SUNSET BLVD RECORDING - WHICH TO GET- Page 2

[Tenorific2]

Posted: 4/28/05 at 2:40pm

the betty mini CD is a wonderful preservation of her norma, which i saw in London, but alas it is not available unless you want to pay an exeuberant amount for it on Ebay.

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 4/28/05 at 2:43pm

Patti Lupone's. The only reason you would want the Close version (I have them both) is for the brilliance of George Hearn. His all too few performances on the cd are breathtaking. But, Patti Lupone's recorded Norma over Glenn Close's for sure. I saw Glenn Close onstage. She gave a grand and predictable performance and is not a very good singer. George Hearn is great on the Glenn Close recording and his Tony winning performance was mesmerizing.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/28/05 at 2:55pm

As far as I know, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson are American. Not sure about the rest of the cast, but the two headliners on the London recording are indeed American. I love Judy Kuhn and George Hearn, but I simply can't listen to Glenn. Especially when she does the hysterical sobbing for the dead monkey. For me, the London recording captured the mood of the original film better while the LA recording sounded more like a campy sendup of the story. I only wish Betty Buckley had made a full recording of the show. She was breathtaking.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 12:07am

Do the OLC. LuPone sings the songs in their real keys, and Kevin Anderson is the best of all Joes.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 12:21am

aight, you've changed my mind...London it is...

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 1:38am

Patti LuPone is obviously very talented, but she's awful on the London cast recording. Her nasal sound is completely inappropriate for Norma. Kevin Anderson is also pretty annoying with his "I don't give a sh*t" line readings throughout all the recorded dialogue.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 2:21am

just fu*k it and get both...

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 4:04am

I really couldn't say. As they often say: if you can't choose one colour, put them all on the wall. Just save up, over time, and get them both. Then burn them together with your favourite songs etc. I have never heard Elaine Paige, but have heard great things. And I am a fan. I love Close. I love the psycho. But Patti's singing is entrancing. Unfortunately, the dialogue on that CD and the 'acting' brings it down half-way. Patti and the singing - in the leads (with the acception of Kevin Anderson) is astonishing. But that's basically it. Are any of these available on vinyl? I collect vinyl - but have never seen any of SUnset, Whistle or Beautiful Game on LP. Would be nice to have

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 5:28am

I believe that the last ALW show released on vinyl was the 1991 OLCR of Joseph, and a single a year later. Nothing past about 1992, I'm afraid.

By the way, am I the only one here who likes Kevin Anderson in Sunset? I thought that his 'laid back' reading of the lines fitted in more with the lazy and cynical nature of the character.

[scooter38432]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 7:34am

It's funny that I get responses to my postings about my answer to the question "which recording to buy". I basically trashed what I think is a lousy score on all counts. One poster said that the original questioner wanted suggestions, not a critique. Just about every other posting with suggestions on which recording to buy certainly critiqued every cast, performer, etc. in the history of SUNSET BLVD.

What's the difference in being told to buy Patti, Diahann or Glenn compared to being told not to bother to buy any of them?

Other peoples' recommendations were to buy specific recordings. My recommendation was to buy none.

No need to reprimand other postings!

[chitownbob]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 7:52am

I think I have all the major Sunset recordings, and of course I love the OLC. However, I think the German cast recording is amazing. Helen Schneider has Glenn's intensity, but with a much more satisfying singing voice. And the German lyrics are also better than Don Black's original lyrics. Much wittier and more in the spirit of the original screenplay.

I also saw Dianne Carroll in Toronto a few months after the show opened, and I thought Dianne was fantastic. She definately wasn't walking through it when I saw it.

But it was funny the other things I remember about that production. The entire orchestra wore tuxes (or black dresses for the ladies). Does that happen anymore? Dianne had a huge ace bandage on her knee that you could easily see from the stage. Everyone in the audience was dressed up to the nines. It was an EVENT. You just don't see that anymore.

[Justice]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 8:48am

It's a God AWFUL show and a horrendous score (in my opinion, of course), but get the Glenn Close recording. I got my copy for free, and only because Judy Juhn is on it. I love Judy Kuhn!!!!

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 9:06am

I have Glenn, Betty and Patti. I hardly ever listen to Glenn. I mainly listen to Patti when I want to hear the show, but that might be because Betty only has the 3 songs. I'd say Patti.

