GUYS & DOLLS, SPIDER WOMAN & Block in SUNSET BLVD at the Kennedy Center — Page 7

thirtythirtyninety said: "Just relistening to the London cast recording and it strikes me that Kevin Anderson is still the most compelling Joe Gillis, at least on record. I saw Alan Campbell live with Close and was very underwhelmed. A waste of a truly great character."

Completely agree.  In all of the saga around the different stars in the role of Norma - Kevin Anderson was totally lost.  When it was decided Glenn was coming to NY, I had hopes that Anderson would star opposite of her.  His voice had a natural almost effortless quality to it (reminds me of Ann Crumb as Rose in Aspects of Love).  Hits his notes, delivers them solidly.  And acting wise, from the clips I've seen, from the get-go he "got" Joe. 

Never warmed up to Alan Campbell in the 9 times I saw him on Broadway.  

The 2017 revival with Michael Xavier was the best Joe I've seen online or in person since Kevin Anderson 

Do you have names of other people that would report on what's going on the Great White Way?...

Hardly ever. 

The rehearsal clips are not encouraging and I hope the end product will be better than that. I definitely agree with those who said they shouldn't have released these clips.

Richard Ridge is a theatre fan. You can tell he loves what he's doing, loves who he's talking to, and wouldn't change it for the world. He makes it fun, and enjoyable. He's not defending a PHD thesis, for goodness sake.

I have not found SJB's voice as pleasant to listen to as of late. She still possesses power and intensity. Her presence is as grounded and captivating as ever. She just hasn't been vocally "there" for me in a while. 

I hear the 3 leads are set for Kiss of the Spider Woman so I guess an announcement will be made soon! 

Listener said: "Bettyboy - love your profile pic. Betty Buckley OWNS Norma Desmond, and I don't care who disagrees with me.

I was also excited to hear about Block doing this role - she can surely sing it - but for me, there needs to be a beautiful vulnerability to Norma. Buckley proved that. Glenn's second crack at the role just aped what Buckley did so brilliantly IMO and it struck me as odd how people were praising Glenn for reprising her Tony winning performance...when it wasn't her Tony winning performance. Not at all.

I question whether I'll find Block's vulnerability compelling. She plays characters with verve much better than the fragile ones (kind of like Patti LuPone I suppose) so I don't know that she can deliver a take I'll like.

But I'm also really curious to hear what the set will be. I hope the Kennedy Center is building a beautiful set for the house because that horrible thing that was built for the Broadway revival was not acceptable. Beautiful costumes and a beautiful house are a must for Sunset Boulevard and yes, there must be a terrific staircase. She doesn't have to run up and down it a hundred times though LOL.

Wonder what the final look will be for Norma too. The Broadway finale costume was stunning and eerie and amazing."

I agree as stated earlier in this thread. Betty is the one and only Norma Desmond. We saw her 2x on Broadway early in her run and closing weekend. Just WOW far superior to Close!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLddEl02dC4 

Better quality-clearer viewing her performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c5Xovcjp00

Updated On: 1/30/23 at 09:17 PM

Robbie2 said: "I hear the 3 leads are set for Kiss of the Spider Woman so I guess an announcement will be made soon!"

Ooo do you mind sharing? Pretty please!

If anyone is looking to sell 1 or 2 tickets on 2/4 (either perf) then plz contact me! Thx!!!

BJR said: "blaxx said: "I still don't know why she gets hired to do such high profile events. She has so much to learn before she earns her place on the big stages."

Same as most young yet extremely successful directors: she's well connected. Her mother is a Bway producer."

Ah, she's a nepobaby. All makes sense now.

There was an interview with Block in today's Washington Post. Here are a couple of paragraphs that hint at the concept for this production:

--------------------------

Q: How else might this staging differ from past productions?

A: Even though our central figure is Norma Desmond, “Sunset Boulevard” is from the point of view of Joe Gillis, a young, White, cis male in his 20s. So how might that storytelling change if it was shifted a bit? What if it wasn’t from the point of view of Joe but perhaps from a female point of view? With Andrew Lloyd Webber’s approval, we’re taking a different tilt into the storytelling without having to change a lot of the text — actually, any of the text or the score.

Q: Can you tell me a little more about that?

A: I cannot! [Laughs] You’re going to have to see it. But I can give you a hint: Because the narration reads very much like a screenplay, and both [Joe] and Betty, who is our female ingenue, are screenplay writers, that’s enough of a hint to let you know how this is being propelled at the very beginning.

I mean I guess the surprise framing device from the film, when it’s revealed who the man in the pool is, isn’t really a surprise anymore but changing one of the most iconic elements of the story just because Joe is a cis white male is weird to me.