SUNSET BLVD. Reviews - Page 28

[joevitus]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 12:07pm

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."

Wow do I agree with this post 100%. I never understand why, on message boards, people will jump on spelling/grammar errors. We aren't writing for publication here, and often, yes, we're writing in a pinch, or emotionally invested in a comment to the extent that we miss an error or two. What could it possibly matter? In what way is it a meaningful comment on the content? I wish people will chill on the subject. 

[binau]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 12:17pm

...

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 1:39pm

joevitus said: "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."

Wow do I agree with this post 100%. I never understand why, on message boards, people will jump on spelling/grammar errors. We aren't writing for publication here, and often, yes, we're writing in a pinch, or emotionally invested in a comment to the extent that we miss an error or two. What could it possibly matter? In what way is it a meaningful comment on the content? I wish people will chill on the subject."

Tell us you didn't read the thread without telling us you didn't read the thread... (Hint: there's a very specific reason it matters with regard to that particular poster, which is...covered in the thread.)

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 1:40pm

To keep things on topic:

I mentioned I was there Wednesday night. Here’s my review.

For those crowing about sales being unaffected by the possible revelations about the star… I’m one of the ones who had significantly less interest in seeing Nicole Scherzinger after the events of a few weeks ago. I still went, because it wasn’t a simple matter of getting a refund or switching nights. I was with a group; we bought our tickets at the box office two months ago to avoid the SeatGeek fees and used the NORMA1 discount to cut $30 from the price. So we paid $119 for orchestra seats that would have been $166 at the time if we’d bought online. Prices for the few remaining tickets that night were significantly higher by last week, so canceling or switching to a cheaper/lower-selling Mandy night would have just allowed the theater to sell our seats at higher prices than we paid, which certainly would have canceled out any statement I might have wanted to make.

Plus she’s playing a monster, so if anything it seemed like she may be more perfect for the role.

That said, I didn’t like what she was doing in the first act, which wasn’t really about her but what Lloyd was asking her to do. The cartoonish mugging for the camera, the weird accents she would lapse into at the time (like the I consulted my astrologer bit). They didn’t read like they were coming from over-the-top, unhinged diva Norma Desmond. They felt like they were coming from Jamie Lloyd mocking the material and telling her, “This is dumb. Act like it’s dumb.”

I thought she was much more successful in Act II, when it felt like he stopped asking her to do stupid stuff and let her…play Norma Desmond. (The only really dumb part in Act II was when everyone was running in circles and chasing each other around the stage.) In the first act I didn’t get the hype at all; in the second I was like, “Okay, yeah, I can see this being worthy of a nomination.”

For those counting, she received one standing ovation, for “As If We Never…” I’d say more than half/less than two thirds of the audience stood. I was one of the ones who remained seated, so I was able to look around and see the other people remaining seated looking around in bafflement. (She certainly sounded good, but it felt too much like a pop diva giving a concert version than anything in character, and the holding of the long note on “I’ve come hoooooome” was just gratuitously showy.) I waited for other standing O’s since I’d heard there were multiple, and braced myself after “With One Look,” but there was just the one.

I liked Diego Andres Rodriguez a great deal. He’s certainly attractive and photogenic and sounds great, even if he did read as far too young for the part, which reduced his effectiveness. Someone posted that both Joe and Norma had been spit out by the industry. I’m sorry, but he looked far too young to be that jaded or to have been spit out. That little boy could have done anything else with his life. His Joe had his whole life ahead of him.

I thought David Thaxton and Grace Hodgett-Young gave the strongest performances. Thaxton holding a long note on “The Greatest Star” felt appropriate and spinetingling, not pointlessly show-off-y, and his over-the-top moments felt like they were in character. I agree with the earlier comments that the Joe/Betty relationship here really worked, and Hodgett-Young was a major part of selling it. She was excellent.

Overall I thought it was very entertaining and I’m glad I saw it. I don’t know if it’s actually any good. Parts of it are dumb and Lloyd sacrifices a lot of coherence for the sake of his vision. The people I went with had never seen the movie or the show before, and were very confused and didn’t know what was happening in parts of it (like the ending, which is completely opaque if one doesn’t know the material). Our post-show conversations heavily involved me explaining what had happened (the police came to arrest her; she’s delusional and think the cameras are there to shoot her in a scene; Max asks them to play along, she stops it in the middle to give a speech, etc.). They still enjoyed it though. Ultimately I think for me it worked on an emotional level even if it didn’t on a “making sense” level, but I don’t blame anyone who disliked it because of the latter.

