Sunset Boulevard

I've heard people say that about the Les Mis and Evita films, but never about theatre. What is WRONG with some people?!?

Why is bursting into song in the (now very old) tradition of dialogue, musical number, dialogue, musical number (and repeat) preferable to so many numbnuts, I wonder?!

Yes. Expanding on this discussion, the theory is that music and singing express a higher intensity of emotion and drama than speaking, which is the way people normally communicate in real life.  Thus in a stage musical, the characters speak the dialogue and then burst into song at various points to heighten the experience emotionally or dramatically. This is an unnatural and artificial structure but audiences in general enjoy it by understanding the dialogue and then being uplifted by the music and singing as it arises.  If everything is sung, including what would normally be the spoken dialogue then the whole thing becomes even more artificial, needing more concentration and suspension of disbelief. Opera has taken this form since the early 19th century but as a whole appeals only to a relatively small group of people. Stage musicals in their traditional form (songs interspersed with spoken dialogue) have a wider appeal but are not universally liked, and sung-through musicals are in fact operas and less people seem to like them.  So despite being hugely successful, sung-through shows like Les Mis, are the exception, and we have rather come back to the dialogue-song-dialogue form for musicals in general.  Well, that's my take on the discussion!

I went to see NT Live’s Cat On A Hot Tin Roof tonight.

Too much talking!

I haven't purchased tickets for Wimbledon yet, but a friend wants me to. Bit loathe to pay full price at this point, and they might go on offer/discount nearer the time.

Wonder what the chances of that happening are?...

^^^
I doubt there will ever be a full revival like the Adelphi original. That production was so completely lavish and was amazingly impressive at the time (and, in terms of staging, would be impressive even now).

The problem was, I think, it was very quick to use named performers in the original productions (LuPone, Buckley, Paige, Clarke, Rita Moreno, Close, Diahann Carroll, Debra Byrne), making audiences expect a ‘name’ of some description or note. It was, therefore, very difficult for the production itself and the title to ‘make their mark’. Plus, pictures of the star playing Norma (in costume) always seemed to accompany the logo (this was never the case with the original ‘Phantom’ - you didn’t see Crawford and Brightman - you simply saw the logo). As a result of the often-accompanying photograph of the star playing Norma, the title ‘Sunset Boulevard’ didn’t become the star at all - hence, the current tour without a well-known name is not a draw for the public.

I don’t necessarily agree that there is too much music in this either and I wouldn’t describe it as a sung-through musical at all. There is actually a fair amount of spoken dialogue in this - so I don’t think that has influenced the lack of ticket sales. I think that, for younger audiences, the title itself has never crept into the general consciousness (unlike Phantom, Saigon, Cats etc...) and , for older audiences who remember the original, there is the expectation of a ‘name’.

Just my thoughts! I think it’s a shame it hasn’t sold well - it’s one of my favourite shows!!!

I think for touring productions particularly that a name is needed to sell shows that are not readily familiar with audiences. Ria Jones as good as she is not a name 99% of the population would know. Sunset, although one of my favourite shows does not have the pulling power of for example Blood Brothers which can sell out just on the show alone.

I was thinking Danny Mac would be the draw. He is a celebrity and all, and the show was promoted on his name and photo.

Obviously not enough of one!....

Both performances in Cardiff cancelled today. Must admit I'm gutted. No tickets left for Saturday from what I can see so I'm going to use the refund money to go see the show in Wimbledon, at least I can add another theatre to my list I guess!

Should do a TheatreBoard trip to the final performance in Sheffield. Send the show off properly...

Forgot to share thoughts on this!

I've never seen Sunset, and actually it turns out wasn't familiar with the story or score particularly. Which led to an interesting minute or so of 'WTF is that? a dead cat? dog? baby? it's a chimp? WTF?'

Those moments aside I really loved it. Ria Jones is just phenomenal, and gives a stellar performance for the whole thing and then, those last five minutes or so. Wow. And her vocals are incredible.

I loved Danny Mac too (isn't he little?!) thought he had charisma, a nice voice, decent acting and of course some good dance moves. The ensemble also were excellent and for me the stripped back set really worked in the sense it looked like a film set being put together and pulled apart.

All in all glad I ticked this one off my list. Was I in love with the musical itself? I'd say probably not. There's nothing I dislike but I don't think anything that would pull me back time and again.