REVIEW: ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is an unprecedented marvel
Photo: Tom Francis stars as Joe Gillis and Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Photo courtesy of Marc Brenner / Provided by DKC O&M with permission.
NEW YORK — Director Jamie Lloyd, actors Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis, and the entire cast and crew of the stellar Sunset Boulevard revival, now playing at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, have crafted a remarkable evening of theater that will most certainly be remembered as one of this generation’s most engaging productions. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music soars in a heartfelt and scandalously powerful rendition, dressed down and modernized by Lloyd’d direction, but no less impactful than the original take starring Glenn Close.
Much credit has to be given to Lloyd, an in-demand British director who has transferred a few productions from London to New York City, including last season’s exquisite A Doll’s House. In this show, he takes several risks, and each and every one works with pathos and poetry. He has the cast decked out in simple clothes with a mostly bare stage. Those who have seen his productions will not be surprised by these stylistic facets. What is surprising is how the director is able to meld the world of cinema with the world of Broadway. He has the performers emote for the crowd at the St. James Theatre, but their actions and feelings are also broadcast on a slanted big screen in towering High Definition. Given the source material, it’s not surprising that most of the filmed scenes are extreme close-ups. This is the land of Hollywood and Cecil B. DeMille, after all.
Scherzinger is offering a commanding performance as Norma Desmond, an aging Hollywood starlet who has fallen on hard times. She lives a reclusive life in a Sunset Boulevard mansion, waiting for that phone to ring with the next big role. Instead, she meets Joe Gillis (Francis), an up-and-coming screenwriter who decides to move into the actor’s guesthouse. They begin a personal and professional relationship that will either lead to stardom or infamy (or both).
Scherzinger is pitch-perfect as Norma, imbuing the part with hurt and anguish, but also power and agency. She is in fine voice throughout the evening, especially during an 11 o’clock number in Act II (that actually comes more at the 9 o’clock hour). This is a memorable performance that is distinctive and unprecedented, two qualities that allow distance from Close’s equally memorable turn.
The real find in this cast is Francis who enlivens an otherwise ho-hum role with verve and energy, making the part important and utterly believable. He has a wonderfully realized voice and an assured stage presence as his character leads down a tortuous rabbit hole into the heart of Hollywood infamy. Many of Lloyd’s risks deal with his character, and Francis is able to pull them off with aplomb.
Effective supporting work comes courtesy of Grace Hodgett Young as Betty Schaefer and David Thaxton as Max Von Mayerling. It should be noted that Mandy Gonzalez is playing Norma at certain performances. The ensemble, too, works hard to bring the director’s vision to life, no doubt making Lloyd proud that such a talented cast has made this show vital once again. Audiences will be thrilled by the actors’ collective choreography in the opening number; kudos to choreographer Fabian Aloise for the expert moves.
There’s so much to respect in this production of Sunset Boulevard; the show deserves every superlative it receives. This is a bold, risky and risqué reimagining of a classic musical with a storyline that still grabs one’s attention with lessons to be learned about how people can be forgotten once they leave the spotlight. There are themes of sexism, celebrity, love, death, aging, beauty and ambition, and thanks to Norma, Joe and company, the audience walks away with an electrifying example of how these subjects can make for a thrilling musical.
Sunset Boulevard is the best show of the Broadway season, a powerhouse that should (and will) be remembered come Tony time.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Sunset Boulevard. Directed by Jamie Lloyd. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Starring Nicole Scherzinger, Mandy Gonzalez, Tom Francis, Grace Hodgett Young and David Thaxton. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes. Now playing the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets.
