Sunset Blvd Changes Question- Page 7

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 10:16pm

Is the book you got those pictures from the one by Christopher Hampton? This one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0571172148/ref=wl_itt_dp/103-4922773-9378249?ie=UTF8&coliid=I33VZVL0RV2RDU&colid=1CFAHV8KT6AWR ? Amazon has some listed for little less than 6 bucks on their marketplace.

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 10:20pm

The book is the George Perry "Sunset Boulevard from Movie to Musical"

http://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Boulevard-Musical-George-Perry/dp/B000NXFVRG/ref=sr_1_1/102-3861068-3060119?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179886764&sr=8-1

WONDERFUL book - interesting read since it was published pre- LA opening. The book would be even more fascinating if it was written AFTER the bway opening with all the baggage that was with it.

But the pics are beautiful in it

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 10:26pm

Nope. That is only the libretto/script/book of the stage version.

Below is the book that those photos came from -- it's the 1993 hardcover book SUNSET BLVD: From Movie to Musical, which focused on bringing the original London production to the stage (it was published prior to the American Premiere production):


http://www.amazon.com/SUNSET-BLVD-MUSICAL-George-Perry/dp/B000HG2CNU/ref=sr_1_1/002-4237308-1423246?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179886767&sr=1-1

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:01pm

Is that libretto the updated one or the original London libretto contained in the movie to musical book?

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:09pm

It has the Libretto as of the World Premiere in London - none of the (many and substantial) revisions are included

Posted: 5/23/07 at 7:18pm

I've ordered a used copy so hope ot have it soon--I have to say though I wasn't too impressed with Georrge Perry's Phantom book--great photos, etc, but it doesn't really say much about the actual rehearsal and writing process (unlike Kurt Ganzl's similar book for Aspects)

One interesting thing about Sunset--it seems to have marked the end of a trend where we'd have these big "megamusicals" that would have their productions recreated all around the world. I can't think of as many notable exceptions after Sunset's fall

E

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 5/23/07 at 9:14pm

Well Wicked seems to be following suit; every production since has been a replica of the original. I can see you what you mean, though; RENT's overseas productions were often different than the original broadway production, notably the London production. Different costumes, etc.
Updated On: 5/23/07 at 09:14 PM

Posted: 5/23/07 at 9:17pm

Yeah I think I jumped the gun a bit. Wicked definetely counts and Lion King--what I meant was it was the last time I can remember a *bunch* of identical, LAVISH productions opening up all aroudn the world within 2 years of the original really. (And of course they all seemed to have closed prematurely...)

I only ever saw Rent in London--I didn't ealize it was different! the program gives the director and choreographer and set design to the same people as the Broadway--were the costumes a different designer?
Updated On: 5/23/07 at 09:17 PM

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/28/07 at 5:05pm

OK - with all this renewed/recent interest in Sunset Blvd - and even though I've gotten yelled at on here before about posting Ebay stuff...

- I've posted three things on Ebay for sale of some neat Sunset memorabilia - press clippings, magazine articles, etc.

Not your garden variety stuff either -

I'm not posting the links here so I don't get screamed at - but if you have trouble finding them, PM me. Just search "Sunset Blvd" on ebay - my seller name is the same - chernjam

Jim

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 1:21am

As I looked through all my old Sunset stuff, one thing that I did come across was a Variety article when Faye was fired that did re-iterate that the hope/goal was for the canadian production to also be a Touring production that would return to LA.

In hindsight with the ridiculous costs - one has to wonder how they were ever going to make a profit with that production

Posted: 6/3/07 at 8:22pm

How I miss Livent--their Canadian tours were really spectacular (i know many, at the time it may be different now, thought that their tour of Phantom was better staged and closer to the Broadway/London than the US tour of the same time--and they did get Hal to stage it himself) and seeing Sunset in their newly built Ford Theatre in Vancouver was just amazing.

But yeah I think they were just a bit too ambitious--as I said above for me in many ways Sunset marked the end of the megamusical in its most spectacular (for good and for bad) form

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:44pm

I can't stop listening to Petula's "As If We Never Said Goodbye". I don't know why.

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 12:49am

I've only heard her rendition of 'With one look' and I wasn't all that impressed.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 1:07am

I know. She's not amazing or anything, but I like her for some reason. I can't explain it.

Posted: 6/5/07 at 3:13am

OK so back to the Schulman directed tour--how was the car chase staged? because I just foudn a review that said nothign except that it brought a LOT of laughter from the audience...

E

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 5:01am

they didn't show the movie/projections in that tour?

Posted: 6/5/07 at 6:26am

I assume not--cuz when I saw the originalstaging in Vancouver I foudn the car chase thrilling (the use of bit sof the movies and then almsot "cut out" or "pop out" bits of real scenes/props--wonderful) and hear dno laughing and I *believe* like the opening,t hat was one of the complciated scene bits they go rid of for the new tour/design

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 1:27pm

Time to whip-out that video of the 2nd US National Tour to see how they did that car chase sequence. I've only watched certain portions of the video -- just not that sequence.

Will keep you posted.

Posted: 6/5/07 at 7:59pm

I knew I could count on you and your slightly less than legal myriad videos thanks

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 9:56pm

poo. I wanna see that 2nd national tour video. why no sharing?

Posted: 6/5/07 at 10:44pm

Have you seen how anal youtube has been lately? would be useless

E

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:04pm

who said anything about youtube? I'm all for having my own copy.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:25pm

There's a pretty good description of what all went on in all of the London/LA/Broadway/Touring productions of "Sunset Boulevard" in

"Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream" by Sam Staggs. (He wrote the book "All About 'All About Eve'")

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned it before.

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:28pm

It's a pretty easy to find "live" copy then if you just google you knwo what's

Sondheimboy--I've read about that book but never knew it had ANY chat on the musical before--thanks for the heads up

E

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:29pm

Oy! What a refresher -- just finished watching the car chase sequence from the 2nd US National Tour.

Okay, kiddies...here's how it went down:

Scrim comes down and a red open-front replica of a vintage late 40's car slides onto the stage. Since it's facing the audience and since it's all open in front it resembles an amusement park little car with Joe driving it. All the while, a combination of black & white stock film footage and footage from the original film is projected behind him, showing him driving thru the Hollywood hills, etc. When his tire blows, the film stock ends, complete with the scrolling numerical countdown and the end title: FINISH. Joe then steps out of the 'car', and when he turns it around to push it into the garage, we see the full and complete rear portion of the car. They should have had a full car instead of cutting it in half like that (you can audibly hear a few chuckles coming from the audience when Joe was sitting in the open-end front of the car).

What fun! Now...back to Kathy Griffin on BRAVO! Yes...AGAIN!