Glenn Close To Reprise Role in ENO's "Sunset Boulevard"? — Page 2

"Count me in the pro-Glenn department, and I'm not otherwise always in her court.  I saw the show early in LA, and then the first preview in NYC.  I also saw several other Normas, the only one who came close was Elaine Paige.  To my thinking, the role doesn't work without the size, without that outre element. A kind of self-applied mask. It's a performance that must stand out against the house, that Napier set. When Buckley tried to create a mere human, "womanly" as John Simon dubbed it, the show collapsed into the climate of self-pity, brilliant singing aside.  The character is about ego, narcissism and a created image, sustained until it cracks. What Close created was something that crumbled when exposed to light and air. She was a walking zombie Norma, and managed to take Swanson's creation and enlarge it.  I thought it masterful. She sang it well enough, and managed to act her second act songs with such pathos it brought the house down.  I agree with all of the posters who don't cling to a timeline: Norma is too old for a comeback in the ageist Hollywood, and too far gone in her delusions, and that's all that matters.  Let Close have another crack at this role; I bet she nails it again. "

Very incisive post - thanks!

I saw the show with Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige, both in London. I do have the cast recordings with Patti Lupone and Glenn Close as well as from a BBC concert with Petula Clark ( and Michael Ball)...and even an unofficial recording of a performance in Australia with Debra Byrne ( and Hugh Jackman). I had seen the Billy Wilder movie on DVD.

The story of Norma Desmond is a role that many actresses would love to portray, whether in a musical or in a remake of Gloria Swanson's film portrayal. It is also a story of Hollywood, a sad era when a new generation and technology rendered certain actresses no longer appealing to the new age of filmmaking.  I would love to see either a film remake or a re-staging of the Lloyd-Webber musical ( my second favorite score).  With Glenn Close reprising the role- she might even give us ( or the Brits) a new and more illuminating portrayal.

Had this musical been adapted to film some 15 years ago - I would have loved to have seen Barbra Streisand in it.

People are acting like she is headlining a revival of the show. This is simply a way to bring back Close--one of the greatest actresses of her generation--to play a role that, like it or not, she originated on Broadway, for a handful of performances and that's the end of that. Her age matters as little as Reba's age mattered when she did the SOUTH PACIFIC concert at Carnegie Hall.

And for whatever is worth, I think Close acts the role through song beautifully on the cast recording even if she can't overcome this sort of awful, pedestrian adaptation of a brilliant film.

Ugh. Worst. Idea. Ever.

She could BARLEY sing it 20 years ago. What makes her think she can sing it now??

My favorite thing is once I saw Patti in Orange County. Before she sang With One Look she told the piano player "Please play the next song in the key in which it was written"

So perfect. Love Patti!

It's also true that Patti's acting was awful when she played the role and when she sang "With One Look" in the original key two years ago she sounded exactly like a owl.

Patti may well be a legend, but I'm not keen on the way she snipes at the two ALW roles/shows that did a lot for her, career-wise. And she wasn't beyond comparison as ND, I saw her in London. If this is happening, I'm a bit disappointed at ENO's two musical forays to date; not showing all that much imagination. 

But I'm still going.

I'm not defending the Madonna keys necessarily, just don't get Patti being a hypocrite about people changing keys of songs.

And then, maybe Glenn Close couldn't sing the songs in the original keys, but Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley surely could - Yup! It's so annoying when she keeps chattering about how much the key must be lowered down for every other actresses in the universe

Back to the age thing.  Aren't we practicing age discrimination when we say she's too old for the part?  In the age of color blind casting, what's the issue with age blind casting if they can sing the part - lower key or not?  Suspending belief for Ms. Close to play Norma now is no different than suspending belief to watch Ms. Uggams play Mama Rose. The key is providing a dynamic theater performance.  Am I wrong?  (and please don't be pissy and tell me to simply "Go away" as some do in threads these days).

I think of the age question considering how much it can influences the singing and the voice. Once you're in the balcony you can have someone in their 60 playing Miss America.