Nicole Scherzinger to star in West End Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy- Page 23

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/23/24 at 2:34pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "I’m not talking to you lol, I’m agreeing with you. We’re on the same page :)"

Sorry! Lol! You're post was right below mine and that's what I thought! lol

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 2/23/24 at 2:36pm

Broadway Flash said: "You’re gonna have egg on your face when the announcement comes."

Here you are once again going after people who disagree with YOUR opinion with NOTHING to back it up!

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/23/24 at 6:44pm

OhHiii said: "Listener said: "I am so, so bummed about this revival. "

The lack of imagination for so many on this topic has me really concerned for the future of theatre. Patti was right, we've dumbed it down far too much and people have gotten used to it."

Wait, I don't think you have the facts straight here. People are complaining about this production because it is dumbed down. Indeed, people have gotten used to cheap gimmicks. People don't care about the material anymore. Instead they holler and neigh about MC hammer jokes, cardboard cut-outs of Andrew, laptops on stage, twerk jokes, breaking the 4th wall constantly, for example jokes about the personal life of an actor, etc. That is what is ruining theatre. How on earth can you bend this vision around to the people who point that out? This whole production is one big lack of imagination. 

Updated On: 2/23/24 at 06:44 PM

[binau]

Posted: 2/23/24 at 8:15pm

I just couldn’t disagree more strongly. The material is garbage. Sorry but it is. And if you want to see lack of imagination look no further than the Glenn Close revival. Zzzzzz. This production is the definition of imaginative - how someone had the vision and then ability to execute that vision to create this stunning revival with some stunning performances despite garbage material is beyond surprising. If ‘Patti was right’ don’t forget that she herself thinks Sunset is boring and terribly written - it’s in her biography.  

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 1:09am

I truly never thought I'd see this musical held up as high art that is really capable of being tarnished by the undergrad directing project treatment. 

I think Billy Wilder's film is one of the very greatest of all time.

I also think this musical's libretto is barely literate outside of transposing some great dialogue word for word. Mostly, it is some of the most awkward, clunky, obvious, nursery-rhyme stuff of the entire mega-musical era.

I also think it can still be fun, and I've always had fun seeing it, because the story is indestructible, it is a real star vehicle, some of the melodies are nice, and it has a sort of dark camp magnetism. 

If something is going to get the Ivo knock-off treatment next season, I think this is exactly the candidate I would actually go see. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 7:16am

I think this show could have met in the middle. Why not keep it set in the period? Lots of low lighting, candles, spotlights, etc. Nix the laptops and modern stuff. Use "old timey" cameras, and get the same effect. I don't think we need to "modernize" it all. I also, agree, I think it's a gorgeous story and score. I just think this particular production doesn't seem to trust the material and instead just adds bells and whistles where I'm not sure we need them. I'd love to have seen that one production that basically only used a square of carpet. 

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 9:43am

binau said: "I just couldn’t disagree more strongly."

You mentioned before that your mind wandered off during this production except for her 2 big numbers.

Taking into account everything I have read so far, I think the people who go along with this hype can be divided into 2 different groups, firstly the ones who are not used to beautiful melodies and writing and are genuinely surprised by great songs beautifully sung (in an artsy setting), these might be the youngsters, being used to only 4 chords and uninspiring writing in musicals from the last 10 years. This group doesn't even mind or notice all the gimmicks and breaking the 4th wall and modern jokes because they are so used to this as well. Their only reference is modern stuff and they never learned or understood that there were different times so it's all they can connect with. They are just overwhelmed by glorious music. Then there is the other group, people who like to say they are not fond of Andrew Lloyd Webber and like to bash his shows, they don't really care how much it is trashed, because they have no connection with it anyway. MC hammer jokes, cardboard cut-outs of Andrew, laptops on stage, twerk jokes, breaking the 4th wall constantly, for example jokes about the personal life of an actor, etc, are the most unimaginative things you can imagine. Disregard the lyrics and sets too and there is nothing left but cheap gimmicks. These people tend to say the material is trash and now they laugh about the gimmicks and call that an upgrade. While in fact they just laugh, are in fact bored too, and perhaps secretly like the songwriting and can now get away with it without admitting it. Because after all, if you think the material is trash, you can't convince me that these cheap gimmicks lift the show up so much that you actually love it now.

