28 years ago today: ALW fired Faye Dunaway from LA's 'Sunset Boulevard' !

[David10086]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 10:13am

Flying backwards in time to 28 years ago:  June 24, 1994. 

The headlines in the entertainment world was all about Faye Dunaway being fired from 'Sunset Boulevard'. 

Headlines in every entertainment paper, trades paper and news papers read that producer Andrew Lloyd Webber fired his new 'Norma Desmond' in LA.  Faye Dunaway was out, the show would close in LA in a few days and the fur was about to fly ! (Dunaway would sue ALW a few months after, but the settlement out of court was reportedly much less than what she sued for - which was full payment of her six month contract.). 

 

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-24-mn-8034-story.html

https://www.deseret.com/1994/6/24/19116556/dunaway-hits-a-dead-end-on-sunset-boulevard

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-06-25-9406250086-story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/24/theater/sunset-boulevard-to-close-in-los-angeles.html

 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 1:40pm

Why are you obsessed about this?  Why can't you focus on the positive things?  Like the two films she did with Johnny Depp or working with the wonderful Marlon Brando for Chrissakes?

I DON'T APPROVE OF THIS POST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRfKr4hqUz4

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:03pm

From my personal archives.  Still in mint condition:

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:28pm

Her lawn press conference lives in my head rent free. “Andre Lloyd Webber is a capricious man.”

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:29pm

Bettyboy72 said: "Her lawn press conference lives in my head rent free. “Andre Lloyd Webber is a capricious man.”"

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:38pm

Couldn't you fill an entire calendar with "On this date, ALW fired __ from Sunset Blvd"?

[David10086]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:49pm

verywellthensigh said: "Why are you obsessed about this? Why can't you focus on the positive things? Like the two films she did with Johnny Depp or working with the wonderful Marlon Brando for Chrissakes?

I DON'T APPROVE OF THIS POST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRfKr4hqUz4

"

Obsessed about this ? You just joined this forum 10 days ago and I posted this today.  Obsessed ? LOL! 

Stick around...in another month I'll post about her being fired from "Tea At Five". 

[David10086]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 2:51pm

joevitus said: "Couldn't you fill an entire calendar with "On this date, ALW fired __ from Sunset Blvd"?"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only Patti Lupone and Faye Dunaway were fired from 'Sunset' productions.  Were there any others ? 

I don't think any 'Joe Gillis' were fired, nor anyone else in the supporting casts. I'd be interested in hearing stories if any other cast members were let go by ALW. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 3:03pm

I'm being satirically hyperbolic because of the drama surrounding these two. Both instances HUGE news.

But, yes, you're right. 

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 3:15pm

David10086 said: "verywellthensigh said: "Why are you obsessed about this? Why can't you focus on the positive things? Like the two films she did with Johnny Depp or working with the wonderful Marlon Brando for Chrissakes?

I DON'T APPROVE OF THIS POST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRfKr4hqUz4

"

Obsessed about this ? You just joined this forum 10 days ago and I posted this today. Obsessed ? LOL!

Stick around...in another month I'll post about her being fired from "Tea At Five"."

Did you watch the Recording of Faye's voice message that was in the link in their post. You missed the joke I think. LOLZZ 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 4:08pm

David10086 said: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only Patti Lupone and Faye Dunaway were fired from 'Sunset' productions. Were there any others?"

On the creative side, Amy Powers was also fired as lyricist.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 4:16pm

I mean…it’s not even a good musical.  His cut-off-their-heads attitude seems really arrogant: it really isn’t great material to begin with. 
 

I’m just happy Patti got her pool

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 4:26pm

I still think Faye could have pulled it off in whatever key she was comfortable with.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 4:31pm

CATSNYrevival said: "I still think Faye could have pulled it off in whatever key she was comfortable with."

Faye could have just recited the lyrics over the underscore and it would have still been an event of a show to see.  She would have given THE performance everyone who bought a ticket was expecting.  Over-the-top?  Layered with too much subtext?  Glorious showcasing of her costumes?  You bet’cha!  

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 4:40pm

Has Faye ever gotten to do a musical? Can we get her as Joanne in the Company tour?

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 5:06pm

CATSNYrevival said: "I still think Faye could have pulled it off in whatever key she was comfortable with."

I was told by someone who was in the building that it wasn’t so much an issue of a key that suited her voice, but rather an inability to find the starting note any time she had to sing. 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 5:56pm

verywellthensigh said: "Why are you obsessed about this? Why can't you focus on the positive things? Like the two films she did with Johnny Depp or working with the wonderful Marlon Brando for Chrissakes?

I DON'T APPROVE OF THIS POST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRfKr4hqUz4

KA-WEEN calm down! It ain't dat serious. 

[James885]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 6:12pm

NOWaWarning said: "Has Faye ever gotten to do a musical? Can we get her as Joanne in the Company tour?"

 
Isn't Faye damaged goods at this point? Wasn't she fired from a play a few years ago for assaulting a crew member?

Updated On: 6/24/22 at 06:12 PM

[David10086]

Posted: 6/24/22 at 11:03pm

James885 said: "NOWaWarning said: "Has Faye ever gotten to do a musical? Can we get her as Joanne in the Company tour?"


Isn't Faye damaged goods at this point? Wasn't she fired from a play a few years ago for assaulting a crew member?"

Yes, the play TEA AT FIVE in 2019.

 

[greensgreens]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 1:58pm

Ummm… I’ve been looking for visual evidence of that Faye poster for two decades. Thanks for sharing that photo! If you ever need to clean it out of your collection, PM me. 😇

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 2:16pm

greensgreens said: "Ummm… I’ve been looking for visual evidence of that Faye poster for two decades. Thanks for sharing that photo! If you ever need to clean it out of your collection, PM me. ?"

Never.  I know how rare it is.  

These were in place days after she was announced so they already had things ready for her run immediately.  

[David10086]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 10:21pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "greensgreens said: "Ummm… I’ve been looking for visual evidence of that Faye poster for two decades. Thanks for sharing that photo! If you ever need to clean it out of your collection, PM me. ?"

Never. I know how rare it is.

These were in place days after she was announced so they already had things ready for her run immediately."

 

Didn't the LA Production use the silver / black color artwork on their posters and ditch the salmon / orange colors from the London production ?  How did Dunaway's poster end up with the London artwork ? 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 11:06pm

David10086 said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "greensgreens said: "Ummm… I’ve been looking for visual evidence of that Faye poster for two decades. Thanks for sharing that photo! If you ever need to clean it out of your collection, PM me. ?"

Never. I know how rare it is.

These were in place days after she was announced so they already had things ready for her run immediately."



Didn't the LA Production use the silver / black color artwork on their posters and ditch the salmon / orange colors from the London production ? How did Dunaway's poster end up with the London artwork ?

"
LA indeed used the salmon colored posters (but the cast album was packaged in black/silver)

Here’s a link to a photo of the LA poster:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274981578314

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 11:16pm

Los Angeles run used the orange logo.  The silver logo started with the Broadway production.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/25/22 at 11:18pm