How was Rita Moreno in Sunset Blv.?- Page 2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/30/10 at 11:24pm

He probably should have written figuratively.

Not probably.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 1:01am

Plus they had to raise all the steps for her

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 2:15am

I never saw Elaine Paige in actual full performance so my opinion is simply based off of the extended clips, music videos and bizarre sketches from her south banks special on Bravo back in 96... but her Norma kind of came off as a parody of Swanson, compared to Close and Buckley who both brought something new to the role without relying on "borrowing" from Miss Gloria so much. I'm sure she was dynamic as all get out, live, but I didn't feel for her Norma during the "As If We Never Said Goodbye" music video AT ALL.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 11:24am

My favorite Norma was Debra Byrne

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 12:13pm

You come up with the best stuff, morosco - thanks for posting that clip. Byrne truly has a glorious voice.

[HerrStiefel]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 12:15pm

I went to see Moreno on her first night (when she sang: "They drag the baptist up from his jails. HE dances the dance of the seven veils" and forgot some of her lines). Nevertheless I enjoyed her performance. Not the best singer, but her acting was great. Much better than Petula Clark who I saw three days before.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 1:33am

She doesn't talk about doing "Sunset Blvd." or "Gantry", but on youtube there is a six part interview with Rita about her film and television career that is fascinating

[Justin D]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 1:37pm

dont know why all of a sudden photobucked is giving me a headache

Updated On: 2/1/10 at 01:37 PM

[Justin D]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 1:46pm

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 3:48pm

I have to agree with those who found Paige extraordinary. Rather than parody Swanson, she channeled her, IMO. She opted to use what worked in Swanson line readings, and why not? She looked eerily like her. No, the set did not swallow her. And her size became part of the character.

I saw Buckley twice, and though she was startling good in key moments -- "As If we Never..." prominent -- she also played Norma as a victim, and found zero humor. There was no fun with Joe, just her neediness, which was played to the hilt. You thought she would swallow him whole at the end of act one, as opposed to Close, who found something vivid and almost violent when she threw her talons on him.

I saw Close in LA and again on Broadway, and her performance was remarkable in both venues, though I think she actually seemed to sing it better in LA. I think she had trouble negotiating the head notes, and at times you can hear her approximate their weight. But who cared? You couldn't take your eyes off of her, and the music was still there, the melodies thinner but haunting -- truly character singing, not a diva letting loose with the money notes.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 3:48pm

I have to agree with those who found Paige extraordinary. Rather than parody Swanson, she channeled her, IMO. She opted to use what worked in Swanson line readings, and why not? She looked eerily like her. No, the set did not swallow her. And her size became part of the character.

I saw Buckley twice, and though she was startling good in key moments -- "As If we Never..." prominent -- she also played Norma as a victim, and found zero humor. There was no fun with Joe, just her neediness, which was played to the hilt. You thought she would swallow him whole at the end of act one, as opposed to Close, who found something vivid and almost violent when she threw her talons on him.

I saw Close in LA and again on Broadway, and her performance was remarkable in both venues, though I think she actually seemed to sing it better in LA. I think she had trouble negotiating the head notes, and at times you can hear her approximate their weight. But who cared? You couldn't take your eyes off of her, and the music was still there, the melodies thinner but haunting -- truly character singing, not a diva letting loose with the money notes.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 3:59pm

I saw Buckley and her singing was terrible, I didn't enjoy it at all. Her acting wasn't that great and she looked too tall, too old and just odd in it. I didn't enjoy the show much.

Later on I bought the CD with Glenn Close and Judy Kuhn and now I love the score. I don't like Lupone's recording AT ALL.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 4:31pm

On a kind of related note, I never cared much for Kevin Anderson, Graham Bickley, Rex Smith or Alan Campbell - all just seemed incredibly bland. Although the role is certainly not as showy as Norma, there's definitely a good character there and moments to shine. I wish I could've caught John Barrowman and Hugh Jackman, as I think they could've brought something really great to the role. Anybody catch those performances and care to give a mini-review?