I think this last group would be floored when they see a good lavish production of this show with a good singer too and learn that it works much better. Do we really want to see a Phantom of the Opera with laptops and Kanye West and fart jokes?

Updated On: 2/24/24 at 09:43 AM

[Ensemble1696584123]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 9:53am

People who are not intrigued can just.. not go? No everyone has to watch everything. One of the things that makes something interesting is that it does not appeal to EVERY single person, means that there is a strong flavor

Updated On: 2/24/24 at 09:53 AM

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 10:01am

When someone is not intrigued of course they can still go and judge for themselves. And I would love to read about their experiences. I am just pointing out what I have read from people who did go and did go along with the hype. 

[inception]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 11:03am

Seb28 said:. Do we really want to see a Phantom of the Opera with laptops and Kanye West and fart jokes?"

Ohhhh! Is that what he's dressing up for?  A new production of Phantom?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 11:17am

This photo is of the lair sequence of the title song. They’re wandering through the alleys between buildings in the theatre district with a 3-camera crew so there’s different angles. Taking Jamie Lloyd’s single camera concept up a few notches.  

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 11:28am

And now they are artistically on the right path instead of that old bad production. 3-camera angles in the alley so we can neigh and holler extra loud. Maybe an electric spinning chandelier too, that shoots darts with substance into audience members. That would be cool and immersive and artistic. 

Updated On: 2/24/24 at 11:28 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 11:53am

When the NY theater press lost their minds over how innovative Ivo's View From the Bridge was, I wondered if they had ever once seen a student-directed college production of literally anything. Now Jamie is doing all the same schtick and we're all saying it's his. Ivo did the same thing with the camera tracking actors outside and back into the theater a couple years ago in Network. Constant amnesia.

 

To be fair, I too would probably have an impulse to clutch my pearls if something really precious to me were done this way. Given the economic incentive to barely stage a show, and the apparently infinite willingness for critics and some audiences to treat barely staging the show as artistically daring, I'm just going to have to go with it on this one. I'll only be disappointed if I don't have fun.  

Updated On: 2/24/24 at 11:53 AM

[Listener]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 3:40pm

Seb28 said: "OhHiii said: "Listener said: "I am so, so bummed about this revival. "

The lack of imagination for so many on this topic has me really concerned for the future of theatre. Patti was right, we've dumbed it down far too much and people have gotten used to it."

Wait, I don't think you have the facts straight here. People are complaining about this productionbecause it is dumbed down. Indeed, people have gotten used to cheap gimmicks. People don't care about the material anymore. Instead they holler and neigh about MC hammer jokes, cardboard cut-outs of Andrew, laptops on stage, twerk jokes, breaking the 4th wall constantly, for example jokes about the personal life of an actor, etc. That is what is ruining theatre. How on earth can you bend this vision around to the people who point that out? This whole production is one big lack of imagination."

Interesting. I hadn't heard that this was dumbed down - I was just looking at the promotional videos and reading the reviews for those who had seen it and thinking "yeesh - not what the material demands, is it?"

I want to see a Grand Dame type performer in the role of Norma...not someone who looks like she could still be considered a beauty queen or lead a fashion or cosmetics campaign. I want someone who can sing the score but also act the score appropriately. I listened to Nicole's AIWNSG and felt like she was extending notes for the sake of "sounding like a impressive singer" rather than "acting this out as Norma and telling her story" and that made me sad.

...I was hopefully SJ Block's turn as Norma might lead to a Broadway revival. I didn't love what I heard of her interpretation, but at least she's in the ballpark of being a Broadway Diva with great interpretive skills and a powerhouse voice.

There could be a cool staging with Arianna Grande as Norma and I'd still turn my nose up at it because....no. That's not the kind of casting that works for me. And if it's accompanied by no set and lots of bared skin, I think it's pandering a bit while saving big bucks.

Sunset should be grand.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 4:37pm

Scarywarhol said: "To be fair, I too would probably have an impulse to clutch my pearls if something really precious to me were done this way. Given the economic incentive to barely stage a show, and the apparently infinite willingness for critics and some audiences to treat barely staging the show as artistically daring, I'm just going to have to go with it on this one. I'll only be disappointed if I don't have fun."

