BWW Reviews: BCT's SUNSET BOULEVARD a Standard, Flawed Retelling

It's kind of amazing that with Houston's thriving theatre scene that Bayou City Theatrics' production of SUNSET BOULEVARD is the show's first Houston run. Even if you haven't seen SUNSET BOULEVARD, the musical or the 1950 Billy Wilder film the musical is based on, you'll probably recognize, "I am big, it's the pictures that got small" or "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." They're ubiquitous; lines immortalized, imitated, and parodied for the last sixty plus years.

The musical adaptation of SUNSET BOULEVARD, with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is faithful to Wilder's classic film about a struggling Los Angeles screenwriter, Joe Gillis, and his chance (and ultimately fatal) meeting with faded film star Norma Desmond. Regrettably, Bayou City Theatrics' production is even more faithful to its filmic source material: the acting choices are reminiscent of the film's stars, Gloria Swanson and William Holden; scenes from the film are projected to serve as establishing shots and transitions; even a title card is used.

Director and designer Colton Berry brings a solid artistic vision to his staging of SUNSET BOULEVARD, but at times his conceptualizations remain better than the execution. The Kaleidoscope is not the easiest space to work with, but it does work when Berry utilizes the depth of the stage. The audience is literally moved deeper and deeper into an increasingly uneasy world, from Joe's sparse apartment (furnished with only a table, chair and typewriter) to the ever busy Paramount lot and, finally, to Norma's impressively detailed, gold-tinged mansion at 10086 Sunset Boulevard. Here, the lack of space actually contributes to the show, giving the production a claustrophobic feel and adding to the sense of foreboding, which is well established and maintained through the show's final scene.

It doesn't work, however, when a large group of actors is on stage. Bayou City Theatrics' SUNSET BOULEVARD boasts a cast of twenty and, for the larger numbers, the stage appears jumbled and the actors aimless. "Let's Have Lunch," for example, performed by Joe and the Paramount Employees, is fun and lively but prone to spacing issues because of the sheer number of actors on stage. One less row of people in the back and on the side would have gone a long way to prevent some of the crowding and save anyone from (literally) hitting a wall. Repeated spacing issues in the group numbers also distract from Luke Hamilton's excellent choreography, though Hamilton's choreography does get a chance to shine in numbers like "The Lady's Paying" and "New Year Tango."

The staging in the Kaleidoscope also posed problems acoustically, and sound issues plagued the performance. Early in the show, the entire setup that leads Joe to Norma - two goons looking to repo his car - is overshadowed, first by the music and then by a cacophony of indistinguishable lines. Entire lines of dialogue and chunks of lyrics were lost as actors moved through the stage, faced away from the crowd or, in the case of John Watkins' Joe Gillis, looked down at a typewriter. Voices were drowned out, the ensemble uneven. Problems that could have been solved with the use of microphones.

As Norma Desmond, Edith Maldonado is asked to walk a fine line and, for the most part, does so admirably. Her strong presence and expressive face at turns evoke curiosity and pity, fascination and disgust. But, as with any larger than life character, it is all too easy to become a campy caricature and, unfortunately, that's exactly what happened during the show's most dramatic moments. Lost somewhere behind over the top and overwrought choices was Norma's humanity; without it, Maldonado's performance elicited giggles from the audience. Vocally, Maldonado was hit and miss at times, losing her breath and her grip on pitch as her emotions and the music swelled.

Still, Maldonado and Bayou City Theatrics were able to create some truly magical moments. "With One Look" is visually stunning, the world fading to black as a director, camera and sound man appear to surround Maldonado as Norma loses herself in memories of yesteryear. The use of light and shadow is incredibly effective throughout the show, as is the mirroring of Maldonado's Norma with a young Norma, played by Michelle Mayo, in "New Ways to Dream."

Both Maldonado and Mayo are outstandingly costumed as Norma. Norma enters scenes shiny and be-sequined, in lengths of flowing silk and form-fitting dresses. Berry and his team* create bright costumes and complete looks that are period appropriate and fun.

Watkins is solid, if predictable, as Joe Gillis, and his scenes with Nicole Norton (Betty Schaefer) are a treat. Norton is great as Betty, her sweet voice and exuberance a bright spot in this otherwise dark world. It's a shame that we get to spend so little time with Betty, but Norton makes it count, particularly in "Betty's Pitch" and "Girl Meets Boy."

Will Ledesma shuffles, ever-present and creepy, through and behind the scenes as Norma's faithful but enabling butler Max. And Kyle Ezer as Cecil B. DeMille captures the control and authority you'd expect from such a luminary. Speaking of Mr. DeMille, ensemble member Derrien Kellum deserves a mention for her brief but vivid turn as Heather, DeMille's assistant at Paramount.

Uneven acting and vocal performances, persistent sound issues and the price tag ($35 to $40) make this one hard to recommend. Wilder's film is on Netflix. Do yourself a favor - watch it there.

* Prop, Set, and Costume Realization by Colton Berry, Luke Hamilton, Sam Martinez, Shannon Page, Jane Volke, Tori Shoemaker, Whitney Zangarine, Michael Castillo, Nathan Costella, Alex Domingue, Natasha Braun, and Ashley Carfine, with assistance on makeup and hair from Jen Gamboa.

SUNSET BOULEVARD runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m. through June 27, at Bayou City Theatrics' downtown theatre, The Kaleidoscope at 705 Main Street at Capitol, Suite B. Tickets are available here.

Photo Credit: Bayou City Theatrics Staff

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