Joan Collins claims ALW wanted her for his musical 'Sunset Boulevard'

[David10086]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 12:45pm

According to the new book by Joan Collins, "My Unapologetic Diaries", she was at a luncheon in London honoring herself and other OBE recipients in mid-March, 1997. The guests at her table included Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife, a couple whom Collins was quite friendly with in the 90s (the couple seemed to attend every Holiday party and dinner party she attended in London over the years, and she liked them very much).

 

At one point, Andrew Lloyd Webber leaned into Collins and asks her "Why didn't you ever want to play 'Norma Desmond' in 'Sunset Boulevard' ? "   Collins responded that she could never have sung the score - that's why she turned down his offers. Of course "Sunset Boulevard" had it's global meltdown a week or so after the luncheon. Maybe if Collins said 'yes' things would've been different ...

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 12:56pm

He was just trying to toy with as many divas as he could find.

[broadwayben3]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 2:00pm

seems capricious.

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 2:16pm

I imagine every classy woman of a certain age was asked or considered. 

Updated On: 10/8/22 at 02:16 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 3:01pm

Sure he did.

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 8:26pm

In the recent, rather delicious, BBC documentary "This is Joan Collins", Collins claims that she was denied the role of Cleopatra over Elizabeth Taylor because she didn't sleep with producers. Who knows if that's true but it makes for a good interview which has always been Dame Joan Collins' true and most perfected art form. 

Updated On: 10/8/22 at 08:26 PM

[Globefan]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 9:29pm

Nicollette Sheridan is probably next on ALW's screw over list 

[David10086]

Posted: 10/6/22 at 10:36pm

Plannietink08 said: "I imagine classy woman of a certain age was asked or considered."

I believe there’s truth to this. I think visually she would have made a beautiful Norma and he knew it - but could she sing at all? I remember she sang briefly in one episode of “ Dynasty” and it was heavily edited. 
 

And if she could sing - would she be a box office draw? Maybe in London but I doubt on Broadway. 

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 10/7/22 at 8:03am

Well the one who opened it on Bway couldn't sing either but she ended up playing Norma.  One of my favorite recordings of SB is the Canadian Cast with Diann Carroll (of course my favorite is the original London Cast) who with Joan was on Dynasty.

Updated On: 10/7/22 at 08:03 AM

[David10086]

Posted: 10/7/22 at 8:39am

Collins previously mentioned Carroll in an entry a few months earlier- December 1996. The two women lived in the same LA apartment building and caught up with each other at a Christmas party another tenant threw that month. She said Carroll had been starring in SB in Canada and said the role was “ exhausting “. She was glad to take a break over the holidays and be home. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/7/22 at 5:59pm

There had been talk of Koan Collins starring in a revival of AUNTIE MAME. That's a role she might have been very good in.

[David10086]

Posted: 10/8/22 at 10:41am

Dollypop said: "There had been talk of Koan Collins starring in a revival of AUNTIE MAME. That's a role she might have been very good in."

 

How long ago was that ?  I know there was talk in the mid 2000s of bringing 'Mame' back for a revival, but then Jerry Herman pulled the plug on that one. It would've been interesting if they were thinking of casting her in the B'way revival then - she would have hit her 70s. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/8/22 at 1:53pm

This was AUNTIE MAME, not the musical and the story was circulating about 10 years ago.

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/8/22 at 10:20pm

sinister teashop said: "In the recent, rather delicious, BBC documentary "This is Joan Collins", Collins claims that she was denied the role of Cleopatra over Elizabeth Taylor because she didn't sleep with producers. Who knows if that's true but it makes for a good interview which has always been Dame Joan Collins' true and most perfected art form."

It is true that the movie was originally conceived as a modest-budget backlot picture to star Joan Collins (whose career was already on the skids--that time around). Once it was revamped to be a major film, she was out. I doubt sleeping or not sleeping with anyone had anything to do with it. I'm not sure anyone at that stage was considered but Taylor. I rather doubt it would have ever been made, had she declined. In the popular imagination, Cleopatra is the most beautiful woman who ever lived, and that was essentially the world's opinion of Elizabeth Taylor at that time.  

I like Joseph Mankiewicz's comment about the trials and tribulations of this movie that Cleopatra stood "as the three toughest pictures I ever made."

