"If I could leave 'Sunset' tomorrow, I would" - Glenn Close (April, 1995)

[David10086]

In the other thread, I mentioned some of the original newspaper clippings I still have from when "Sunset Boulevard" played Broadway in 1994 -97. One of them is the DAILY NEWS cover story from Tuesday, April 4, 1995  titled "Bullets Over B'way : Actress Glenn Close throws a fit after producer questions her popularity". 

What sparked the fury was when Close read a letter ALW penned to the cast and crew apologizing for reporting an inflated weekly box office to disguise the drop in sales while Close was on vacation in March, and praising the performance of her understudy Karen Mason. He called his decision to inflate grosses 'idiotic', but praised Mason for 'playing 16 performances with total standing ovations on all occasions'. (He pumped up the box office receipts by more than $150,000 per week during Close's two week vacation.)  According to sources from the production, Close was 'visibly upset' and stormed off the stage the previous Thursday after her evening performance, and headed to her dressing room to pen the letter. 

She wrote, "I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that my performance turned 'Sunset Blvd.' around. I made it a hit. It has existed on my shoulders...and yet a representative of your company went out of their way and lied to try to make the public believe that my contribution to this show is nothing, that Karen's performance is equal to mine and that my absence had absolutely no effect whatsoever on all the thousands of dollars that supposedly kept pouring into the box office. It sickens me to be treated with such disregard."

She continued, "If I could leave 'Sunset' tomorrow, I would. If I could leave in May, when my contract says I can, believe me I would. At this point, what is making me stay is my sense of obligation to all the people who are holding tickets until July 2."

At the end, she concluded, "We have been cruelly thrown into yet another traumatic controversy which will - once again - take a huge emotional toll on us all."

ALW was said to be distraught and shellshocked by the letter, which was publicized on Monday, April 3 in Variety. Close and ALW issued a joint statement the night before the Daily News published their story, saying they "expressed mutual dismay that a very private communication between them found its way into public hands" and assured their fans they "remained the best of friends".  Close referred to the blow-up as being a normal part of 'any close family where there are different opinions, and mutual hurt feelings from time to time'.

Close, of course, stayed with the show until July 2, 1995.

[ArtMan]

Reading that, she really dissed her understudy.  She should have kept her out of it and focused only on ALW.

[David10086]

ArtMan said: "Reading that, she really dissed her understudy. She should have kept her out of it and focused only on ALW."

I don't know if she could focus on ALW without mentioning Mason, as his praise for Mason is what really stoked the fire in her. I think she wanted to make it clear she - no one else - is Norma Desmond. 

[TotallyEffed]

Imagining Patti reading about all this drama gives me life.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Nobody came out looking good.

Close was pushing 50, and like many "aging" actresses she had the right to be worried about where her career might be going, especially after giving up a year+ of film work for Sunset.

ALW's move was an attempt to show the world that Sunset wasn't "just" The Glenn Close Show.

There were so many bad producing things at Sunset by ALW and Edgar Dobie (who was running the American arm of Really Useful Group at the time), it's amazing that the show ended up being as good as it was.

 

[devonian.t]

It wasn't that good.

This is just another example of ALW treating people like commodities and his own personal property without consideration for the effect his "wheezes" have on them.

Do you have to be a borderline sociopath to become a mega-player in the performing arts?

[qolbinau]

Interesting in her recent London revival it was somewhat true that her absence had no impact on the box office because the greedy scamming producers took the money anyway and refused to offer refunds.

[David10086]

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "
ALW's move was an attempt to show the world that Sunset wasn't "just" The Glenn Close Show.
"

I agree 100% with you on this. With Close leaving in three months , this was his opportunity to tell the world his musical could stand on it's own, whether Close was in it or not. What better time than taking advantage of the fact that Close was on a two week vacation ? He had to keep selling tickets - which didn't happen as rapidly with Buckley or Paige in the show. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

David10086 said: "I agree 100% with you on this. With Close leaving in three months , this was his opportunity to tell the world his musical could stand on it's own, whether Close was in it or not. What better time than taking advantage of the fact that Close was on a two week vacation ? He had to keep selling tickets - which didn't happen as rapidly with Buckley or Paige in the show."

Right, and as anyone who's ever produced a star-driven musical knows, sales usually tank after that original star leaves. Of course, there are other ways to do that (90% of the world does not give a damn about Broadway grosses), and entertainment attorneys will tell you that if you have a star in your show, you need to be able to recoup before that star's exit date.

[BrodyFosse123]

ArtMan said: "Reading that, she really dissed her understudy. She should have kept her out of it and focused only on ALW."

Karen Mason was her standby, not her understudy.  She only performed when called upon.  She wasn’t in the cast in any other role.  

[ArtMan]

BrodyFosse123 said: "ArtMan said: "Reading that, she really dissed her understudy. She should have kept her out of it and focused only on ALW."

Karen Mason was her standby, not her understudy. She only performed when called upon. She wasn’t in the cast in any other role."

I didn't know that.  But I still say including her in her comments was wrong.  She was there to do a job.  Now whether or not "Karen's performance was equal to mine" is really the opinion of the audience members who saw the show the nights she performed.