Mother's Younger Brother -- sorry for the ALW joke earlier . . . he's not my fav composer and Sunset isn't my fav show, but (as you can see from the statements above), I'm a theatre whore so it didn't stop me from buying 3 different versions.

LOL

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 10:44am

"Patti LuPone is obviously very talented, but she's awful on the London cast recording. Her nasal sound is completely inappropriate for Norma."

I dsagree completely. Her sound is far richer and more commanding than Close. Close's head voice is so thin, it sounds like there are two people singing the role and when she starts to into the psycho mode, it is so over-the-top, it becomes a carcicature. Gloria Swanson played the character as someone who has obviously been living in her own dreamworld for quite some time and is less manic. Her insanity is far more even-keeled and her emotional outbursts are less insane than they are simply manipulative. We are not supposed to believe she has truly gone over the edge until the very end, otherwise there is nowhere to go once we've seen her in a fitful rage early in the show.

"Kevin Anderson is also pretty annoying with his 'I don't give a sh*t' line readings throughout all the recorded dialogue."

Kevin sounds like the character. He's cocky and egocentric, which is why he sounds like he doesn't give a sh*t (because Joe Gillis really doesn't, he's a user). Alan Campbell accents just about every note and sings really broad vowels that distort the pronunciation and characterization. Kuhn and Hearn are the only reasons to have the LA recording.

scooter - The original post says he is interested in the show and wants to get opinions on which recording to buy. Telling him the score stinks and not to buy any of the recordings basically says that you're ignoring him and his request just to be bitchy. Critiquing the merits of the recordings is exactly what the post is about. Not critiquing the show itself.

Personally, I think Sunset Boulevard is one of Lloyd Webber's best. The melodies match the mood and setting of the story so perfectly, you almost expect to hear them in the original film. The melodies of "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Greatest Star of All" are reminiscent of the haunting scores of many film noir scores of the era. The orchestrations are full and lush and richer than any other Lloyd Webber show. The story was very well-adapted and hardly anything from the original film was omitted.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 11:54am

Mister Matt: "Personally, I think Sunset Boulevard is one of Lloyd Webber's best. The melodies match the mood and setting of the story so perfectly, you almost expect to hear them in the original film. The melodies of "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Greatest Star of All" are reminiscent of the haunting scores of many film noir scores of the era. The orchestrations are full and lush and richer than any other Lloyd Webber show. The story was very well-adapted and hardly anything from the original film was omitted."

THANK YOU!! My sentiments exactly.

[Justice]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 11:58am

So...if the Orchestrations are full and lush and richer...shouldn't we be giving credit to David Cullen as well?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 1:17pm

Absolutely, since he co-orchestrated the score with Lloyd Webber.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 3:39pm

Mr. Matt--I know Joe Gillis is supposed to be sure of himself, but I just think that Kevin Anderson is too cocky on the recording, and comes across as "Yeah, whatever, screw these people" rather than, say, "Man, my life is really screwed up right now. What do I do?" Not giving a sh*t is not a very dramatic emotion, and cannot be sustained effectively throughout an entire performance. I had similar problems with Anderson when I saw him onstage in "Death of a Salesman."

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 4:16pm

I really don't find him that cocky. I think the film Joe is far more cocky and condescending, but most of that is expressed in his narrative thoughts, rather than outwardly to the characters, which would not have translated as well on stage. I also saw Anderson in David Ives' The Red Adress Off-Broadway and he was terrific in a rather mediocre play.

Posted: 4/29/05 at 5:04pm

I have to comment about Petula Clark. I saw her tour and thought she was wonderful. I thought she brought such an amazing presence to the part.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 5:13pm

Well, I saw a video of the Broadway cast w/ Elaine Paige. I thought it sounded pretty good, although, I mean, I could be wrong. I might just get both of them, but then, at the same time, I doubt i'd listene to both of them. I might just go to the store and buy the cheaper one. lol. How's that for picking...I might post a review or something

[Adam Chris]

Posted: 4/29/05 at 7:02pm

When I rewatched the movie SB, I absolutely expected ALW's music in the background. So I agree with a previous post by MrMATT: "The melodies of "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Greatest Star of All" are reminiscent of the haunting scores of many film noir scores of the era. The orchestrations are full and lush and richer than any other Lloyd Webber show."

I think ALW did a great job capturing the feel of the movie.

I'm probably on the minority on this...but I think Glenn was awesome on the stage and the recording. Saw her in LA with George H.
Updated On: 4/29/05 at 07:02 PM