LIZ CALLAWAY-SUNSET BLVD GOOD REVIEWS AND VIDEO- Page 2

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 2:19am

Eh, why is there always something *off* in these non-RUG productions? Overall, it looks like a good show, with great voices and acting, and their orchestra sounds great, but Norma's house looks like me gramma's and I've never liked the idea of having Joe open act 2 half naked. OK, he isn't even half naked in this production (unlike as in the Petula Clark tour) but still, the focus ends up going to looking at dude's exposed skin rather than what he's saying/singing, even if the lyrics are MEH, it's distracting.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 3:13am

I wish I could see this, Liz is 1st rate.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 3:03pm

I'm only judging based off that video, but Liz sounds waaay to fresh and innocent to be Norma. And the actor playing Joe is CLEARLY gay. Sorry, someone had to say it.

[matineeidol2013]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 3:28pm

The actor playing Joe is Matthew Scott; he is married to Kirsten Scott, who just played Young Phyllis in the Follies revival. So no, he is not gay. And I don't see what in that video would lead you to believe that.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/27/12 at 4:18pm

My gay-dar was going crazy. I guess one of us is wrong.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 7/28/12 at 3:13am

**SOME SPOILERS AHEAD**

I saw the Friday evening performance. It's not a -bad- production, just a bit clunky in a few places. The ending could have been staged MUCH more dramatically. She came too far down the stairs too soon, leaving no room for a climactic, slow descent. She just kind of meandered and spun around and posed, instead.

The cast is very talented. Loved the guy playing Joe, and the guy playing Max was great. Yes, Liz Callaway might not have the "dramatic" Norma Desmond accent we're used to hearing, but her singing voice is incredibly pleasant to listen to!

The set left me half impressed, half wanting more. Excellent scrims and projections, and I really liked the car chase, but some really tacky looking set pieces, most notably a platform and stairs in the back which doubled as Norma's patio, as well as a set on the Paramount soundstage. Felt very "community theater" seeing a set piece so blatantly re-used. Also, Norma's mansion looks like something I would have built while playing "The Sims" 10 years ago.

Apparently they didn't want to spend the extra 3 grand to rent "Norma's limousine" from Music Theatre of Wichita, because she didn't have one. The entire "Without ME there wouldn't BE any Paramount!" scene was cut. I *think* there was an added section of dialogue between Max and Sheldrake after "As If We Never Said Goodbye" to introduce the fact that Norma has an antique car, but maybe it's always been in the show. I'm drawing a blank on that one.

Overall, not a bad production, and well worth my 90-minute trip to Pittsburgh to see.

Nit-picky side note: Ushers at The Benedum Center were seating a bunch of latecomers in the mezzanine DURING "With One Look." Incredibly distracting.