Sunset Boulevard Revival Broadway Thread- Page 57

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 12:55am

just got to watch Glenn's speech that someone kindly recorded and shared on here.  Wow - that was fantastic.  And so grateful that she was so gracious to ALW.  Hopefully he's found this revival as "healing" for him as it was for Glenn - particularly in comparison to all the drama in the original production.  Has to be gratifying for him to have seen how well it was received on both continents and not because of the stage craft or anything, but for the story and his music - done spectacularly by a mega-star, an exceptional cast and an amazing orchestra.

Truly will be a highlight for me for many years to come- with fingers crossed that perhaps this won't be the final bow on this production :)

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 12:58am

Thanks for the reports everyone!  Wish I could have been there.

Also thanks for the pictures greenifyme2 & Robbie 2.

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 2:41am

I also looked at greenifyme2's pictures--I think you were standing next to me at the stage door (as some photographer tried to push me over)

 

Ha, no way! I have long brown hair and was wearing a black dress. I also got shoved by someone who I assumed was an autograph seller. 

 

[evic]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 4:44am

Even the dog didn't want to be touched by ALW

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 10:13am

Even better/longer version of the final bows -   so great to see how surprised and moved Glenn was to see ALW at the final bows.  And you can see how much the cast and crew loved being together:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K9CPGu583s  

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 10:55am

chernjam said: "Even better/longer version of the final bows -   so great to see how surprised and moved Glenn was to see ALW at the final bows.  And you can see how much the cast and crew loved being together:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K9CPGu583s"

"We started in a snow storm and ended up on Gay Pride Day!"

Best final curtain call speech ever. 

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 10:56am

10086Sundays said: "It made me sad to delete my bookmark to the Sunset Ticketmaster page."

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 10:58am

greenifyme2 said: "There was quite a buzz at intermission and that's when I finally spotted ALW sitting in the 8th row aisle seat. From where I was sitting I could watch him watch the show, which was pretty crazy and I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that!"

I've seen so many of his shows, including a few he's actually attended, but I've never been able to get his autograph. The closest I've gotten was Cameron Mackintosh at the Phantom Broadway 25th performance.

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:00am

chernjam said: "so grateful that she was so gracious to ALW...Has to be gratifying for him to have seen how well it was received on both continents and not because of the stage craft or anything, but for the story and his music"

Yes.

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:11am

I've seen so many of his shows, including a few he's actually attended, but I've never been able to get his autograph. The closest I've gotten was Cameron Mackintosh at the Phantom Broadway 25th performance.

 

It never even crossed my mind to try to get his autograph- in the way he came off as very reserved, not for a second did I think he would come out of the stage door with a sharpie in his hand.

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:26am

greenifyme2 said: "It never even crossed my mind to try to get his autograph- in the way he came off as very reserved, not for a second did I think he would come out of the stage door with a sharpie in his hand."

Yep, that's my point. Although he does interviews and shows up for events like this for his shows, it's clear that his true nature is very shy and introverted and he's extremely uncomfortable in such situations. I can't imagine him ever taking pictures and signing autographs at a stage door.

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:36am

greenifyme2 said: "I also looked at greenifyme2's pictures--I think you were standing next to me at the stage door (as some photographer tried to push me over)

 

Ha, no way! I have long brown hair and was wearing a black dress. I also got shoved by someone who I assumed was an autograph seller. "

Some photographer with a backback pushed his way to the barricade, like a wedge, and spent the entire time turning to and fro, trying to make space around him with his backpack. I spent most of the time trying not to fall over the [shorter] woman next to me and passing up playbills from a group behind me.

Not sure I was noticeable, but you might remember my 12 year old was behind me, disinterestedly reading a book for most of the stage door time (one of the cast gave her half of one of the ribbons used during the new year party). She ended up decamping when the pushing got to be too much. She's not a big ALW fan, preferring Sondheim, Minchin, and a few others. We actually went straight to 54 Below afterward for Sondheim Unplugged.

Updated On: 6/26/17 at 11:36 AM

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 11:39am

evic said: "Even the dog didn't want to be touched by ALW"

When ALW tried to pet the dog, I was reminded of that line from Groundhog Day

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

When Rita and Larry are looking over Phil's body in the morgue, Larry says something like:

"He was a nice guy....could be a nice guy....I mean, I saw him pet a dog once"

 

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/26/17 at 6:33pm

Does anyone know when/if they announce whether the show recouped or not?

