SUNSET BLVD. Reviews — Page 27

Yes typo meant Joe

Made a return visit to the production over the weekend to see Diego's Joe and a lot of aspects of the whole thing clicked into place with him.

Found Diego charismatic, charming, energetic, and just a completely magnetic personality onstage. Each time I've seen the production previously I've found Francis to be good, he gets Lloyd's style, but his performance keeps me at arm's length and you can forecast the change in his character from the beginning (because he is playing cynical and brooding from the jump).

Rodriguez enters the show with a bit more youthful optimism, his early scenes with Norma feel more delicate and careful, and there is genuine wonder and enjoyment in the new life he gets to lead. Which makes the switch when he catches onto Norma and the ways she is taking advantage of him.

A major benefit is that he visibly much younger than Nicole. Francis, while only 25, always reads mid-30s minimum to me onstage. Which makes the age gap between them less clear. With Rodriguez, there is a visual difference that illuminates so much more. There is also a fascinating connection to be drawn between Scherzinger's Norma -- a talented woman of color who has been tossed aside -- and Rodriguez's Joe -- a talent young man of color who has been tossed aside. A connection is formed so quickly.

Beyond that, his voice is gorgeous and the camera loves him. Every time his face is projected on that screen it's rather breathtaking. Just a striking young man.

Felt like a real star-is-born performance to me.

getatme said: "Made a return visit to the production over the weekend to see Diego's Joe and a lot of aspects of the whole thing clicked into place with him.

Found Diego charismatic, charming, energetic, and just a completely magnetic personality onstage. Each time I've seen the production previously I've found Francis to be good, he gets Lloyd's style, but his performance keeps me at arm's length and you can forecast the change in his character from the beginning (because he is playing cynical and brooding from the jump).

Rodriguez enters the show with a bit more youthful optimism, his early scenes with Norma feel more delicate and careful, and there is genuine wonder and enjoyment in the new life he gets to lead. Which makes the switch when he catches onto Norma and the ways she is taking advantage of him.

A major benefit is that he visibly much younger than Nicole. Francis, while only 25, always reads mid-30s minimum to me onstage. Which makes the age gap between them less clear. With Rodriguez, there is a visual difference that illuminates so much more. There is also a fascinating connection to be drawn between Scherzinger's Norma -- a talented woman of color who has been tossed aside -- and Rodriguez's Joe -- a talent young man of color who has been tossed aside. A connection is formed so quickly.

Beyond that, his voice is gorgeous and the cameraloveshim. Every time his face is projected on that screen it's rather breathtaking. Just a striking young man.

Felt like a real star-is-born performance to me."

That's exciting to read... I loved the performance with Nicole and Tom and it most definitely was the most emotionally invested I've felt watching any production of Sunset, mostly because the ending was saw raw starting with Joe finally demonstrating legitimate emotion as he laughs in her face and the devastation that unleashes. But reading your review I can imagine the ending being even more impactful

David Thaxton is away from the show this week. Shavey Brown performs as Max von Mayerling from Tuesday to Thursday, and Pierre Marais makes their Max von Mayerling debut on Friday evening, with additional performances on Saturday and Sunday.

I've seen every understudy's debut performance so far, with the exception of Giuseppe Bausilio as understudy Artie Green and Kristina Doucette as understudy Young Norma.

