The 1950 noir classic Sunset Boulevard is considered one of the best films ever made and also one of the most accurate behind-the-scenes portraits of Hollywood cinema. The tragic story of Norma Desmond, ‘the biggest star in cinema’, is impactful and spectacular, to sum up, the brilliance of the work. There were several attempts to ‘resurrect’ or revisit the plot, including in theatre, but artists dropped the challenge as it was too complex a story to leave the screen. In 1993, however, with music by Andrew Lloyd Weber, lyrics by Don Black, and script by Christopher Hampton, a musical that made history was born. 30 years later, singer Nicole Scherzinger will lead the cast of the London revival, scheduled for September. It will run for a short 16 weeks at the Savoy Theater starting September 18, 2023. “This is a breakout role in the world of theater, and I am excited for Jamie and me to think outside the box and explore and create something. new; to breathe new life into the character – and the musical itself,” the star commented.

Nicole is very right, Norma Desmond is one of the most important roles in cinema. The original film marked the return of star Gloria Swanson, nominated for an Oscar for her performance (Lost to Judy Holliday in A Star Is Born) and is a combination of several silent film stars, from Clara Bow to Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, Mae Murray, Valeska Surratt, Audrey Munson, Norma Talmadge, and Mabel Normand. On stage, it was performed for the first time by the legendary Patti Lupone in London and, in the following year, in 1994, by Glenn Close in New York.

The play, full of special effects and which even kept the car chase scene and managed to place the audience at the bottom of the pool, seeing the body floating like in the opening scene of the film, was true to the screen, with complete dialogues straight out of Sunset Boulevard, the feature. There were new montages, including in 2016, with Glenn Close returning to the role of Norma. The project of filming the musical, with the actress leading the cast, came to be a reality, but the pandemic delayed filming and Paramount shelved the plan again in 2021. A pity. I was privileged to see her on stage in 1994 (I have a program signed by her) and I looked forward to the filmed version, I think it would be a beautiful film.

Behind the scenes of the production yielded legends worthy of Norma Desmond: Patti Lupone sued Andrew Lloyd Weber after she was discarded to star in the US version (and won), as had been agreed. Years later, Faye Dunaway was even announced as Glenn Close‘s replacement, but ticket sales were unsatisfactory and she was fired (for not singing well enough, they say). The actress sued the production for moral damages (and settled), marking the typical drama of Sunset Boulevard. Many stars and legends lived Norma Desmond on stage in addition to Patti and Glenn, such as Betty Buckley, Petula Clark, Rita Moreno, and Elaine Paige, among them. To see how will be the interpretation of Nicole Scherzinger. After all, there was no star like Norma Desmond.

Search

Search