Musical Theatre West to Present Andrew Lloyd Webber's SUNSET BOULEVARD, 7/12

Sunset Boulevard, the Musical Theatre West (MTW) production of the Broadway hit based on the 1950 Oscar-winning movie about a former star of the silent screen era living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street, has its much anticipated Southern California 20th Anniversary revival July 12 through July 28, 2013 at the exquisite 1,070-seat Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, CA. MTW Executive Director/Producer Paul Garman has appointed Larry Raben as Director with Musical Direction by David Lamoureux and Musical Staging by John Todd. MTW's Sunset Boulevard opens exactly 20 years to the day of the show's world premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre where it ran for 1529 performances.

Sunset Boulevard weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by tinsel town with the advent of "talkies." Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When she meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion. The original Broadway musical, directed by Trevor Nunn with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, won 7 Tony Awards in 1995 including Best Musical. The lush score features such haunting classics as "With One Look," "As if We Never Said Goodbye," "The Greatest Star of All," "The Perfect Year," and the emotionally charged title song "Sunset Boulevard." The 1950 film, directed by Billy Wilder and starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson, was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 3, including 1 for Best Music. In 1997, it ranked as #12 on the American Film Institute's Best American Films of the 20th Century.

The performance schedule for Sunset Boulevard is Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; *Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and *Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. *There will be no 2:00 pm matinee performance on Saturday, July 13; *and no 7:00 p.m. performance on Sunday, July 14. A Thursday, July 25 performance at 8:00 p.m. has been scheduled.

Tickets for Sunset Boulevard may be purchased online at www.musical.org or by phone at (562) 856-1999, Ext. 4. Prices begin at $20. A $3.00 service charge will be added to each ticket. Group rates are available for 12 or more. Tickets may also be purchased at the Musical Theatre West Box Office located at 4350 East 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804. Box Office hours are 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Now in its 60th record-breaking (2012/2013) anniversary season, Musical Theatre West is Southern California's premier musical theatre company. Under the leadership of Executive Director/Producer Paul Garman, the company has garnered numerous awards and accolades for its work presenting the entire spectrum of musical theatre (including 82 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award nominations over the past 11 seasons with a 2012 Best Musical win for Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume II,) and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Association Margaret Harford Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theatre. For further information about Musical Theatre West, visit www.musical.org.