26 years ago: The mansion had landed — Page 3

David10086 said: "I also kept the NY POST cover story 'Bullets Over Broadway' when there was the Glenn Close / ALW scandal of when she returned from vacation and sent him that scathing letter - threatening to leave the show after he praised her understudy."

I'm not familiar with that story! Anyone know any details?

wiggum2 said: "David10086 said: "I also kept the NY POST cover story 'Bullets Over Broadway' when there was the Glenn Close / ALW scandal of when she returned from vacation and sent him that scathing letter - threatening to leave the show after he praised her understudy."

I'm not familiar with that story! Anyone know any details?"

It wasn't so much that he praised her understudy, but the claim was that her name was not having any effect on ticket sales and the strength of them was due to the show alone. I can't remember if they tried to pad the numbers while she was out on that vacation, but it became clear that, at least at that point, the show did need true star power in the role and she essentially demanded an apology for Lloyd Webber trying to diminish the effect her presence had on ticket sales.

thanks... I remember the story about him maybe fudging the numbers when Glenn was on vacation

AEA AGMA SM said: "wiggum2 said: " I'm not familiar with that story! Anyone know any details?"

It wasn't so much that he praised her understudy, but the claim was that her name was not having any effect on ticket sales and the strength of them was due to the show alone. I can't remember if they tried to pad the numbers while she was out on that vacation, but it became clear that, at least at that point, the show did need true star power in the role and she essentially demanded an apology for Lloyd Webber trying to diminish the effect her presence had on ticket sales."





Yes, Close really ripped into ALW when she got back from vacation and wrote a scathing letter to him, which was leaked to the press. I believe it was picked up by everyone back then (April, 1995) but I kept the NY Post cover story. Afterwards, she said she was 'disappointed' that a 'private communication between two people' would find it's way into the media. And this was before we had the internet - imagine if this happened now?

Anyhow, what had happened was that ALW reported false box office receipts while Close was on vacation, and understudy Karen Mason took over. (I think it was for three or four weeks in March, 1995). The show wasn't selling well without Close, but he lied and said it was doing just fine without Close - no difference in the box office. (He later said he had nothing to do with it, and that someone in his RUG Office was to blame - no one believed him). He also lavished much praise on Mason.

Close wrote her letter to ALW (a letter which the NYP said 'would make Norma Desmond proud' demanding an apology for diminishing her worth to the musical. She took full credit for making the show a hit on Broadway, and told ALW 'if I could leave Sunset tomorrow, I would'. However, she said she would honor her word, and stay an extra month to make up for the time she missed while on vacation. She told ALW she wasn't doing it for him, but for the fans who bought tickets to see her performance during her extension.

ALW did publicly apologize, they kissed and made up.

I'm glad I got to see Close in the revival (saw Buckley in 1996). It's too bad that it was for a limited engagement - this was a revival which certainly could have run for at least two years or so, with the right actress in the lead. It would've built more momentum for the planned movie (which is to start filming next month - we'll see...)

JBradshaw said: "I have many articles and most of the NYT full page ads.

I write some of my personal sunset stories later....but a

why didn’t some of the other Norma’s never come to broadway? Diahann Carroll and Rita Moreno."

Was never a fan of Diahann - and I think she took the Canadian role as it was being run independent of ALW for the most part. Livenet and RUG had some sort of agreement and by the Canadian premiere, the show was "frozen" so they didn't have to worry about extensive revisions anymore. I remember reading that Diahann specifically didn't want to deal with ALW, especially post Patti; Faye; even Glenn drama

As for Rita Moreno - that's a big mystery to me. Of all the Normas, she's the one I was the most interested to see and her brief run in London only adds more mystery. I'd imagine she'd had been phenomenal in the role. But perhaps it was too much for her

greensgreens said: "Now, Diahann... I wish everyone could see the last 30 seconds of her performance. She took "With One Look" to heart - her finale, with her final look out at the audience before the final blackout of the show as the score swells with that final Sunset melody was HEARTWRENCHING. That moment alone made her completely unique from all the other Normas I've seen and it was THRILLING. Honestly, I don't know if that was directed or not, but it was PURE GENIUS. Diahann also sang the role very well and nailed the pathos as well as the diva-ness."

This can be viewed on YouTube. It seems like she just screams and completely breaks down in that final moment. It’s definitely not the triumphant Norma we saw from other actresses in that final moment.

My love for this score is a little hesitant, because while it has some of ALW's best melodies, it also stretches the film's punchy dialogue into a more somber, gothic amble (with some thrilling exceptions). The balance of inevitable fate and escalating desperation is thrown off, so by the time things come to a head the potent irony has deflated.

On the other hand, almost every song connects beautifully, and the sonic world that's constructed is intoxicating. I love those weird bluesy-elegant Hollywood tones, and the fact that the entire show is successful in its pastiche of the genre while also feeling internally consistent and melodically intriguing is a pretty big coup.

Also, the mansion "landing" is a fantastic bit of staging whether or not you think it makes the mansion look fake. If you do think it makes the mansion look fake, then that still works thematically - Norma is, after all, living in a false construction.

Is there any footage of the set entrance?

OMG - can you imagine if Buckley took over after Close? WOW! I'm telling you - there was no need to close the revival after just a few months. I know the Palace was earmarked for 'Spongebob' but still - this could've easily transferred to another venue.

2017 was one of my most memorable summers visiting B'way: "Sunset" in June, "Comet" in July, and "Dolly" in September.

I remember there was a rumor published in some Australian entertainment thing the day the revival closed on Broadway that they would be opening in Sydney or Melbourne I think early 2018.

As for extending the Broadway run with another leading lady - I think the investors for this really saw it as replicating the ENO experience with Glenn and the Symphonic orchestra on a Broadway stage. I would've loved it extending and would definitely have continued going to see it, but I'm sure those costs would've quickly gotten out of hand - especially if you're talking transferring, rehearsals, advertisements. As it was, the revival I don't believe recouped it's investment (there was never an announcement that it had, which considering Sunset's history I'm sure they would've made had it). The fact that they were grossing a million plus a week for the entire 16-20 weeks it ran, they probably came close, but I remember when it opened an interview where at least some investors saw it as just being a part of something special and bringing that to NY rather than seeing it as a potential long run.

Had it been a Hamilton/mega-hit - selling out the entire 20 weeks, maybe they would've looked at things differently