Why did SUNSET BOULEVARD fail?- Page 4

[stanton]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 2:43am

It was an expensive show. ALW shot himself in the foot when he "fired" not only Patti Lupone (A WELL RESPECTED ACTRESS WITH A VERY LOYAL FOLLOWING who was getting good reviews with the West End Production) he also fired Faye Dunaway before she took to the stage. He blamed them for what was his own short comings. After these women were treated so poor & so publicly that I think A List talent avoided him. If he ever does do a revival he needs a HUGE NAME to carry the show. Only however a full scale revival should be done if they ever decide to do a revival. Now as for an actress who should play Norma on Broadway? Well the talent is there & we all have a favorite actress in mind but chances most them would avoid at all cost. Andrew Lloyd Webber still has amends to make in order to make actors trust him again. What could he do start with an add with an open letter apology to Patti & Faye and have them printed all the papers in New York. He could then do a huge sit down interview and explain himself. He is however a coward and I will never see him admitting that he "Wronged this Women". Yes paid settlements but both of these women deserve an apology,

[jo]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 5:57am

I share your views, chernjam, about Sunset Boulevard. I am a great fan of both Wilder's film classic and ALWebber's stage musical. Together with Aspects of Love, the musical score of Sunset Blvd are my favorites from Lloyd-Webber.

I saw the show only twice ( both in London, with Betty Buckley and later on with Elaine Paige). It is a show that cannot be cast with someone who just has a great singing voice. Norma was a former silent pictures star ( so she must have the arresting face and screen/stage presence of that era), the right dramatic chops to pull off the acting requirements, and a sense of drama that commands the stage. I have also noticed that the casting focused mainly on the role of Norma. In the movie classic, the role of Joe Gillis was given a strong focus as the scene observer ( William Holden had top billing vs Gloria Swanson) - maybe that was part of the weaknesses of the stage musical?

I had also seen a very good documentary from Australian TV re the staging of the Australian production and showed a few clips of Debra Byrne ( who was very good casting for rhe role) performing in the show, together with other key roles/actors in the play.

This is not from the documentary but a recreation of THE PERFECT YEAR, as staged for an Australian TV show (with Debra and Hugh Jackman as Joe)--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TKkDgpylq0

What went wrong with the show? It was probably more to do with the whole drama going on behind the scenes ( from the Lupone, Dunaway, Close vis-a-vis Lloyd Webber debacles...and even Byrne's personal problems), together with the huge staging costs, which ended its initial starry premiere ( An advance sale of $ 37.5 million -- I do not know when Broadway will ever see that kind of money at the box office again.) to a show limping towards the end.

I still have the DVD of the movie, the CD of the London and Broadway cast recordings, the documentary from Australian TV, and the clips from ALWebber's 50th birthday celebration showing Glenn Close portraying the slightly mad Norma in one of her signature songs! I even got the Streisand CD where With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye debuted ahead of any other recording (there was buzz then that she was trying to work out with Lloyd Webber the first crack at a movie adaptation). So, Sunset Boulevard is not something that I have forgotten over the years.

I am hoping that eventually a film adaptation of the stage musical will happen. But as ALW says, it is really up to Paramount Pictures ( which owns the rights of the film classic) and he has not lost full hope that someday it will still happen. He did say in one interview that he thinks Sunset Boulevard was the most complete musical score that he has ever written.






Updated On: 3/10/14 at 05:57 AM

[tom2000a]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 8:00am

I saw Patti do it in London and Glenn Close on Broadway. There was no comparison. Patti sang it about 100 times better. Glenn's interpretation was really bizarre. More like a caricature than an actual person. I thought Patti was just amazing in London with one problem. She was a little too young at the time, and sexy. You have to believe that it's somewhat disgusting when Joe finally sleeps with Norma. Patti was kind of crazy but kinda of hot too. You could believe he would have sex with her because he wanted to. It was still not a reason to fire her. I didn't see Betty Buckley but I bet she might have been fantastic and the perfect mix.

The set was stunning. I am not a fan of many of ALW shows. I do like Superstar. I think Phantom might be my next favorite. I think the title song was SOOOOO BAD that is might have stuck in people's minds. Sunset BOOOOOOLEVARD shouted over and over.

I don't know where old sets go when shows are over. ALW is rich enough that he should have put the original one in storage and dusted it off every once in a while.

It's a good show but only because the source material is so good. I can see a chamber version of it done somewhere being successful. It was too big and got dragged down by it's own weight.

[Steve721]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 6:35pm

I only saw it once in NY with Close. She gave an intensely stylized performance that I found to be completely riveting and will never forget. Her singing was just OK--she doesn't have a big voice--but she acted the stuffing out of it. I also thought George Hearn was terrific. The score has a few good songs that have already been mentioned, but is otherwise forgettable. Seeing the mansion float up and down was also fun. It's not one of my favorite shows, but I'm very glad I saw Close in all of her campy perfection; that was a sight to behold. IMHO, she richly deserved that Tony.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 6:40pm

Betty Buckley was a fantastic Norma. She sang the score incredibly and acted the part quite well. But her name didn't sell tickets. The show was expensive and not very good, so even though it had a fairly long run, it wasn't lucrative.

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 8:29pm

@Tom2000 re what happens to the set. I will say part of the mansion set (one of those large stained glass windows behind the steps) is in my bedroom. Bought it at the broadway flea market years ago.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/10/14 at 8:39pm

I have a friend who has the iron work from the set in his apartment.