Updated On: 11/19/24 at 01:40 PM

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 1:41pm

Tom is a much better fit for Joe.  Sorry you didn't see him.  Diego plays Artie very well.  The original cast is the way to see this.  It all works.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:24pm

MemorableUserName said: "(She certainly sounded good, but it felt too much like a pop diva giving a concert version than anything in character, and the holding of the long note on “I’ve come hoooooome” was just gratuitously showy.)"

Making this note “gratuitously showy” was started by Betty Buckley and very much rooted in character development when she created the role in the revised London production/reopening. People often forget this was created by a master and was then imitated by most other Normas. Glenn could’ve never delivered a note like that, but her recording is often seen as mostly definitive, so it may seem like a “pop flex,” but it was a great character-driven addition that happened long ago.

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:34pm

Except I didn't think anything about her performance of that song was character driven. If she were performing that song at a concert completely out of the context of the musical--which is what it felt like--I don't think it would have been any different. It didn't feel like Norma Desmond singing or that she was connected with or conveying the meaning of the song; it felt like "Now Nicole will step forward and do vocal pyrotechnics." Those criticisms were two separate things--she gave a pop diva version, AND that note was pointlessly showy.

[dan94]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:37pm

Buckley never broke the phrase up so severely though. What landed with Buckley on "home" was the space and size of the voice. Nicole does not have that space or size so she holds it out past the point of any sense, chasing an effect imo she cannot achieve.

[Tony R.]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:40pm

Wow...I see that people are still trying to make sure that nobody likes Nicole's performance.

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:47pm

Tony R. said: "Wow...I see that people are still trying to make sure that nobody likes Nicole's performance."

Are we just not allowed to criticize performances now? It is not anyone's responsibility to keep their opinions to themselves just because it might influence others' perspectives. People are being so weirdly protective and coddling of Nicole/this production.

[dan94]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 4:49pm

At what point are people going to grow up and admit art is subjective? People are allowed to like this revival of Sunset. People are able to not like it, or her, and still be informed. Both are valid.

Never did I say her performance is bad (it is not). Never did I try to "make sure nobody likes {her} performance". People can have a differing perspective. And the knee-jerk defensive reaction to anything not glowing is the reason so many threads around here devolve into embarrassing histrionics.

[yyys]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 5:16pm

Tom back tonight.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 5:39pm

Tony R. said: "Wow...I see that people are still trying to make sure that nobody likes Nicole's performance."

People see what they want to see. I see a few people discussing how different women sang one of the key moments in the show.

[Ensemble1731275423]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 5:44pm

Tony R. said: "Wow...I see that people are still trying to make sure that nobody likes Nicole's performance."

I can’t help but feel for her sometimes. She probably feels she needs to show this level of excellence to prove herself, given the baggage of her past as a pop star. Some people will always see it with that preconceived reaction because of that. I imagine people would take this differently if it were performed as flawlessly by another seasoned Broadway leading lady. In short, she’s in a tough spot, and I’m glad she’s just pushing through.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 5:46pm

Tony R. said: "Wow...I see that people are still trying to make sure that nobody likes Nicole's performance."

In case it wasn't clear, I thought her acting performance in the second act was very strong (I believe I did mention that I thought it justified a Tony nomination). She was chilling, intense, and very effective. "As If We..." was the exception, a moment when it felt like she wasn't connected to or conveying the character, just belting the song in a concert fashion.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 6:45pm

dan94 said: "Buckley never broke the phrase up so severely though. What landed with Buckley on "home" was the space and size of the voice. Nicole does not have that space or size so she holds it out past the point of any sense, chasing an effect imo she cannot achieve."

All I know is have not been shook by a Norma like Nicole since La Buckley, and that was a real high bar I never thought I would see even approached. Close was excellent, but when Buckley came and delivered those powerhouse vocals, it just transformed and heightened the role. I guess I'm one of the few diehard Sunset original production fans who is totally into the "new ways to dream" the Jamie Lloyd version is conjuring.

[chernjam]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 7:00pm

greensgreens said: "dan94 said: "Buckley never broke the phrase up so severely though. What landed with Buckley on "home" was the space and size of the voice. Nicole does not have that space or size so she holds it out past the point of any sense, chasing an effect imo she cannot achieve."

All I know is have not been shook by a Norma like Nicole since La Buckley, and that was a real high bar I never thought I would see even approached. Close was excellent, but when Buckley came and delivered those powerhouse vocals, it just transformed and heightened the role. I guess I'm one of the few diehard Sunset original production fans who is totally intothe "new ways to dream" the Jamie Lloyd version is conjuring."

