SUNSET BLVD. Reviews - Page 4

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 8:50am

Jesse Green wants so desperately to be recognized as the heir to Ben Brantley's Queen B!tch throne.

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 9:12am

Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast indicates that "The Perfect Year" is staged in Act 2 (he describes the title song, then states that "The Perfect Year" comes "later"). Have the songs been reordered in this production?

[soxboy22]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 9:25am

I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 9:41am

Lot666 said: "Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast indicates that "The Perfect Year" is staged in Act 2 (he describes the title song, then states that "The Perfect Year" comes "later"). Have the songs been reordered in this production?"

No, it's an error.

[Seb28]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 9:49am

ColorTheHours048 said: "Obnoxious "

No, just a widely shared, well explained opinion. When looking at all the reviews and opinions it all comes down to the same conclusion.

People overall seem to like Scherzinger, when singing the 2 big songs, many not understanding the shtick, the breaking of the 4th wall, the trashing of the lyrics and story, the Tik-Tok jokes, the cardboard cut-outs, the Mc Hammer references, the over-acting to the point where the first act seems like a parody, creating a disconnect and deliberately pulling the audience out of the story all the time. A part of the audience does not care about this and some even like it and a part of the audience does care and doesn't like it.

People seem to love Scherzinger, not the concept. 

Even the positive reviews mention this. 

This particular review also mentions that the hollering was mainly when Scherzinger "served face and s*x", resulting in "Yass queen" and "C*nty, c*nty serve serve". They adore her, the queen they always wanted to be, not the concept. And that is what I read in all the reviews, it is just that some people endorse this trashing and some people reject it. A matter of personal opinion and character. This is an interesting subject to dig a little deeper into. Is there a change going on in audiences and their world of experience? It has always been a natural given that people react to what they know and understand. In this case, pop culture, posing and s*x. The more of what they "don't recognise or understand" is "bashed and trampled over", the more they seem to like it. That is precisely what is happening in audiences during this show. Trampling on the sincerity seems to be a big entertainment factor.

Personally I do not think this is a nice way to go forward, especially not for the future of the arts. But if audiences have changed, art needs to follow that, or else there will be no audiences anymore. Maybe Phantom next? 

Updated On: 10/21/24 at 09:49 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 9:56am

soxboy22 said: "I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?"

Phyllis Rodgers Stone was the first that came to mind, though it’s not exactly a vocal showcase of a role.

Gypsy certainly.

I hated Lempicka, but if she and Lloyd had opened it, it would still be running.

Doesn't really have the warmth & humor for Mame or Dolly (at least going by her performance here).

She’s a very unique presence and I’ve had a hard time thinking of other roles for her.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:09am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "soxboy22 said: "I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?"

Phyllis Rodgers Stone was the first that came to mind, though it’s not exactly a vocal showcase of a role.

Gypsy certainly.

I hatedLempicka, but if she and Lloyd had opened it, it would still be running.

Doesn't really have the warmth & humor for Mame or Dolly (at least going by her performance here).

She’s a very unique presence and I’ve had a hard time thinking of other roles for her."

Agreed on the above. She's a vocal powerhouse with an intense presence. She could kill as Florence ins Chess, Diana in Next to Normal, MJ in Jagged Little Pill, Aurora/Spiderwoman in Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Louisa in Nine (though perhaps not the best use of her voice), Queenie in Wild Party, eventually Claire in The Visit. 

[BdwyFan]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:10am

So now I’m guessing Mattress or Gypsy for Best Revival. What other revivals are there this season? 

[Ensemble1728379893]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:11am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "soxboy22 said: "I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?"

 

I actually think she'd be an incredible Florence in Chess.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:11am

When I saw the show I kept wishing that we'd gotten her Evita.

[Seb28]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:22am

I agree with Jesse Green's review -- just out in The New York Times -- that Nicole gives us a performance as opposed to a characterization.

I would need to see her acting first before I could suggest other roles I'd like to see her in.

 

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:26am

"But I can’t help feeling that Lloyd’s talent and that of his designers, let alone Scherzinger’s, would be better lavished on better material. Making “Sunset Boulevard” a hit again — the original Broadway production ran two-and-a-half years, grossing more than $100 million — is not so much an achievement as a stunt, like reanimating that dead chimpanzee."  Jesse Green

This seems presumptuous, smugly prescriptive, arguably beyond the critic's task for the Broadway audience. This director is compelled to give new readings to an infinite variety of genres. It's a signature: Lloyd's intention in his deconstructions is to excavate some underlying truth in disparate pieces of theatrical storytelling. His eclecticism is what makes his re-examinations fascinating. Green believes it's his job to point him toward "better" art; Lloyd seems interested in art's breadth and depth, stripping bare classics and populist entertainment alike. We don't have to agree with his stylization, but because his choices demonstrate range, he can't be pigeonholed. And certainly not inspired by a critic to work on the critic's preferred texts. Just my two cents. I have a knee-jerk revulsion when critics instruct interpretative artists to find superior work.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 10:56am

I learned pretty early on in his tenure that Green and I do not have the same taste and that his style of writing for his reviews (as opposed to his theatrical journalism) is...not my cup of tea. I'm right there with you, Auggie. 

But that quote you mentioned is actually deceptive. Sunset Boulevard never turned a profit in its original run. He makes it sound like it was a runaway hit with none of the context of the time. Fact is, there were only two new musicals that opened that entire season. The other, Smokey Joe's Cafe, didn't win any Tonys off its 7 nominations, but it ran over 1,000 performances longer than Sunset Boulevard. If the original Broadway production of Sunset could ever be termed a hit, it was a zombie hit running for 977 performances without every making a dime.  

