Sunset Boulevard – Savoy Theatre 2023/24

The 8 shows a week thing is a non argument these days. Jessie Buckley, Lucie Jones and their producers have made not showing up for a full week the new normal. I agree with the rest though!

Her Cats pulling power was off the back of being watched by millions every Saturday night on The X Factor for a number of years.

That era is ancient history now.

And now, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for the official announcement.

Or they can just make her up in a way that makes her look grotesque. It’s theatre darlings! Lights! Greasepaint! Smoke and mirrors!

True, but a directorial note to "sing it a bit more sh*t darling" slightly defeats the point of casting.

Completely agree on the first part, Joe is often underrated and written off as a pretty boy role.

Disagree on Danny Mac though, he was more pretty boy without bite. I though Michael Xavier was too 'nice' too.

The casting of Norma Desmond certainly evokes very strong feelings. I guess it is one of the all time great musical theatre roles.

Would I be committing heresy in these parts by saying I didn't like Glenn?! (It's ok, I already know the answer....). I understand people thought her characterisation was next level but for me it couldn't detract from the anxiety wondering how she was gonna cope with the musical crescendo and final notes of With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye (alas she didn't nail either). I dunno. These are such incredible songs that I just want to hear them sung with perfect pitch, power and tone. For that reason I'd definitely take a Nicole over a Glenn. (Caveat is that I did see her at the ENO just after she'd got back from being off and on the IV drip so maybe she wasn't at her best. Also all the acting in the world couldn't translate to my million miles away (100 quid plus) upper circle seat. I do have the OBC though and personally for me, her singing voice just doesn't have the most pleasant quality. Anyway, as I said, I do appreciate I am fully in the minority here).

Patti LuPone was my favourite of the "Nunn's Normas" (shame she's gone increasingly angry about everything in life ever since) closely followed by Betty Buckley - both of whom for me proved that you can be am amazing singer and actor. EP a very close third. Absolutely nailed the vocal. Characterisation was excellent but just a modicum too camp.

I wish I could remember better what Faith Brown was like in the RUG tour. Only went once.

I liked Kathryn Evans in the CRH version. And Ria was Ria in the most recent tour. I liked her and she can certainly sing it, but was also slightly too camp - much of this may have been in the direction though I guess.

Anyway, if these rumours are true, then I await with great anticipation who it will be!

Agree with what others have said that Joe is often played by too typical romantic male lead types.

I thought the original Joe, Kevin Anderson was perfection. He was also very underrated and almost invisible what with all the Patti LuPone drama. His Joe was cynical, understated, brooding, dark, sexy and slightly mysterious. They guy they then cast in LA/NYC was very much more typical alpha male, as was Barrowman in the West End. Which is less how I imagine the character to be.

Totally agree with BVM. Kevin Anderson was the best Joe. Just perfect and worked really well with LuPone. For me it was just the perfect match.

Not to be that person, BUT Patti, Glenn, Betty and Elaine were ALL around that age when they first donned the turban....

Faith was good, her voice the complete opposite of Glenn, very warm with earthy tones. I have the CD of her versions of the songs somewhere, I think.