Ditto for me...

I saw the original with every Norma multiple times (Close 3, Mason 2, Buckley 2 and Paife 2 including closing night - Paige being the worst of the Norma's IMHO)  also saw Clark's tour 2 times, and the revival with Close 5 times...  So my fandom can't be questioned :)  

Nicole and this production was astounding to me.  As much as I loved the original, I never had the emotional connection to the characters like I did in this one - and Nicole as Norma is just mesmerizing in every aspect of her performance.  Her mere presence on the stage making you enter into her head space... Can't wait to see it again

[Mellony]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 7:52pm

I don't mean to single you out, Chernjam, since your comment is thoughtful, but I'm honestly a little disheartened by the general trend in this thread of praising this production by putting down the original. The group of people here repeatedly commenting about this production can't just say how much they love it. They need to emphasize how bad the original was in comparison. How the writing is awful. How they felt no emotional connection to the characters. How Nicole is the best Norma and everyone else feels dated and stodgy by comparison. How the show has never worked until now.

Maybe I'm just feeling this way because this production felt, intentionally, so distant and alienating that I'm struggling to wrap my head around how this was the version that emotionally connected with people. But that's beside the point. I've rarely seen fans of a revival be so enthusiastic in putting down previous productions, and it honestly feels very off-putting as a fan of the show in general. It's almost starting to feel retaliatory, like people are going out of their way to tear down the original just because fans of the OG dared to criticize this production.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 9:24pm

Mellony said: "I don't mean to single you out, Chernjam, since your comment is thoughtful, but I'm honestly a little disheartened by the general trend in this thread of praising this production by putting down the original."

I happen to know Chernjam a little bit outside of BWW and I assure you he's not putting down the original. It's his favorite musical for a reason. I think he's just emphasizing how astounding this revival is. 

[Mellony]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 10:34pm

Like I said, not trying to single anyone out. It just feels like there’s a trend here of people hitting back at criticisms of this production by gleefully trashing the original. I had a mixed opinion of this version to begin with, but my opinion has just soured more with how dismissive the Jamie Lloyd fans are being of any production or actress that came before Nicole.

It reminds me of all the hype around the current Cabaret revival a while ago, where people were trashing the Alan Cumming version and saying it should be “put back in moth balls” in response to people criticizing Eddie Redmayne. But I guess, like Norma Desmond, once the hotter, younger version comes along, the old one gets thrown on the trash heap.

[joevitus]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 9:59am

MemorableUserName said: "joevitus said: "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."

Wow do I agree with this post 100%. I never understand why, on message boards, people will jump on spelling/grammar errors. We aren't writing for publication here, and often, yes, we're writing in a pinch, or emotionally invested in a comment to the extent that we miss an error or two. What could it possibly matter? In what way is it a meaningful comment on the content? I wish people will chill on the subject."

Tell us you didn't read the thread without telling us you didn't read the thread... (Hint: there's a very specific reason it matters with regard to that particular poster, which is...covered in the thread.)

"

I've been reading the thread. Apparently you are obsessing over something that makes not great impression on me--same goes for the odd repeated complaint that a person who doesn't live in America can't understand what's going on here (because, what, America and it's issues/controversies don't get much coverage outside the country--or something?). 

[UnderstudiesAndStandbys]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:31am

At 2pm today (Wed Nov 20th), the role of Joe Gillis will be performed by Diego Rodriguez.

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 10:59am

UnderstudiesAndStandbys said: "At 2pm today (Wed Nov 20th), the role of Joe Gillis will be performed by Diego Rodriguez."

I hope Tom didn't hurt himself last night. Maybe he just isn't up to a two show day. Happy for those who get to see Diego. The cool thing about this production utilizing cameras is you get to see what someone's screen presence is like, as well as stage presence. And Diego feels like a movie star. His big brown eyes are lethal weapons. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 11:04am

I continue to be befuddled by some who seem to need to "win" the discussion about different productions of this show.  To each their own, but people have different preferences and they can co-exist if people to choose to let them.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/20/24 at 11:17am

JasonC3 said: "I continue to be befuddled by some who seem to need to "win" the discussion about different productions of this show. To each their own, but people have different preferences and they can co-exist if people to choose to let them."

You are entirely too decent, sensible, and level-headed to be on the Internet. ;)

(And completely correct, of course.)