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

[chernjam]

Posted: 1/28/23 at 2:50pm

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 

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 1/29/23 at 3:57pm

I watched the Richard Ridge piece here on BW, and I love the fact that SB wants to always go inside of the character and give it a much better understanding.  I saw Glenn Close in the original production, and became exhausted by how much running up and down the stairs and costume changing.  I am a HUGE lover of the film and was incredibly disappointed in the musical.  The clip on BW almost makes me wanna go to DC and see how Miss Block is able to interpret the character...

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 1/29/23 at 4:04pm

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

[robbyshishkabobby]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 1:35pm

Do these Kennedy Center productions ever sell merch?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 1:42pm

Hardly ever. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 2:24pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I’m glad I had waited on getting tickets. Derek’s casting already gave me pause, but these videos did nothing to sweeten the pot, IMO - and I’m a massive fan of SJB."

And the director swears she is the best artist alive in any discipline since Michelangelo. It won't change much.

[Lot666]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 2:49pm

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.

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 3:06pm

SJB sang it much different in the video of her singing it in concert a few months ago. Wonder what changed?

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 3:39pm

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.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 6:17pm

I just read the interview with the director. She’s exhausting. She’s cribbing exactly what Glenn said about the last Sunset production (“humanizing Norma&rdquo and passing it off as her hot feminist take. Glenn knew she was over the top in the first production. It worked then and it was electrifying. She toned it down considerably for the revival which was also fantastic. 
 

The director drones on about actresses discarded for their age like she’s discovered this. Young directors really are a bit much sometimes. Very unaware and self aggrandizing. 
 

Glenn wasn’t elderly when she did the first production. Neither were most of the actresses in worldwide productions. The director again acts like she reinvented the wheel by casting “age appropriate” Block. I can’t with her. 

She ends the interview by saying “don’t worry I’ll deliver the camp.” Ok, thanks. Ugh. 
 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 6:23pm

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. 

[DaveyG]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 7:03pm

I always find SJB's performances to be cold and calculated. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 7:48pm

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

[Listener]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 9:10pm

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.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 9:17pm

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

[JasonC3]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 9:32pm

Given that the KC show is technically semi-staged for a very short run, it is very possible the house will not be particularly impressive, but who knows.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 10:58pm

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!

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 11:26pm

Bettyboy72 said: "I just read the interview with the director. She’s exhausting. She’s cribbing exactly what Glenn said about the last Sunset production (“humanizing Norma&rdquo and passing it off as her hot feminist take. Glenn knew she was over the top in the first production. It worked then and it was electrifying. She toned it down considerably for the revival which was also fantastic.


The director drones on about actresses discarded for their age like she’s discovered this. Young directors really are a bit much sometimes. Very unaware and self aggrandizing.


Glenn wasn’t elderly when she did the first production. Neither were most of the actresses in worldwide productions. The director again acts like she reinvented the wheel by casting “age appropriate” Block. I can’t with her.

She ends the interview by saying “don’t worry I’ll deliver the camp.” Ok, thanks. Ugh.
"

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. 

[zainmax]

Posted: 1/30/23 at 11:46pm

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

[BJR]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 7:53am

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.

Updated On: 1/31/23 at 07:53 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 9:50am

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.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 10:45am

Total backstage nepo baby who probably thinks Bob Merrill is a founder of a shoe company. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 11:30am

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.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 11:43am

I honestly wouldn't have thought that the narrative framing shift is going to make any difference because Betty is just so underwritten as a character, but I am curious to see where it goes. The whole "white cis 20 male" is rather unnecessary way to diss the original story. The script of the movie was written a good 75 years ago at this point. And the dude dies at the end of the story so, like, what why is this not his story? It's a bit pandering if not downright insulting the collective intelligence of your audiences if they do it just so they can say they did it. I hope to be proven wrong and that this take truly moves the story forward.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/31/23 at 12:28pm

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.