[yaoqian]

Posted: 6/27/17 at 11:34am

Hi all! Someone probably already have a video of this but I taped the whole curtain call, Glenn's speech, ALW's appearance, etc. the whole thing from top to bottom, until the second Glenn made the last bow and left the stage. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/bvBjqsXJnpw

It was truly a show that I will miss greatly, now I'm wishing I had seen it just a few more times... Absolutely fabulous.

[SteveL2]

Posted: 6/27/17 at 3:04pm

Thank you for posting this, brilliant..Saw the last performance in London where there was no speech but ALW, Don Black et al came on stage at the end to set the seal on a magical night. How lucky to have seen this show on Broadway too, not sure I can now face seeing the UK touring production which starts later in the year with Norma played by Glenn's understudy Ria Jones,but perhaps by the time it gets close to London in January, I might change my mind. I have enjoyed reading most of the comments on here, and for me at least Glenn's performances in this role I have never seen the like before, and can't believe I will ever see again. Truly wonderful, and thanks again to all that have put up footage on youtube.

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/27/17 at 6:25pm

SteveL2 said: "Thank you for posting this, brilliant..Saw the last performance in London where there was no speech but ALW, Don Black et al came on stage at the end to set the seal on a magical night. How lucky to have seen this show on Broadway too, not sure I can now face seeing the UK touring production which starts later in the year with Norma played by Glenn's understudy Ria Jones,but perhaps by the time it gets close to London in January, I might change my mind. I have enjoyed reading most of the comments on here, and for me at least Glenn's performances in this role I have never seen the like before, and can't believe I will ever see again. Truly wonderful, and thanks again to all that have put up footage on youtube."

Steve - you have to see the tour to give us reports :)  I'm curious to see what they will keep from this revival (the changes to the orchestrations?) and how they will do the sets and stuff...

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 8:29am

What are the chances of a U.S. tour?

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 9:59am

Lot666 said: "What are the chances of a U.S. tour?

"

Lot- you're obviously going through withdrawls like I am :)

I would suspect very slim - When this revival opened, I remember reading the producers saying they knew that financially it would be very difficult for them to make their investment back (just doing some guess-timating last night, if it was capitalized at 10 million which seems to be the average - and putting the weekly costs at 700,000 - they came close, but probably didn't reach it)  They were doing it simply because they were bowled over by seeing this at the ENO and wanted NY audiences to see it.  While it had a great run here - in such a crowded season - I kind of wonder if there hadn't been so many other things opening, would it have done even better.  And even in that case, this production would have to be difficult to tour.

I suspect that the rumor that someone from the Australian press tweeted that Glenn would be bringing this to Melbourne Australia seems more likely.  There were rumblings about that a few weeks ago - and I'm wondering if that's when they would film this production as they did Love Never Dies.  Perhaps the expenses of doing something like that are cheaper there - and Australia had great love for Sunset when it originally opened.

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 11:45am

chernjam said: "They were doing it simply because they were bowled over by seeing this at the ENO and wanted NY audiences to see it.

What is different in the U.K. that they feel a tour can be supported there? Is the touring version not the same production?

chernjam said: "I suspect that the rumor that someone from the Australian press tweeted that Glenn would be bringing this to Melbourne Australia seems more likely.  There were rumblings about that a few weeks ago - and I'm wondering if that's when they would film this production as they did Love Never Dies.  Perhaps the expenses of doing something like that are cheaper there - and Australia had great love for Sunset when it originally opened."

Not sure why, but I don't think Ms. Close is going to do this in Australia. Is she a big star there, or might the show be more successful with someone who's beloved by the Aussies (don't know who that would be)? 

Regarding the prospect of them filming Sunset over there, maybe there is some financial incentive. I was surprised when I learned that LND was to be filmed there.

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 12:03pm

Lot666 said: "chernjam said: "They were doing it simply because they were bowled over by seeing this at the ENO and wanted NY audiences to see it.

What is different in the U.K. that they feel a tour can be supported there? Is the touring version not the same production?
 

