Glenn Close in SUNSET BLVD. back to Broadway? — Page 2

I never saw Glenn Close on Broadway ( I saw Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige on the London stage instead) but she did appear as Norma Desmond in a tribute concert honoring Andrew Lloyd Webber.



Her performance of WITH ONE LOOK some twenty years ago was remarkable on this video and shows why she is a great actress. Hope the film adaptation does happen and that Glenn is a top-running candidate for the role.

Updated On: 4/4/16 at 09:18 PM

Saw her in L.A. and on B'way, and always thought she owned the role (though I found the Paige Norma the most overall accomplished.) It's daring to come back 20 years, but it sounds like she has made it a personal triumph.

I would respectfully argue (agreeing with Frank Rich) that the choral material is among the best ALW has composed, so jazz-inflected and grounding in the era. The opening sections are quite extraordinary, and really burrow us deeply in the LA of the late 40s/early 50s. If it's just a show with pop arias, it loses much of its texture and sense of time and place.

I LOVE the film, and was completely floored when I heard Barbra Streisand singing the two songs from the show on her "BACK TO BROADWAY" album. I bought tickets to see Ms. Close on Broadway. I was never so disappoined in my whole life. I loved the sets and costumes, but I thought Ms. Close's performance was nothing more than running up and down the steps and tons of overacting (Gloria Swanson did NOT overact in the film, she was basically recreating the looks of what she did when she was a silent film star). Her winning of the Tony that year was inevitable, only because there were no other musicals that were in contention (the only competition for Best Musical that year was "Smokey Joe's Cafe" and Ms. Close's only competition for Best Actress was Rebecca Luker in the revival of "Show Boat". I had really high hopes for the musical, but I was very sadly disappointed...

BroadwayConcierge said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/New-York-Next-for-Glenn-Close-Back-in-SUNSET-BOULEVARD-20160405



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I would SO love to see this happen.

Saw the original Broadway version with the bells & whistles. I would see it again with Chita in it - no disrespect to Ms Close.

Not a big fan of Miss Close in this role. I saw it and I was utterly disappointed in her performance and mind you I really like Glenn Close, just not in this. Her acting was hammy and as someone else pointed out in another thread all that was left for her to do was lick that damn staircase's banister.



I'm also not a fan of the Broadway Cast Album.



I hope she doesn't get to do the movie either.

I did manage to see Miss Pet(ula) Clark as Norma Desmond several times in 1999 and in one of her final stops in April 2000 (damn...16 years ago!) here in Austin, Texas. Anyway, I've never cared for Glenn (obviously). In this article, Ms. Clark discusses what she thought of Glenn Close and the character of Norma Desmond. http://www.petulaclark.net/theatre/austonchronicle.htm

I remember Petula Clark's perf as o.k., but thought her Norma was too hammy/comedic and not sufficiently dark. But that's my own perspective.

I would love to have seen Chita take on the role sometime during the original run. I do think she would have been fabulous 20 years ago. During the original run in the UK, they hinted that Dame Shirley Bassey was going to take on the part, which would have been something crazy to behold too.

I just have a feeling Alice Ripley's vocals would be distressing. But I'd love to see her take on the role.

By distressing, I mean disheartening. Glenn Close was never a great singer. Alice Ripley was. Maybe it would work on some meta level, since the character is a 'shell' of what she once was, but hearing Ripley try to sing that score the way LuPone or Buckley attacked it would be a sad reminder of how much the instrument has diminished.

I think Ripley's voice has recovered quite nicely from Next to Normal. Her As If We Never Said Goodbye at her 54 Below show with Emily Skinner was thrilling.

Is she sick?