Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre 2023/24

I'm sensitive to the fact that it's, as BVM points out its showBUSINESS and its easy for us to pontificate on what should/should not happen; how much money "they" have, etc.  and have no idea about the actual financial workings behind the scenes.  London is far more closed-mouth about those things than NY.  And as ALW shared when POTO closed, its insane how much more expensive it is for anything to open on Broadway.  (The number of openings and closings here this year has been dizzying and hard to keep track of)  I get that even for a super fan like me, who'd be willing to fork over the price of a ticket to the theatre for a properly recorded, full length version of Sunset I'm in the minority and that ALW, et al can't look to me for their financial prospects.  Once I've bought my one copy, that's it (unless I gift it to others) and with so many digital ways of sharing/stealing it, I can appreciate the good old days when a new CD would arrive and people would run out to buy them are long gone.

All that being said, it is confusing for a super-fan to see Sondheim revivals get re-recorded every time there's a new production.  It's no secret that most of Sondheim shows and productions have never come near being the juggernauts that ALW shows have.  So maybe he has fans backing him and his productions knowing that they're not going to recoup most of their investment and don't care - they just do it for the art. 

In any event, I'm hopeful that with this production that perhaps ALW is finally getting the artistic appreciation he's always deserved along with the audience acclaim.  I honestly can't remember reading such critical praise for anything he's done since I've followed him when Sunset had its World Premiere - now coupled with the sell outs it was receiving at the Savoy. So perhaps they're being cautious in not over-marketing this?  And trying to be strategic and respectful of critics, (and now Olivier voters) as well as audiences in planning a release of a recording?