SUNSET BLVD. Reviews — Page 6

If you just read the headlines they are pretty much a rave for Nicole - even if no one reads the article it makes it seem like the show has buzz and raves. I can see the advance has just been getting stronger and stronger. I think they're pretty much set for the rest of the year now.

djoko84 said: "This is areviews thread, why are the fangirls posting publicity articles about Nicole's red carpet fashion and the opening night parties? The tweens on here are a joke."

Kinda rude.

Does the NY Times still do a second review on weekends by a different critic? I'm out of the loop about how things have changed/are handled now, but that used to be the norm

CreatureKitchen said: "This production modernizes the story in a way that I think feels much more relevant and exciting to the TikTok generation. And people are always going to be weirdly defensive of "their" Norma and tear down anyone who isn't Betty/Glenn/whoever their favorite is, so unfamiliar viewers will be more accepting without that bias.

That being said, I've also seen some confusion online from people who go in blind. Multiple people have been confused at what happens during the ending with the blood, I saw someone ask why Norma has a dead pig (I guess they misheard chimp and there's no dead chimp prop...). A couple people on another forum said they burst out laughing when Betty said she loved Joe because it came out of nowhere, and I've also definitely seen some confusion over how young Nicole looks, like "I thought Norma was in her 30s, why is her career over"? This production, like Daniel Fish's Oklahoma, seems to be commenting on the original, and expects some audience familiarity with the source material. Audiences with ingrained bias might be less accepting of the new conceit, but they'll also have the context to fill in any gaps and appreciate the different choices Lloyd is making.


"

Some of the jokes I'm sure will go over peoples heads who don't know the movie or history of the musical (the turban, the ape, in my case, the Pussycat dolls pic) but having read about people confused about the ending before I saw it, and then seeing it, that's odd to me.
Spoiler

TotallyEffed said: "It sometimesseems like we've entered a new wave of revivals that really requirea knowledge of the show and previous productions before going in. I know a lot of people had an issue with John Doyle's Sweeney back in the day, but I can't imagine seeing the recent revivals of Cabaret, Sunset, and Cats blind. I may be entertained and have a great time but I would be confused as heck. Actually, I found this production of Sunset confusing as heck and I know it better than just about anyone could."



Apparently not?

After reading all the reactions here it becomes more and more clear that this is all about Scherzinger. Her performance (definitely not characterization) and the hype around her person.

Not about the character of Norma, not about the story, not about the acting, not about the concept, not about the lyrics. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any interest in any of these things.

Both the people who know the show and the ones who are new seem to be confused. Both positive and negative reactions seem to be confused.

It is indeed thinking over feeling and also "yass queen" over any kind of storytelling or sincerity.

I think Lloyd has no clue about any of the lyrics in the show, resulting in laughs at serious moments (like the Betty scenes*) and an incoherent product and I would not call that an achievement. He is just lucky that Scherzinger is popular as a person.

(* and the shtick during the title song, and the breaking of the 4th wall, and the trashing of the lyrics and story, and the Tik-Tok jokes, and the cardboard cut-outs, and the Mc Hammer references, and the over-acting to the point where the first act seems like a parody, and creating a disconnect and deliberately pulling the audience out of the story all the time.

People seem to love Scherzinger, not the concept.)

Updated On: 10/22/24 at 05:11 PM

Seb28 said: "After reading all the reactions here it becomes more and more clear that this all about Scherzinger. Her performance (definitely not characterization) and the hype around her person.

Not about the character of Norma, not about the story, not about the acting, not about the concept, not about the lyrics. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any interest in any of these things.

Both the people who know the show and the ones who are new seem to be confused. Both positive and negative reactions seem to be confused.

It is indeed thinking over feeling and also "yass queen" over any kind of storytelling or sincerity.

I think Lloydhas no clue about any of the lyrics in the show, resulting in laughs at serious moments (like the Betty scenes*) and an incoherent product and I would not call that an achievement. He is just lucky that Scherzinger is popular as a person.

(* and the shtick during the title song, and the breaking of the 4th wall, and the trashing of the lyrics and story, and the Tik-Tok jokes, and the cardboard cut-outs, and the Mc Hammer references, and the over-acting to the point where the first act seems like a parody, and creating a disconnectand deliberately pulling the audience out of the story all the time.

People seem to love Scherzinger, not the concept.)

All sorts of very broad generalizations and assumptions in this post. I know the show and was not confused in the slightest. I’m a person and I loved the concept. So many great theatrical moments. It’s easily the most entertaining show I have seen in many years. I’m going back tonight to see Mandy. Couldn’t resist.











"

CreatureKitchen said: "I find it interesting, especially in the preview thread, how many people were essentially defending this production by disparaging the original. Like, “you’re not supposedto care about any of the characters” “it’s good that all the gimmicks distract from the lyrics because the lyrics are bad” “it’s good they cut songs and replaced them with rushed dialogue scenes because those songs suck” “Sunset isn’taboutageism/misogyny/insert deeper theme, it’s just silly camp”.

Don’t get me wrong, the show is full of flaws and I totally understand why some dislike it. But, at a certain point, if the best you can do as a director is to distract from the material you’re directing, why are you directing it? If you’ve so diverged from the original that audience members are laughing at the big love scene because there was no hint those characters were falling in love, are you serving the material or is the material a flimsy excuse to stage your concept?

"

It’s not distracting from the material. It’s a new take on the material. Just like every Shakespeare production stages everything in different ways, different eras, etc. (not comparing this material to Shakespeare, fyi)

By the way, Norma and Joe were never “falling in love”. She with him, yes, but he with her? No way. Not in any version, including the film.

CreatureKitchen said: "I find it interesting, especially in the preview thread, how many people were essentially defending this production by disparaging the original. Like, “you’re not supposedto care about any of the characters” “it’s good that all the gimmicks distract from the lyrics because the lyrics are bad” “it’s good they cut songs and replaced them with rushed dialogue scenes because those songs suck” “Sunset isn’taboutageism/misogyny/insert deeper theme, it’s just silly camp”.

Don’t get me wrong, the show is full of flaws and I totally understand why some dislike it. But, at a certain point, if the best you can do as a director is to distract from the material you’re directing, why are you directing it? If you’ve so diverged from the original that audience members are laughing at the big love scene because there was no hint those characters were falling in love, are you serving the material or is the material a flimsy excuse to stage your concept?



"

These are all excellent questions.

Seb28 said: "Matt Rogers said: "I’m a person and I loved the concept"

That's great and I do acknowledge that there's a group that does either not care about concept of trashing the material nor the characters andemotions, or in your case even loving it. And that's ok.

"

Because many do not believe this is “trashing the material “. You are aware that the authors approved this concept, correct? It could not have proceeded in London or NY without full author approval. So if they are okay with it, so am I. Also, they have a full orchestra playing every note of this score as richly and gorgeously as I have ever heard it played. That, in my opinion, is worth the price of admission alone.

Matt Rogers said: "By the way, Norma and Joe were never “falling in love”. She with him, yes, but he with her? No way. Not inany version, including the film."

I wasn’t talking about Joe and Norma. I was talking about Joe and Betty (referencing my earlier comment about people being confused and laughing when she confesses her love, because there’s no indication she’s falling in love).

My point about whether the concept distracts from the material or elevates it is a matter of opinion. I think, for instance, a cardboard cutout of ALW and a person in a monkey suit distract from the lyrics being sung, rather than elevating them.