet, thousands or even millions glued to their devices, screening your life as you live it?

That is the implicit and bleakly funny moral of the director Jamie Lloyd’s radical reimagining of “Sunset Blvd.,” the 1993 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Without putting a single cellphone onstage, or altering the original libretto, Mr. Lloyd has transformed this period Hollywood satire, based on the Billy Wilder movie, into a pointed critique of contemporary culture, in which it seems everyone is as obsessed by fame as the show’s deluded heroine, former silent-screen star Norma Desmond, played by Nicole Scherzinger, making the most dazzling Broadway debut in memory."


"I could perhaps have done with a lower volume of billowing stage smoke (are we in California or London?), but Mr. Lloyd’s production is otherwise impeccable. Even effects that might seem ham-fisted serve his entrancing vision of a contemporary world marked by disconnection and the need for the superficial attention it can inspire. During much of the show, the characters do not actually engage with one another, but deliver their lines staring blankly out into the audience. Why not? They are all waiting not so much for success or intimacy, but for that life-affirming, life-defining closeup. Everyone is Norma Desmond now."

It's certainly exciting if some bold statement shows increase confidence and ignite a sense of invention.

Not everyone has to love them for it to be a good thing.

For those of you looking for some glam shots (and a nice article as well)

www.vogue.com/slideshow/nicole-scherzinger-sunset-blvd-broadway-premiere

Nice to hear that La Close has been in touch.

Elaine Paige attended the West End opening night - including the after party - but was not pictured with Nicole. (she was with Tom Francis though), so I can only assume from this article they didn't have any kind meaningful conversation on that occasion!

Don't blame you - the US writers (and some critics) are atrocious in writing, fact checking... there were at least three or four reviews that I read where I'm saying "No... no you're objectively wrong here...."

I was hoping Close would be at the opening, but perhaps she wanted to give Nicole the space and air for it to truly be her and the company's night.  Even Betty Buckley I didn't see or hear anything from her, which I imagine is for the same reason.

Discount tickets are still available on the TKTS kiosks at Times Square and Lincoln Center.

It really depends on availability... And "discounts" change too.  It used to be 50% off the face value (and the tickets were set prices, none of this dynamic pricing).  Now TKTS does 25% 40% 50% off and it can be a bit misleading what that discount is from.  If you're going "day of" I'd suggest checking on seat geek and then going right to the theatre and buying tickets there rather than TKTS.  You'll likely get better seats at better prices at that point. 

But from spying the site, ticket sales definitely have picked up now.  I read somewhere that yesterday they did over a million dollars in ticket sales.  The St. James is a huge theatre though so if you're on a budget you could probably find decent seats at reasonable prices.   

x.com/katereinking/status/1848906911455773066


This is what they should've done with the regular one. why make it limited? a marble red vinyl is what everyone was dying for since the rumours of a cast recording started. i'm grieving since i'm only going in february and there's no chance to get one lol


glad they managed to do it, tho. that must be beautiful!

ps: the shots are VERY clear on the cast recording, if anyone ever doubted it

is there a picture of the vinyl itself? would love to see the marbling!

So I am now back from three consecutive SBs and this is just as stunning as when I saw it in London. I could listen to Nicole all day long. If this was still showing in London, I'd be going every week.

The vocals of all cast members were absolutely perfect each time. The stamina they must have to do 8 shows a week is incredible. This may be one of my favourite theatre productions I have ever seen, which considering I am no fan of musicals or ALW is a huge testament to what Jamie Lloyd and the team have done with this. I will definitely be planning to see this a few more times before this closes next year. I just hope Nicole's voice lasts for the duration of the run. This is one of the best performances I have seen on stage. Such a multi-talented performer and her acting abilities more than match up with her singing. 

I am also fast becoming a huge fan of Grace Hodgett Young. You can tell she has grown so much in confidence since London. I liked her Eurydice but she is even better here. Such a beautiful voice. I'm excited to see how her career evolves. Exciting times considering she is barely out of drama school.

My only issue (and this is very minor) is that the comedic elements have been hugely exaggerated in the Broadway version. They were all there in London but they were definitely a little more subtle and understated. Here, it can sometimes be a little too much to the point where it completely removes you from the story altogether and so I understand the previous comments that it can come across as a bit tacky. I don't care though, I loved it all the same.

I'm so curious to see what Nicole does after this. Whether she'll use her accolades to further her career in theatre or use her heightened profile to do more TV work. Either way, all the comments about the industry sleeping on her are true. Imagine what we could have seen if she was taken more seriously earlier in her career. I guess that makes this even more sweeter though. In any case, this will be a hard act to follow if she decides to do more theatre work considering she has set the bar so high.

Now I have the cast recording to listen to on the plane back home :-)

Nicole has been saying - even before Sunset - that she wants to create a musical herself, loosely based on her life. Not sure if that will happen after Broadway - I assume not. But that’s the only thing I recall her talking about.