This first line in bold is where all of you that hate the existence of this position lose all credibility and you tell on yourselves for not knowing of what you speak. This production has a massive LED screen that moves throughout and a massive amount of additional needs for the A/V work throughout it. There is nothing economical about this production. 

The second line in bold further solidifies it. Minimalistic shows HAVE to inherently rely more on the staging, not less, because they don't rely as much on technical elements to fill in the blanks. So saying something in line wit this production is "barely" staged is absurd and just plain false. Even A Doll's House was carefully choreographed and timed. Staging isn't just telling actors "you walk here, you walk here, sit here".

Updated On: 2/26/24 at 04:37 PM

[OhHiii]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 4:41pm

Seb28 said: "This whole production is one big lack of imagination."

Also, when someone says something THIS absurd, it's time to put 'em on mute because this is just demonstrably not based in reality for the exact same reasons you're decrying this production in the first place. You're demanding a grand production with a certain type of actress because you can't possibly see how the show could work if that isn't the case. And because this production doesn't meet your expectations (which are based on the original production values, etc), you dismiss it out of hand without even seeing it.

So tell me....who is it that has the lack of imagination again?

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 6:27pm

Listener said: "I listened to Nicole's AIWNSG and felt like she was extending notes for the sake of "sounding like a impressive singer" rather than "acting this out as Norma and telling her story" and that made me sad."

I totally agree. I am baffled that a certain audience falls for this and does not see this fact. This shows me that they are not invested in Norma's story and they are actually content with someone doing that, topped off with funny gimmicks and jokes that break the 4th wall. That's when they enjoy something.

Also, I find the musical direction extremely uninspired and lacking. For example the first half of AIWNSG should be dynamic, full of life and excitement and nerves. Thrilling and full of desire. With tempo changes that emphasize her fear and wonderment.

This is a version where Norma feels real:

 

 

 

Updated On: 2/26/24 at 06:27 PM

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 6:49pm

OhHiii said: "You're demanding a grand production with a certain type of actress because you can't possibly see how the show could work if that isn't the case. You dismiss it out of hand without even seeing it."

I have seen it. And it doesn't work because all the lyrics in the show are about the beautiful silent film era, the fact that microphones did not exist, "We didn't need words, we had faces", and then the terrible invention of sound came in, "words, words, only words", described as terrible by Norma. Also the big numbers "No words can tell, the story my eyes tell", "With one look I put words to shame", etc, etc. A great addition to these wonderful lyrics and very specific basis of the story should be the great sets that match these lyrics. The specific era, her wealth, yet solitude is wonderfully supported by this. Removing all sets and instead putting a laptop with microphone on stage is not artistic. It's ludicrous, uninspiring and sad. So are the mc hammer jokes and the jokes about the actor's real lives. I saw Nicole. I never saw Norma.

My point is that a show with such strong specific writing and beautiful melodies does not need these cheap gimmicks like walking outdoors and seeing cardboard cut-outs of Andrew Lloyd webber and cast members taking the piss, while holding laptops with microphones, MC hammer twerk jokes, "can't touch this", etc. That is not inspiring and does nothing but make people holler and laugh. Does the director actually think that Nicole needs this? That is not a compliment.

OhHiii said: "Staging isn't just telling actors "you walk here, you walk here, sit here"."

In this case it's: You stand here. And bark and show off. And stretch notes in an already too stretched arrangement.

May I ask if you are involved in the show in any way?

Updated On: 2/27/24 at 06:49 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 7:34pm

OhHiii said: "Scarywarhol said: "To be fair, I too would probably have an impulse to clutch my pearls if something really precious to me were done this way. Given the economic incentive to barely stage a show, and the apparently infinite willingness for critics and some audiences to treat barely staging the show as artistically daring, I'm just going to have to go with it on this one. I'll only be disappointed if I don't have fun."

This first line in bold is where all of you that hate the existence ofthis position lose all credibility and you tell on yourselves for not knowing of what you speak.This production has a massive LED screen that moves throughout and a massive amount of additional needs for the A/V work throughout it. There isnothingeconomical about this production.

The second line in bold further solidifies it. Minimalistic shows HAVE to inherently rely more on the staging, not less, because they don't rely as much on technical elements to fill in the blanks. So saying something in line wit this production is "barely" staged is absurd and just plain false. Even A Doll's House was carefully choreographed and timed. Staging isn't just telling actors "you walk here, you walk here, sit here"."

