Joanna Ampil to Star in the Manila Premiere of SUNSET BOULEVARD

Manila, Philippines—West End star Joanna Ampil has officially been named to play the role of silent-screen diva Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.”

Brought to Manila by CueCraft Entertainment, in arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd., the production marks a homecoming for the Ampil, who is poised to tackle one of the most vocally demanding, emotionally complex leading roles in musical theater.

Ampil’s international theater credits feature a roster of iconic roles, including Kim in “Miss Saigon” (West End, Sydney, UK Tour, 10th anniversary performance, the complete symphonic recording); the first female Engineer in “Miss Saigon” (Sheffield Theatre, 2023); Grizabella in “Cats” (West End, Middle East, Asia, Apple TV+ documentary, “The Show Must Go On”); Carlotta Giudicelli in “The Phantom of the Opera” (West End); Eponine and Fantine in “Les Miserables” (West End); Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar” (West End and the revival cast recording); and Jenna in “Waitress” (international premiere in Manila).

The esteemed actress’ artistic prowess also extends to the silver screen, where she earned widespread critical acclaim for her portrayal of Candida Marasigan in the 2017 feature film musical “Ang Larawan” (The Portrait of the Filipino as an Artist). For the film, she won Best Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and the highly prestigious Gawad Urian.

In “Sunset Boulevard,” theater actor-director Nelsito Gomez is at the helm. Known for his distinctive storytelling and intricate character work, Gomez brings a fresh, keen artistic vision to Webber’s soaring score.  His take will lean more on “Sunset Boulevard’s” original classic staging, but reimagined specifically for Filipino audiences.

“Sunset Boulevard,” based on Billy Wilder’s 1950s film, follows Joe Gillis, a young screenwriter down on his luck, whose frantic attempt to evade several repo men leads to a chance encounter with Desmond, a reclusive, forgotten silent-film star who still clings to the possibility of making a big-screen comeback.

The show features some of musical theater’s most beloved songs, such as “With One Look,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” “The Perfect Year,” and the title song, “Sunset Boulevard.”

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