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 2:16am

BuddyStarr said: "Well the one who opened it on Bway couldn't sing either but she ended up playing Norma. One of my favorite recordings of SB is the Canadian Cast with Diann Carroll (of course my favorite is the original London Cast) who with Joan was on Dynasty."

Diahann was spectacular. On every level. She was the oldest woman (at that time) to play Norma and she said the stairs exhausted her and hurt her knees. 
 

Glenn Close most certainly can sing. Are her vocals pristine? No, but she acted the hell out of that score. She was primal and electrifying. 
 

Joan Collins was never a huge draw outside of camp, soap and gay circles. I don’t think she is a great actress and she truly can’t sing. I don’t think she would sell tickets. Legends limped along on tour and had a hard time moving tickets. I rode an elevator with her once and she was lovely. 

 

[David10086]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 1:53pm

If that’s the case, Collins would have sold out the show every night. Why? Because the camp and gay circles were the core of the audience. She may have opened the show to the soap audience, too. But the gay and camp circles would have gone to see her repeatedly. ALW knew this. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 3:26pm

David10086 said: "If that’s the case, Collins would have sold out the show every night. Why? Because the camp and gay circles were the core of the audience. She may have opened the show to the soap audience, too. But the gay and camp circles would have gone to see her repeatedly. ALW knew this."

Well they didn’t show up for Legends. That seems tailor made for those demographics. 

 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/9/22 at 4:16pm

Bettyboy72 said: "Well they didn’t show up for Legends. That seems tailor made for those demographics."

Yep. Relying on the camp and gay circles to keep your show running guarantees a very short run and a disappointing box office. It's not like movies where the camp/cult audience can discover it over years or even decades. 

[David10086]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 11:37am

Bettyboy72 said: "Well they didn’t show up for Legends. That seems tailor made for those demographics."

I don't think the two can compare. "Legends" never had any kind of audience, as by all accounts it wasn't good theater . 'Sunset Boulevard', on the other hand, has always been entertaining (in movie and musical).

 

Since 1950, 'Norma Desmond' has been the magnet for gay and camp circles. I've always found SB (the movie and the musical) attracted more of a gay and camp audience than anyone else. When the musical toured through my city back in 2000, all my gay friends couldn't wait to go see it. My straight friends had no interest (yet they did go see other musicals with their wives and girlfriends - especially ALW musicals). 

[David10086]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 11:53am

Back to Joan Collins' diary - 

Mid-April, 1997 and she invites Diahann Carroll to her apartment for dinner one night (they live in the same LA building). Says how glamorous Carroll is, as she takes care of herself like Collins does (Collins at the time is nearly 64, Carroll will be 62 a few months later). 

Unfortunately for Carroll, she has much trouble walking and in agonizing pain. Carroll tells Collins she may not be able to make Sacha's (Joan's son) wedding in a few weeks if she can't walk. Her run in 'Sunset Boulevard' has just ended after nearly 2 years. Collins explains the role has done severe damage to her knees, as Carroll was required to run up and down 700 steps at each performance in costume. Collins points out that such a physical performance will wear anyone down, no matter your age and how much you exercise or take care of yourself. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 12:30pm

David10086 said: "Bettyboy72 said: "Well they didn’t show up for Legends. That seems tailor made for those demographics."

I don't think the two can compare. "Legends" never had any kind of audience, as by all accounts it wasn't good theater . 'Sunset Boulevard', on the other hand, has always been entertaining (in movie and musical).



Since 1950, 'Norma Desmond' has been the magnet for gay and camp circles. I've always found SB (the movie and the musical) attracted more of a gay and camp audience than anyone else. When the musical toured through my city back in 2000, all my gay friends couldn't wait to go see it. My straight friends had no interest (yet they did go see other musicals with their wives and girlfriends - especially ALW musicals)."

No one was going to show up to hear Joan Collins sing off-key for two or more hours. Just wasn't going to happen. Lloyd Webber was being courteous to her because she was a friend. She was never, never going to play that role. And the show would have flopped had she done so.

I like Collins, btw. This isn't a put-down, just facts.

[David10086]

Posted: 10/10/22 at 10:24pm

Glenn Close sang off-key for 2 hours and it won her a Tony!!!

Speaking of which, Collins claims she was offered the role of Cruella in 101 DALMATIONS back in 1996, and before she could formally accept, it was announced Close got the role instead. She thought Close was completely wrong for the film, and is a boring actress. Collins insists she could’ve played the part better ( and she keeps referring to this slight throughout her diary for 1997).