• Joe Gillis: Both Diego and Jimin are excellent. Diego is a star in the making, and Jimin plays Joe extremely youthfully and bashfully, emoting more than either Diego or Tom. I don't think you are missing anything not seeing Tom, and in some cases you're gaining.
• Betty Schaefer: Sydney Jones as Betty Schaefer is one of the best understudy debuts I've seen; very vocally strong in the role and connects with whoever's playing Joe a little better. Olivia Andrews has yet to debut.
• Max von Mayerling: Shavey Brown is very strong vocally. He's only had one performance and it was during previews (I believe without a put-in or understudy rehearsal) so he was getting a good grip on the role, so there's only room for improvement. Pierre Marais debuts this Friday and I'll be there to see his first performance, I can update afterward.
• Artie Green: Brandon LaVar EATS UP this role, I've had the chance to see him a few times in this track. Adds so many little blemishes and gives 110%. His little eye roll going into "Too Much In Love To Care" has the audience in stitches. Giuseppe Bausilio has debuted and played Artie for one performance, I wasn't in the city and couldn't catch it.
• Cecil B. Demille: There's not a lot to this role in this production; Pierre Marais does a good job while Shavey is on as Max or otherwise indisposed.
• Norma Desmond: Unfortunately, neither Caroline Bowman nor Emma Lloyd have had the chance to go on. I'm more curious to see Emma Lloyd's interpretation personally. Sharing something I wrote on Reddit: "[Emma] looks like she's 25 (her agent literally says on her profile that she can play characters 20-24) and I think there's a lot of room for "internet star left behind by new trends" interpretation in there. There's a lot of folks complaining/saying that Nicole is 'too young' for the part (I heavily disagree, I think this is staged in a way where ages matter much less), so I'd be really curious to see what the plan is when Norma looks like she just graduated college"

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 02:00 PM

Do we know when Tom is scheduled to return?

binau said: They are on a different planet! Sunset boulevard is an event."

I guess there's life on Mars then.

Oh now I understand the end! This takes place on another planet where the lack of oxygen causes their heads to explode.

They also don't know the difference between Joe and Max, despite seeing the show so many times. Sadly, it's not the biggest inaccuracy they've spread on the boards over the past two weeks. Not by a long shot.

It’s so funny that some of you would rather rain on the joy, pick up obvious errors/typos and just be toxic/difficult for sake of it. Will yes I love the show and yes sometimes I make mistakes, I’m often on a phone. If you want to be miserable be miserable.

binau said: "It’s so funny that some of you would rather rain on the joy, pick up obvious errors/typos and just be toxic/difficult for sake of it. Will yes I love the show and yes sometimes I make mistakes, I’m often on a phone. If you want to be miserable be miserable."

Your joy is a lot more enjoyable than your spreading of right-wing talking points and factual inaccuracies about this country you don't live in, which is what really made people miserable. It was actually a relief that your mistake this time was innocuous.

I'm sincerely glad you enjoyed the show. It's just funny that you have no trouble dishing out insults to people who didn't enjoy the show (they're on another planet? Really?), but can't handle any pushback in return.

binau said: "I can I’m just saying the effect is it’s miserable so if you want to continue doing this feel free. Also, I can’t remember if it was you but I started posting AI screenshots to have an objective observer fact check some of the things I was posting. Just because you call it misinformation does not make it misinformation. This is just yet one of many reasons why the democrats lost hard - any criticism, any challenge and it’s always misinformation, sexism, racism or whatever name at the time. Meanwhile anyone with their mind open can see what is happening, can see that if you keep doing this it’s going to lead to the exact outcome you’re trying to avoid. And then watching people continue this behaviour as if they haven’t learned anything is of course something I will call out for your own good. It doesn’t work. It’s hurting your own cause."

Page Six has since pulled the following desperate misinformation from its site:

(EDIT: it's Nicole wearing the Kamala t shirt for her alleged "photo shoot." BWW blocked out the photo as well. Photo was released by Page 6 then was retracted within 24 hrs).

Updated On: 11/18/24 at 06:31 PM

You’re literally being a child. I have already corrected that typo now days (day? Ago). Additionally, go back and read the AI screenshots that is substantive not this emotional tirade that I hope you’re enjoying because I personally think you’re wasting your time.

BUT I called Joe Max!!!11111 that means obviously Diego must have done an awful job and I’m completely wrong. *roll eyes*. Can you think a little bit about what the implications of what you’re saying are? There is no goal except you get to sit there getting a mini rise because the person who challenged you on your bad ideas made a mistake. lol well good on you. Keep that dopamine rushing.

Updated On: 11/19/24 at 10:48 AM