Sunset Boulevard

Finally got to see this after the snow disaster in Cardiff snd it was definitely worth the wait and the trip to Wimbledon! It’s such an amazing score as I’d discovered from listening to the Original London Recording and it sounded all the better from being played by the 16-piece orchestra. I was very impressed by all four leads, Danny Mac nailed it acting and singing-wise I thought and I’m sure he’ll get lots more leading man roles in the future. I thought Ria was brilliant in every way, I’ve never seen such great acting in a musical in my 2 short years of theatregoing besides maybe Sheridan in Funny Girl but I suppose nothing else really enables you to let loose like this. I was nearly moved to tears by Ria’s acting of just how desperate and derranged Norma is at the ends of both acts and I don’t think there was a hint of “camp” in her portrayal at all, which I had been worried about before. Her vocals were great too but it sometimes sounded as if she were losing her voice, she seemed sometimes to be straining to reach the higher notes. I was worried that she wasn’t going to hit the last note in With One Look but she did, and brilliantly so, both times so maybe it was all in my head. I can see why she could be losing her voice though after 9 months on the road WITHOUT MISSING A SINGLE SHOW, I don’t think that can ever be praised enough! The set I thought was so good for a touring production like everyone else has said and I thought the projections worked well too. The matinee was very full of seniors which showed me that I’m probably not in the show’s target audience (I’m 17) but nonetheless it’s definitely in my top 10. Shame we probably won’t get another production for years.

Midweek matinees are almost always full of seniors, so I don't think that's any indication.

I've only ever seen evening performances of this, but although this one does skew old, it's mixed, and there are definitely younger Danny Mac fans who attend.

Forgot to say before, the Wimbledon audience very really well behaved (just one phone going off during the finale, but at least it was way upstairs out of the way).

Not to take anything away from her, as it is still amazing in every way, but just for fullness, the understudy did cover her once.

I was sat right behind this woman - her phone went off FOUR times, at least. First time, she ended the call and shoved it down into her handbag. Second time she got it right out and tried to turn it off, but I could see from behind her that she hadn't managed to actually turn it off. So obviously it rang again. And then again. I very nearly grabbed it off her and turned it off, but she got it back in her handbag in time. I didn't have the heart to actually say anything to her afterwards, she seemed very shaken up by the whole thing and was clearly punishing herself enough without me having a go!

I thoroughly enjoyed the show though, thought it was absolutely superb. Danny Mac really surprised me, I thought he was excellent, and Ria Jones is similarly really good - early on I thought she verged close to caricature, but later on she really captured the emotion of the part. It's staged fantastically (especially for a touring production), and a particularly highlight is As If We Never Said Goodbye in that regard.

Not very full though, sadly. I was in the Dress Circle, in those Row K seats that are weirdly cheap at Wimbledon, so about halfway back, and there was nobody behind us apart from four people in the very back row. And nobody in the sides at all.

Or subject people to their keyboard “click” sound when they’re typing 😖😖😖

So I caught this last and I gotta say, overall I was pretty impressed.

I know this should inside out and back to front.

I've seen Patti LuPonne with Kevin Anderson, Betty Buckley with John Barrowman, Elaine Paige with Alexander Hanson and Glenn Close with Michael Xavier.

I have the original B & Film on DVD, hardback books and both cast recordings.

So I've seen the grand opulence of sets with the floating stage and now this stripped back version which I thought worked well.

In terms of performances, for me, Danny Mac and Ria Jones were the standouts. The guy playing Max was also good, quite formidable.

Of the four leads, the weakest link was the girl paying Betty. Good voice, but I've heard better and acting was pretty wooden.

Costume, lighting, make-up and movement were all good and I like the way the modified the grand staircase and the use of projections for Norma mansion, and the body floating in the pool.

I spoke to both Ria and Danny who were not only nice, friendly and personable and seems genuinely appreciative of the compliments.

In terns of the score, one of Lloyd-Webber's best.

I'm enjoying reading all the love for this - I was so pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I've been humming 'Girl Meets Boy' ever since I saw it.

I see Danny Mac is going to be in a one-night production of A Little Princess at the Southbank Centre: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/128779-little-princess-2018

No idea but I'd guess it will probably go on retirement for quite a while afterwards.
Should the movie ever eventually get produced, depending on its reception, I can see it getting a vastly less-comprehensive run in some form, probably not the Curve production though.

Hello lewisv1733. I liked your post on 'Sunset Boulevard' and, if I may go off thread, can I please ask you – at the age of 17 and after just two years of theatre-going – to let us know what are your top ten musicals?

In my programe from the New Wimbledon (which I assume would have the same layout in all venues anyway) there’s a piece with Christopher Hampton talking about his journey with Sunset and at the end he’s quoted saying “I delivered the screenplay of Sunset Boulevard - The Musical a couple of months ago, which Paramount will make next year with Glenn Close as Norma”. If this is true then “next year” means this year because this piece was probably written for the start of the tour.

I think it's fantastic that someone your age is getting into the theatre. I don't mean this as patronising at all, I genuinely think it's brilliant and a great sign that theatre won't die with us oldies 😉 you also have great taste in musicals!