As for Betty, the only one that really worked for me was Alice Ripley. She managed to take an incredibly underwritten role and actually give it some depth and nuance.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 6:34pm

Saw Kuhn and Ripley and Ripley was by far the warmer, more romantic Betty. Kuhn can be chilly, and there was zero chemistry with Campbell.

But I was a fan of Campbell. I thought he was persuasive and actually worked remarkably well with Close and Buckley, adjusting to accommodate radically different takes on Norma. His playful way with Close just wouldn't work with the neurotic, long-suffering approach that Buckley employed. He had to pitty her more, and it actually created a viable interpretation.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/2/10 at 6:49pm

Am I the only one who kinda wants to see Alice Ripley play Norma now? She'd be totally apesh*t. I'd pay big bucks to see that. Updated On: 2/2/10 at 06:49 PM

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 11:11pm

While in NO WAY is she up for it now vocally, if she can recover her voice before sixty alice would be a truly amazing norma.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:28am

sondheimboy2, can't believe you mentioned GANTRY, which opened and closed in 1970 after a few previews and opening night. saw one of the last previews, and Rita was great.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 12:41am

Speaking of Sunset Boulevard I ran across a pretty magnificent Betty Buckley vid that I had never seen before.
As If We Never Said Goodbye

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/5/12 at 1:09am

Morosco, thank you! I only saw Buckley in the role, savored everything she did. I have watched many other Norma's on clips and found much to admire in some of their interpretations but none have compared to what I remember of Buckley's performance. That clip brought it all back for me. I realize of course that many have a low tolerance for Buckley's voice, but I happen to love it, generally, and found it a perfect fit for Norma Desmond.

And count me as another fan of this show, IMHO by far ALW's best.

[PattiLover]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 5:33pm

I love how each "Diva" was different and their qualities and flaws debatable. I don't think there ever was a "definitive" Norma, beside Gloria Swanson of course. The fact that Paige, Buckley and LuPone ALL played the part of Norma in original runs and all put their stamps on the character is pretty cool. It's the last "Diva" show.

Betty Buckley is my personal favorite because she sang the score so gloriously. She broke my heart many times over but her performance was a little wounded and humorless. Norma Desmond should be more fun...I mean, she's a tragic figure, but the joy of Norma is that she knows when to and when not to take herself seriously. I wish Betty could have had more fun. Still, she's my go-to for "As if We Never Said Goodbye." I can never get tired of hearing her sing that song.

Elaine Paige was a close second. She really acted and sang the part well, but yah...she was teeny tiny and got eaten alive by that set.

I thought Diahann Carroll as Norma Desmond would be a no-brainer. She brought a bit of Dominique Devereaux into the role but her singing voice seemed shot. I'm glad I got to see her because I'm a huge fan. She didn't disappoint. Not perfect, but very enjoyable.

Petula Clark never got a fair chance to really spread her wings because the revamped tour was an artistic crime. It was as if all the redeeming qualities of an already middling show were stomped on and all the awful qualities highlighted. I still laugh when I think of Joe pushing Betty around on a hot dog cart during "Too Much in Love to Care," making an overblown and undoubtedly terrible song all the more horrific. I hardly remember anything good about her performance.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 5:57pm

CATSNYrevival, Ripley has mentioned several times publicly (very recently) that she wants to play Norma.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/15/20 at 8:11pm

This is a recording of Rita Moreno singing "With One Look".   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZGbFwWsVDA

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/15/20 at 8:24pm

I saw Rita sing with the BPO. At the top of her second act, she came out in a turban and a gown. She did With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye. She was riveting. You could hear a pin drop in the theatre. I went solely to see a legend, I didn't know if she could sing or not. However, I was very impressed with her vocals and acting. I am sure she did a great job. Also, I am sure she understands the emotional terrain as she was suicidal over Marlon Brando. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/15/20 at 8:37pm

I thought it was really weird that most of the replies in this thread were about other Normas and not Moreno.  Bettyboy, what year was it when you saw Rita Moreno with that orchestra?