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 11:00am

Green is so disingenuous and smarmy. Whenever I agree with his reviews I second-guess my opinion. At least Brantley actually liked going to the theatre.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 11:28am

Seb28 said: "I agree with Jesse Green's review -- just out in The New York Times -- that Nicole gives us a performance as opposed to a characterization.

I would need to see her acting first before I could suggest other roles I'd like to see her in.



"

Yeah, when I attended the performance I saw, I got the strong feeling that I was watching the Scherzinger show than Sunset Boulevard during her two big numbers. The choices did not work for me and the standing ovations baffled me. In comparison, Close's performance was much more effective, and I genuinely felt the urge to stand up in the middle of AIWNSG.

[inception]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 11:49am

Maybe Ryan Murphy could turn Nip/Tuck into a musical.

SonofRobbieJ said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "soxboy22 said: "I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?"

Phyllis Rodgers Stone was the first that came to mind, though it’s not exactly a vocal showcase of a role.

Gypsy certainly.

I hatedLempicka, but if she and Lloyd had opened it, it would still be running.

Doesn't really have the warmth & humor for Mame or Dolly (at least going by her performance here).

She’s a very unique presence and I’ve had a hard time thinking of other roles for her."

Agreed on the above. She's a vocal powerhouse with an intense presence. She could kill as Florence ins Chess, Diana in Next to Normal, MJ in Jagged Little Pill, Aurora/Spiderwoman in Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Louisa in Nine (though perhaps not the best use of her voice), Queenie in Wild Party, eventually Claire in The Visit."

 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 11:51am

BdwyFan said: "So now I’m guessing Mattress or Gypsy for Best Revival. What other revivals are there this season?"

Tony awards are not automatically awarded to the best reviewed in any category. This production of Sunset in London was met with similarly divisive reviews, and still went on to sweep all the awards. The show is designed to be confrontational and provoke, and delivers that. Love it or hate it, this production is unforgettable. That’ is a good thing to be when people are voting for awards.

[chanel]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:03pm

"Scherzinger's bold performance should make for gleeful gay bar conversation for years to come...You can sense the diva hunger she's fulfilling for the Broadway crowd, who are anxious to have this icon back, and in a revelatory way."

villagevoice.com

Updated On: 10/21/24 at 12:03 PM

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:08pm

QueenAlice said: "Tony awards are not automatically awarded to the best reviewed in any category. This production of Sunset in London was met with similarly divisive reviews, and still went on to sweep all the awards. The show is designed to be confrontational andprovoke, and delivers that. Love it or hate it, this production is unforgettable. That’ is a good thing to be when people are voting for awards."

True enough, though that didn't help Cabaret last season

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:15pm

True but I think audience reaction and word of mouth for Sunset is legitimately a lot stronger than Cabaret.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:29pm

Tonys are also all about narratives.

If we reach May 2025 and Lloyd & Scherzinger also happen to be Tony frontrunners in their respective categories, plus the Lighting and Sound designs, it's easy for a voter to also click "Best Revival."

And, if this production continues to sell well, that can help Tony chances.

The anecdotal responses to SUNSET feel much better than CABARET's. For some people this is also the best production of SUNSET that we've seen, whereas CABARET has had no shortage of good productions (and the material of Cab is so strong that it doesn't quite require the overhaul to make it work).

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:44pm

chanel said: ""Scherzinger's bold performance should make for gleeful gay bar conversation for years to come...You cansense the divahunger she's fulfilling for the Broadway crowd, who are anxious to have this icon back,and in a revelatory way."

villagevoice.com"

Musto's "Diva Hunger" is a good term for part of the audience's reaction to Scherzinger. But it is also a ritualized and somewhat automatic reaction. Not so different from the tired businessman's hunger for pretty chorus girls which drove the box office of Broadway in an earlier generation. I do like that Lloyd's production is taking a risk in establishing a new Broadway/West End diva in Scherzinger, at least new to me.

Updated On: 10/21/24 at 12:44 PM

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 12:53pm

Lot666 said: "Jesse Green wants so desperately to be recognized as the heir to Ben Brantley's Queen B!tch throne."

While I respect Green as a critic/journalist, I must say, in my opinion, that he lacks certain tastes in theatre. If Brantley were still Chief Critic, would he have reviewed it differently? We will never know. All critics are different, but I think we need to have more critics who are passionate about theatre and have a special connection to the art form. You can disagree, but it just seems that some critics these days, primarily Green, just don't have a certain taste in new and reimagined productions. We can never forget his trashing of Company three years ago. Still gets my blood boiling thinking about that. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 1:02pm

I miss the Company revival so much. :(

[bismarcky]

Posted: 10/21/24 at 1:12pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "soxboy22 said: "I can’t wait to see this, but I’m not getting a strong feeling for “the kind” of performer Scherzinger is. What would you see her playing next? Evita? Gypsy? Funny Girl? Dolly? The Marquise?"

Phyllis Rodgers Stone was the first that came to mind, though it’s not exactly a vocal showcase of a role.

Gypsy certainly.

I hatedLempicka, but if she and Lloyd had opened it, it would still be running.

Doesn't really have the warmth & humor for Mame or Dolly (at least going by her performance here).

She’s a very unique presence and I’ve had a hard time thinking of other roles for her."

I instantly thought of Fosca in Passion! I know Jamie Lloyd helmed a production in the early days of his career. I would love to see what he could do with Nicole in this.