With one look I'll ignite a blaze
I'll return to my glory days
They'll say, "Norma's back at last!"
On Easter Monday, I treated myself to a musical on the West End, seeing a show that I have always wanted to see for a very long time. So, upon arriving in the UK, when I saw that Sunset Boulevard was showing at the West End I got really excited and resolved to go, but preferably with another person. After a few months of not finding a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber to go with, I decided to treat myself after a tiring Easter weekend.
I grew up on the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, after listening and playing the great songs like The Phantom of the Opera, The Music of the Night, Memory, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Jesus Christ Superstar, Any Dream Will Do, to name a very few. However I've only seen one of his musicals, which was Phantom of the Opera. Being from a small country, musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber don't often feature, but they are held regularly on the West End in London, or Broadway in New York. With Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat now playing on the West End, it was a chance for me to see my second Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and I chose Sunset Boulevard.
Sunset Boulevard is based on the 1950 film of the same title. The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. What follows is a story of romance, comedy and, ultimately, tragedy. Kind of like a play written by Shakespeare without the old English dialogue.
The musical first opened in London in 1993, and has had several long runs internationally. However it also lost money because of its running costs and legal battles, making the show a flop-hit. The West End run finally ended in 1996, and it was only in 2008 that a London revival for Sunset Boulevard had started. It was a minimalist production, directed by Craig Revel Horwood, best known as that judge on Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand, and Strictly Come Dancing in the UK.
And when I saw the show, it was indeed a minamalist production. The actors on stage were also musicians on stage. Instead of a dedicated orchestra, the actors themselves played the score to the songs of Sunset Boulevard! It was so well coordinated that the actors played the musical instruments in such a way that it fitted naturally to the scene and the setting. Also, the actors often had to play more than one instrument as required by the score at the time, and whichever actors were actually engaged in the acting and singing of the scene. The "spare actors" not required in the scene would be lending support with their musical instruments. This takes multi-talented to a whole new level!
Sunset Boulevard is like Phantom of the Opera in reverse. The Phantom longs for Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and Norma Desmond longs for Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard. Neither protagonist get the other character in the end. The music is also in the same vein as Phantom of the Opera, with its dramatic sweeping melodies (Too Much In Love To Care, As If We Never Said Goodbye), and the lyrics tell the story beautifully (With One Look, Perfect Year).
The actors themselves were totally professional in what they did. They sang, they played instruments, they danced, they kissed, they portrayed their characters with aplomb. The actors who played Joe and Norma were solid and convincing. But I was absolutely impressed with the two supporting actors: Max von Mayerling, who is Norma's butler, and Betty Schaefer, who is Joe's love interest. The connection between Betty and Joe seemed so real; it was absolutely sad that they didn't end up together, and it appeared that Betty was crying for real when Joe decides to remain a bachelor. As for Max and Norma, the care that he shows towards her in her times of fragility was heartfelt and genuine. The climatic ending scene, when Norma says that classic line, portrayed that brilliantly.
Overall I loved it. It was on par with Phantom of the Opera, maybe even better. I wouldn't hesitate seeing this musical again and again!
This time I'm staying, I'm staying for good
I'll be back where I was born to be
With one look, I'll be me.
I'll return to my glory days
They'll say, "Norma's back at last!"
On Easter Monday, I treated myself to a musical on the West End, seeing a show that I have always wanted to see for a very long time. So, upon arriving in the UK, when I saw that Sunset Boulevard was showing at the West End I got really excited and resolved to go, but preferably with another person. After a few months of not finding a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber to go with, I decided to treat myself after a tiring Easter weekend.
I grew up on the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, after listening and playing the great songs like The Phantom of the Opera, The Music of the Night, Memory, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Jesus Christ Superstar, Any Dream Will Do, to name a very few. However I've only seen one of his musicals, which was Phantom of the Opera. Being from a small country, musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber don't often feature, but they are held regularly on the West End in London, or Broadway in New York. With Sunset Boulevard and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat now playing on the West End, it was a chance for me to see my second Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and I chose Sunset Boulevard.
Sunset Boulevard is based on the 1950 film of the same title. The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. What follows is a story of romance, comedy and, ultimately, tragedy. Kind of like a play written by Shakespeare without the old English dialogue.
The musical first opened in London in 1993, and has had several long runs internationally. However it also lost money because of its running costs and legal battles, making the show a flop-hit. The West End run finally ended in 1996, and it was only in 2008 that a London revival for Sunset Boulevard had started. It was a minimalist production, directed by Craig Revel Horwood, best known as that judge on Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand, and Strictly Come Dancing in the UK.
And when I saw the show, it was indeed a minamalist production. The actors on stage were also musicians on stage. Instead of a dedicated orchestra, the actors themselves played the score to the songs of Sunset Boulevard! It was so well coordinated that the actors played the musical instruments in such a way that it fitted naturally to the scene and the setting. Also, the actors often had to play more than one instrument as required by the score at the time, and whichever actors were actually engaged in the acting and singing of the scene. The "spare actors" not required in the scene would be lending support with their musical instruments. This takes multi-talented to a whole new level!
Sunset Boulevard is like Phantom of the Opera in reverse. The Phantom longs for Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and Norma Desmond longs for Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard. Neither protagonist get the other character in the end. The music is also in the same vein as Phantom of the Opera, with its dramatic sweeping melodies (Too Much In Love To Care, As If We Never Said Goodbye), and the lyrics tell the story beautifully (With One Look, Perfect Year).
The actors themselves were totally professional in what they did. They sang, they played instruments, they danced, they kissed, they portrayed their characters with aplomb. The actors who played Joe and Norma were solid and convincing. But I was absolutely impressed with the two supporting actors: Max von Mayerling, who is Norma's butler, and Betty Schaefer, who is Joe's love interest. The connection between Betty and Joe seemed so real; it was absolutely sad that they didn't end up together, and it appeared that Betty was crying for real when Joe decides to remain a bachelor. As for Max and Norma, the care that he shows towards her in her times of fragility was heartfelt and genuine. The climatic ending scene, when Norma says that classic line, portrayed that brilliantly.
Overall I loved it. It was on par with Phantom of the Opera, maybe even better. I wouldn't hesitate seeing this musical again and again!
This time I'm staying, I'm staying for good
I'll be back where I was born to be
With one look, I'll be me.
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