- One of the major things is that Ria Jones who was Close's understudy there (and did the first ever Workshop of Sunset with ALW a year before the Patti/Kevin Anderson one) had gone on for her, got great acclaim - and I believe the initial UK tour (with Faith brown) was successful.  So it's not too surprising that they would launch this after the ENO - and from the sounds of it, already there's great interest, as they've added dates I think into 2019 already.  From the sounds of it, this production will be very different from ENO - starting with the fact that the orchestra will be 16 rather than 40 or 50


chernjam said: "I suspect that the rumor that someone from the Australian press tweeted that Glenn would be bringing this to Melbourne Australia seems more likely.  There were rumblings about that a few weeks ago - and I'm wondering if that's when they would film this production as they did Love Never Dies.  Perhaps the expenses of doing something like that are cheaper there - and Australia had great love for Sunset when it originally opened."

Not sure why, but I don't think Ms. Close is going to do this in Australia. Is she a big star there, or might the show be more successful with someone who's beloved by the Aussies (don't know who that would be)? 

Regarding the prospect of them filming Sunset over there, maybe there is some financial incentive. I was surprised when I learned that LND was to be filmed there."

There has to be something to this rumor as it's been circulating for a few months now.  I had thought initially that LA made more sense - to bring the show back to where it started.  But the fact that they re-did Love Never Dies down there, and then filmed it, well perhaps it's a friendlier and easier environment for them to film it there.  ALW has said that it costs a fraction to open and run things in the UK as it is in the US.  So I would imagine the same is true in Australia.  And she doesn't have to do 20 weeks there.  It could be like ENO - a 4-5 week run.  Close has gotten international press out of this, and I bet the Aussies would go nuts having her there for something like this.  If Close knows this will lead to her being filmed and released - that would be incentive enough... because I would think this is the best chance of any "movie" version ever really happening.

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 12:12pm

chernjam said: "There has to be something to this rumor as it's been circulating for a few months now.  I had thought initially that LA made more sense - to bring the show back to where it started.  But the fact that they re-did Love Never Dies down there, and then filmed it, well perhaps it's a friendlier and easier environment for them to film it there.  ALW has said that it costs a fraction to open and run things in the UK as it is in the US.  So I would imagine the same is true in Australia.  And she doesn't have to do 20 weeks there.  It could be like ENO - a 4-5 week run.  Close has gotten international press out of this, and I bet the Aussies would go nuts having her there for something like this.  If Close knows this will lead to her being filmed and released - that would be incentive enough... because I would think this is the best chance of any "movie" version ever really happening."

But remember when they first hatched the idea of bringing the ENO production to Broadway and she said she'd only do it if they brought her costars along as well? Do you think she's gotten over that notion now? I know Mr. Xavier is already committed to Prince of Broadway now.

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/28/17 at 6:37pm

Lot666 said: "
But remember when they first hatched the idea of bringing the ENO production to Broadway and she said she'd only do it if they brought her costars along as well? Do you think she's gotten over that notion now? I know Mr. Xavier is already committed to Prince of Broadway now.

"

Prince of Broadway is a limited run though... I would think if this happens, it would be right after the new year.

[jmartinez3]

Posted: 7/1/17 at 9:34am

Hi everyone... I just found and joined this site/board.  Was up pretty late reading these pages and pages on my favorite musical Sunset Boulevard - So sorry I didn't get here sooner!  I got to see this revival 3 times and now that it closed, I realize how much I love it and already miss it  

Reading all of your posts made me realize I'm not the only one who adored this.  And the speculation that perhaps they will film this in Australia - has me hopeful.

Have a great day - Joe

[chernjam]

Posted: 7/1/17 at 5:24pm

jmartinez3 said: "Hi everyone... I just found and joined this site/board.  Was up pretty late reading these pages and pages on my favorite musical Sunset Boulevard - So sorry I didn't get here sooner!  I got to see this revival 3 times and now that it closed, I realize how much I love it and already miss it  

"

Been going through Sunset Blvd withdrawl myself :)  
Had bought the "Digitally remastered American Premiere Recording" of Sunset Blvd when I went the last time and was comparing the differences between the original as one way to ease the loss