I read that Act Two opens in the dressing room where Joe is watching the film of Sunset Boulevard and then wanders past actors in the hall and then out into the alley where there are more actors and then onto the Strand.
Ivo's NETWORK did the same gag with a scene on the street outside the theater being piped in. I thought it was one of the less successful moments in a show that generally suited his schtick much better than most.
Wow - i HAVE to get out there to see this. Sounds very exciting.
I *LOVED* Jamie Lloyd's EVITA at Regent's Park; the choices here sound similar...a further examination of the themes he dug into with that show; our obsessions with fame & celebrity culture, how pop culture and history clash, and at the end - what it all really boils down to (surprise alert; the answer is nothing - it's shallow and meaningless).
With EVITA it was a fascinating take on how celebrity/pop culture and politics inform each other and what they boil down to at the end of the day. With this, it sounds like an examination on what celebrity and pop culture mean all on their own, and how the meaningless of it all can drive a human being to madness.
inlovewithjerryherman said: "Wow - i HAVE to get out there to see this. Sounds very exciting.
I *LOVED* Jamie Lloyd's EVITA at Regent's Park; the choices here sound similar...a further examination of the themes he dug into with that show; our obsessions with fame & celebrity culture, how pop culture and history clash, and at the end - what it all really boils down to (surprise alert; the answer is nothing - it's shallow and meaningless).
With EVITA it was a fascinating take on how celebrity/pop culture and politics inform each other and what they boil down to at the end of the day. With this, it sounds like an examination on what celebrity and pop culture mean all on their own, and how the meaningless of it all can drive a human being to madness."
SPOILERS BELOW
I love your thoughts on this. How it is a commentary on fame and how meaningless it is. It actually seems to be making a comment more on current fame with cameras and the screen, with the wink being that all of these folks mugging for social media are living in a barren landscape, which is what Lloyd provides in terms of sets, costumes and props.
I envy everyone who gets to see this show. I love Sunset and I'm so happy it's getting a different take. I hope it does transfer.
I wonder if the street scene will get tiresome for the actor, especially as word gets out that he is out there. Are the areas he travels sectioned off (like Chastain in Dolls House) or is he interacting with people on the street?
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
I wonder if the street scene will get tiresome for the actor, especially as word gets out that he is out there. Are the areas he travels sectioned off (like Chastain in Dolls House) or is he interacting with people on the street?
I was told there is security to the sides of the camera to prevent any issues. Before the cameras go live, the sidewalk is cleared in advance and monitored. The actor isn't just out there by himself with a cameraman.
I'm trying not to read much of this thread so it remains a surprise - can someone tell me what section is best to sit for this show? Are there any areas to avoid?
FANtomFollies said: "I'm trying not to read much of this thread so it remains a surprise - can someone tell me what section is best to sit for this show? Are there any areas to avoid?"
JasonC3 said: "FANtomFollies said: "I'm trying not to read much of this thread so it remains a surprise - can someone tell me what section is best to sit for this show? Are there any areas to avoid?"
Just booked my tickets for my trip to London next month. Got 5th row, just off-center. Hope these aren't too close but figured better than being too far, especially with a minimalist production. I'm excited!
I saw this again tonight. Nicole seems to be settling ins little more and is allowing herself to go a little camp (which is GOOD). There’s still these WTF moments like when she and Joe dance and they do the Robot and the Running Man while she shouts out “I’m M.C. Hammer!” and I’m like “Norma…he won’t be born for 12 more years”.
I do enjoy this production but there’s stuff like that peppered throughout the entire show that just continually takes me out of it.
TaffyDavenport said: "A Bloody (Pussycat) Doll's House
"
He looks like he's wearing a tank top. Seriously, what is the source of all the blood? Are they vampires now? There are (were) no bloody scenes in the original film or stage show.
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Jordan Catalano said: "when the lights came up on her bloody body I gasped a bit."
Why is she bloody? Did he decide to have her kill herself in this production?
Jordan Catalano said: "This was still set in the same time period but these backstage videos of people showed modern technology like when Betty finishes her script, she writes "The End" on her MacBook Pro."
I really hate technological anachronisms.
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
This production is filled with them, though and they really take me out of the moment. Act Two opens with video backstage of Joe/Tom watching the film (on a laptop), Nicole looking at the camera doing tongue pops, the dancing I mentioned above etc.
I still don’t know if I overall liked this or not but I do think about it a lot so that’s a win for them, I suppose. As a whole I like a lot of the performances more than the actual production…I think. And the use of the giant screen to show the opening credits is thrilling and even the closing credits was something I appreciated. I would love to see an approach with the screen (highland actual filmmaking tropes and not just closeups of people done for no reason) done in a more traditional staging for this. In the end, I think (for me), “Sunset Boulevard” is a show where More Is More.
But I’m still going back in a few weeks to see Rachel Tucker because that’ll be fascinating to see how a show so built around a single person works with someone who is so completely different.
I don't tend to mind them, but this story IS the time period, so to take that out of it, I'm not sure it works? Like with no set, is it explained that they're using her car and not her on the movie set? Does that come across? I feel like he basically just threw out the script and did his own thing, which maybe people like, but this story is SO good. So I hope they scrap some of that stuff and just stick to the story.
The book is so strong that I think even if you don’t know the show, it all still makes sense. And yes when she’s at Paramount you know what’s going on even though it’s just Nicole standing in front of a giant screen showing a silhouette of DeMille’s head, talking to her and we hear people offstage saying the other dialogue.