Re: Theater
Posted: January 16th, 2024, 12:28 pm
Julian Glover performs , not reads. Sheesh
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Exciting news about the cast recording and about the show transferring to Broadway.BagelOnAPlate wrote: ↑January 13th, 2024, 3:32 pmIt's rumored that there's a cast recording of Jamie Lloyd's London Sunset Blvd revival in the works.Swithin wrote: ↑January 10th, 2024, 4:22 pmDavid Thaxton was great!BagelOnAPlate wrote: ↑January 10th, 2024, 2:59 pm Once
You won't remember
If you said Hollywood, hers was the face you'd think of.
Her face
On every billboard
In just a single week she'd get ten thousand letters . . .
It has been announced that Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Blvd will be transferring to Broadway some time in 2024!
In addition to Nicole Scherzinger reprising her role as Norma Desmond, the other three principal members of the London cast will be going with her to New York: Tom Francis as Joe Gillis, Grace Hodgett-Young as Betty Schaefer and David Thaxton as Max Von Mayerling.
(Some kind of deal must have been reached with Actors Equity.)
This is exciting news!
I'm especially interested in seeing David Thaxton as Max.
No dates or venue have been announced, but many are speculating that it will premiere in the fall.
I can't wait!
I hope the rumor turns out to be true!
In this revival the original key was restored to the end of "With One Look," the first big Norma Desmond song in the show, so audiences are hearing the final note of that song in the correct higher key for the first time since the world premiere production, which was also in London.
The key was modulated down two or three steps to accommodate Glenn Close in the American premiere production in Los Angeles. That's the production that ultimately transferred to Broadway, so we've been stuck with that awful modulation ever since.
Until now!
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!
On London's recovery, an additional thing that helps is that is just more affordable to attend theater there than in NYC. Although ticket prices are creeping up in London (and theater owners and producers there have adopted the same airline-style dynamic pricing strategies), the average West End ticket prices are quite a bit lower than Broadway. Still, there were articles last fall where prominent stars (I recall David Tennant) expressed concern that theatre was becoming too expensive there, too, especially when a big name is involved. The average ticket price in London is around £55 while Broadway's average is around $125.Swithin wrote: ↑January 17th, 2024, 10:24 pm It will be interesting to see how Sunset Blvd. fares with the New York critics. In a normal season, an adventurous production could go either way, but I think critics are being a bit kinder these days, since Broadway has not fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. I think London is doing better, perhaps because theater is more in the DNA there.
I have to confess that, when I booked for Sunset in London, I had never heard of Nicole Scherzinger. When she stepped out on stage, I thought, well, that's Maila Nurmi. But Nicole won me over.
Here's a link to my thoughts, from another thread:
viewtopic.php?p=191100#p191100
Ticket prices in London, in the West End at least, have gone up a lot. The top in the Olivier/National is now £99, still cheaper than the top West End price, but much higher than it used to be. That's partly to subsidize the cheap seats for under 30s.txfilmfan wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 10:56 amOn London's recovery, an additional thing that helps is that is just more affordable to attend theater there than in NYC. Although ticket prices are creeping up in London (and theater owners and producers there have adopted the same airline-style dynamic pricing strategies), the average West End ticket prices are quite a bit lower than Broadway. Still, there were articles last fall where prominent stars (I recall David Tennant) expressed concern that theatre was becoming too expensive there, too, especially when a big name is involved. The average ticket price in London is around £55 while Broadway's average is around $125.Swithin wrote: ↑January 17th, 2024, 10:24 pm It will be interesting to see how Sunset Blvd. fares with the New York critics. In a normal season, an adventurous production could go either way, but I think critics are being a bit kinder these days, since Broadway has not fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. I think London is doing better, perhaps because theater is more in the DNA there.
I have to confess that, when I booked for Sunset in London, I had never heard of Nicole Scherzinger. When she stepped out on stage, I thought, well, that's Maila Nurmi. But Nicole won me over.
Here's a link to my thoughts, from another thread:
viewtopic.php?p=191100#p191100
The Gray Lady already bestowed the London production with a good review (and a "NYT Critic's Pick"), by Matt Wolf, shortly after it opened:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/thea ... evard.html
If it transfers with the same team intact, it should fare well with the NYT, at least.
Thanks. Did not realize that.Swithin wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 11:44 am
Btw, Matt Wolf is the London-based critic for The NY Times. His take is not always reflected in the review of The NY Times Broadway reviewer. The days of Ben Brantley taking theater trips to London are over. If Brantley liked something in London, it was a pretty safe bet that he would like it when he reviewed the New York production as well.
Speaking of Matt Wolf, a few years ago I went to a Platform Discussion at the National Theatre in London. It was during the run of Angels in America. Wolf was moderating a discussion between Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey. That's where I got my DNA line from. In response to one of Wolf's questions, Lane replied:txfilmfan wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 12:07 pmThanks. Did not realize that.Swithin wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 11:44 am
Btw, Matt Wolf is the London-based critic for The NY Times. His take is not always reflected in the review of The NY Times Broadway reviewer. The days of Ben Brantley taking theater trips to London are over. If Brantley liked something in London, it was a pretty safe bet that he would like it when he reviewed the New York production as well.
I enjoy anything Mr. Tovey is in!Swithin wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 6:52 pmSpeaking of Matt Wolf, a few years ago I went to a Platform Discussion at the National Theatre in London. It was during the run of Angels in America. Wolf was moderating a discussion between Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey. That's where I got my DNA line from. In response to one of Wolf's questions, Lane replied:txfilmfan wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 12:07 pmThanks. Did not realize that.Swithin wrote: ↑January 18th, 2024, 11:44 am
Btw, Matt Wolf is the London-based critic for The NY Times. His take is not always reflected in the review of The NY Times Broadway reviewer. The days of Ben Brantley taking theater trips to London are over. If Brantley liked something in London, it was a pretty safe bet that he would like it when he reviewed the New York production as well.
"I don't know if theater is built into our DNA as it is here." It's at about the 39:30 point in this discussion, which you may find interesting.
Related to your point about making "Norma a little more human", for me a key scene is where Norma and Joe are watching some of her silent films. We start to see more of the human side of Norma, but only for a few seconds, before it become the more vampish Norma. Thus, I view this as a missed opportunity. Wilder could have really explore how 'human' she was back-in-those-days (vulnerable, seeking love and acceptance from those close to her, ,,, i.e. all those things that make us 'human'), and how that being behind her, she became what she was today (but wishing for Joe to help her regain that, and not just fame and love from the general public, which becomes too much of the focus).kingrat wrote: ↑January 20th, 2024, 2:18 pm I actually think Gloria Swanson's performance in the movie misses the opportunity to make Norma a little more human and less vampirish. To see a few traces of the Norma who does the Chaplin impersonation--smart, funny, talented--or at least someone who once was all those things--would make a richer character. To use a Bette Davis analogy, Norma can have moments of Margo Channing until she is finally as bonkers as Baby Jane.
"As If We Never Said Goodbye" doesn't have any suggestion of camp or craziness in the lyrics or the music, which is why it is often excerpted by singers.