Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre 2023/24

In no way would it be very controversial. There might be voices raised against the concept because it would be taking a role away from a female performer. But if people are going to celebrate a female Bobby in Company, they are going to have to live with a male protagonist in Tell Me.

Much as I would be very interested to see how it would work as the story of a gay male finding his way as an immigrant in the US, the lyrics are going to have to be very, very carefully reworked so that it didn't feel tokenistic.

The gay experience would have to be properly represented and tailored to the setting of the piece. And that means more than just swapping some pronouns.

Would the production be set at the time of the original creation? So late 70s/early 80s.

Or would it be a fully updated version? Or somewhere in between?

Given what has happened in gay communities through the past 40 years, that needs careful work and, I would suggest, need someone who truly understands that history and the associated impacts it had.

Anyway, all that is for another thread.

Patti had 22 years of professional theatre experience as both actor and singer by that point.

Nicole has a long performing history. But her stage acting experience is measured in weeks.

Thanks for that. I was simply mentioning their age in years, nothing more.

I think it's 'sort of' High Concept already, though not a snapshot of tableaux / vignettes like Evita and Assassins. Just a high concept we're used to (medium concept?) with a Narrator controlling the action, even interrupting someone's else's tune ('New Ways To Dream').  Including Betty there's a lot in there about pulling other people into your world view (for which they probably have to snuff out some of their own reality to survive the leap).  Currently, with Joe as the undoubted storyteller, it does feel that everyone else should be picture perfect naturalism.  But I wonder if that narration could be spread around all the people tussling for control of their story and music, and trying to win over the others.

Norma: I guess it was 5am
Betty: A homicide had been reported
etc.
Joe: You see, an old time movie star is involved, maybe...
Norma: The biggest star of all.

if not, I'll be doing this version with hand puppets in Covent Garden Market.

Hear, hear!

i don't want my Norma to be trilling around that end of the scale. i want her to be more earthy, someone who is focusaed on getting what she wants, that can go head to head with Cecil B DeMille. Full belt please. I also like my Normas to be able to sing 'Me' not 'May'

"bobbievanhusen said: i don't want my Norma to be trilling around that end of the scale. i want her to be more earthy, someone who is focusaed on getting what she wants, that can go head to head with Cecil B DeMille. Full belt please. I also like my Normas to be able to sing 'Me' not 'May'"

I want her to be allround. Painting with finesse and head voice when needed en belt out the end when needed. That is what makes the character powerful and earthy. Not being able to do both makes the character weak and inadequate. Glenn Close's Norma could never go head to head with Cecil B DeMille.

Speaking of quality, here is a very rare recording of what in my opinion is the best version of "As if we never said goodbye" ever recorded. It is from the Australian promo cd and the orchestra is recorded from the actual show. 

She saw your comments 😂
vm.tiktok.com/ZGJ9fo1cg/

I wonder if this would work - such an interesting idea (I mean the split narration, although I like the hand puppets notion too!)

I've always seen it as essentially Joe's story - his need drives the narrative more than hers. If he hadn't entered the frame then she'd probably have got no further than daydreaming about her 'return'. Whereas right from the start, he's hustling for any opportunity out of necessity. 

I can see how a split narration works at the very start, but from 'let me take you back sixth months...' there'd have to be a lot of changes to make it work. And it's definitely Joe who crosses the dividing line into a new world after the car chase, with his 'Christ, where am I?' section, which, in a traditional narrative structure, usually signals the start of the hero's quest. 

Nevertheless, maybe it would be possible to reframe the entire piece. I think it's a really exciting possibility and I'm glad that modern classics like this are potentially already being reinvented. I hope it works but, even more, I hope it's interesting and thought provoking. I've already seen the classic take - I'm happy to see something new.

If it's "re-imagined" in any way, one thought that came to mind listening to Broadway Bob's "The Sunset Project" podcast where he interviewed one of the Max's (I think from the U.S. Tour) is seeing it as Max's story. If there's anyone pulling the strings in this marionette show its Max from Norma's delusions to helping suck Joe into this orbit. Just listening to the "Sunset Orchestral Suite" that ALW released last year where they finished it not with "With One Look" as the final musical motif reprised but "The Greatest Star of All" I thought how even musically that could be even more impactful. Definitely think there's something that could be done to make it divert a bit from the straight movie adaptation but without butchering it

I think sequined tracksuits could work.

I'm torn on it - I'm not sure I approve of Nicole, but she does have a beautiful voice and will probably do well enough on the back of that to be worth a ticket, even if she can't act it (and hey, maybe she can). I doubt she'll have anyone leaving at the interval! I just wish she was ten years older.

I think for me I need to see what the overall production is like. I'm one of the few who actually liked the actor/musician one from a while back (and you won't normally hear me say I liked one of those!) but this time I think I just want SUNSET BOULEVARD. Big, shiny, massive sets, ornate costumes. A car on stage. Maybe not a real monkey corpse, though.