I've worked on dozens of commercial and non-commercial shows of all scales, budget sizes, and creative approaches in the last decade but okay. Of course I'm being hyperbolic in a glib comment about minimalist productions, I'm on a freaking Broadway message board. But if you don't think that the proliferation of this kind of approach has anything to do with economics, for producers if not artists, you have absolutely no idea what is going on.

I also don't "hate the idea" of this production (position?). I'm a little tired of some trends that don't excite me, but I actually think that this material makes some sense as a fit for this kind of approach and have said so. I said I'd see it and meant it when I said that I'll only be disappointed if I don't have fun. I'm pretty excited about Nicole. 

Updated On: 2/27/24 at 07:34 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:11pm

Tentative set design for the Jamie Lloyd revival of ALW’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:21pm

Seb28 said: "I totally agree. I am baffled that a certain audience falls for this and does not see this fact."

I agree with you on the quality of the material, and I've seen several wonderful traditional productions of this show over the past thirty years. However, based on what I've heard about this revival, I'm very much looking forward to seeing a radically different take on the material. It can't possibly detract from what I've seen before; it can only add to it or, at worst, be something entirely forgettable. Either way I won't spend months complaining about it.

Updated On: 2/26/24 at 08:21 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 8:29pm

Seb28 said: I totally agree. I am baffled that a certain audience falls for this and does not see this fact. This shows me that they are not invested in Norma's story and they are actually content with someone doing that, topped off with funny gimmicks and jokes that break the 4th wall. That's when they enjoy something."

Are you really not capable of simply disagreeing with other people's evaluation of a show without casting aspersions on their taste? As a big fan of Sunset Boulevard in its previous incarnations, I need to tell you that your schtick is really tiring.

[binau]

Posted: 2/26/24 at 9:09pm

Musically, Nicole’s performance is incredibly dynamic and unexpected for a pop singer. She really can act while singing - from very quiet soft moments with very controlled vibrato (which Rachel Tucker couldn’t even do), to belting, and playing with/emphasising her bright warm timbre in various notes such as in ‘with one look’. I fully expect Nicole will be a Tony winner - and not in the vain of a Tony winner in a less competitive year but an iconic Tony winner whose performance will be remembered, revisited, listened to and talked about for years to come. 

The relentless criticism by people who are clearly precious about the material is becoming a little annoying when it’s the same people and the show is currently closed. Can’t you wait until it opens again? Or you’re welcome to go and see Sarah Brightman if this production isn’t for you lol. 

 

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 5:34am

binau said: "

She really can act while singing 

The relentless criticism by people who are clearly precious about the material is becoming a little annoying "

I found that part to be lacking, she can sing, but wasn't able to connect it to sincere acting, and half way through the song she kicks and jumps and claps her hands, completely disconnected from the song or character. I just saw Nicole.

I guess the criticism goes beyond just the display of inadequacy in directing and staging in this production. All the things mentioned before, deliberately taking people out of the story, basically just trashing it and taking the piss, is what ruins theatre. 

 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/27/24 at 9:24am

The entire production is built around a meta concept that supposes Nicole Sherzinger is a modern day equivalent to the Norma Desmond character . She doesn't need to 'act' her big songs because she is, as this production conceives, essentially playing herself. 

Unless you are criticizing the script and score of Sunset Boulevard, almost all of this is an arguement about how willing you are to separate this production from your preconcevied notions of how the material has been seen in the past, which ironically is a lot of what Sunset Boulevard is about. 

I don't think we are largely getting these criticisms from audiences who have never experienced this story before this production. And that is telling.  It is the nature of new art to be challenged by purists, but it is very much for the good of the artform for traditionalism to be challenged. If this production isn't your cup of tea because you think it needs ot be done in a more traditional way, there will be another production of it sometime for you (in this immediate case, the upcoming production in Australia).

Seb -- all your citicisms are about what you feel are things that take the audience out of the story *as you think they should see it.* What about those audiences who will personally take away more from this retelling than they would from the original Trevor Nunn production?  There is an enormous amount of subjectivism in your comments and they are all rather rigidly tied to what you imagine this production takes away for people not seeing your idealized version of it.

Updated On: 2/27/24 at 09:24 AM