SUNSET BLVD. Reviews — Page 62

They have had Jordan Donica start powdering his beard to make it look whiter. I'm sure they made this change this week. In the previous weeks, I remember wondering why they hadn't done anything to make him look older. He still looks very young on camera, especially given the angle at which he holds his face and the close-up shots.

Grace Hodgett Young was struggling a lot tonight. It's sad to watch. I hope she gets some help as she is so young and so talented.

Tom grabbed Nicole's hand tonight in the last scene in Act I faster than I've ever seen him or anyone do it before. He barely even looked back, played it like it was a no-brainer to stay with her.

Nicole cried during the end of As If We Never Said Goodbye. She gets better and better every time. And my wallet gets emptier and emptier.

lastmidnights said: "Also, I came out of tonight wondering why Stephanie J Block was not the alternate. I truly think she could've been a perfect Tuesday Norma, like Donna Murphy with Dolly. Gonzalez was not my cup of tea. Is Block too big a name for something like that? I do think the show is so specific to Nicole that I very well might have been dissatisfied with whoever they got"

Cause Stephanie would of been all wrong for this production. If they wanted someone they should of got Lena Hall

if you want Stephanie in a show she would be perfect in Death Becomes Her

Updated On: 7/6/25 at 02:36 AM

lastmidnights said: "

Grace Hodgett Young was struggling a lot tonight. It's sad to watch. I hope she gets some help as she is so young and so talented.

"

Grace has been struggling A LOT every time I saw her in this show (3 out of 6 times). Her vocal is just so bad. Even on the live recording, i cannot stand her first line "I reeeeaad, one of your storiiies".

From this and Hadestown, I hope she takes a long break and gets some improvement before returning to stage again. It would be a blessing to the audience.

FANtomFollies said: "I was there last night and am also very worried for her voice. I hope there is no permanent damage. I also want to say even with some vocal issues, she is still giving a fantastic performance and I just love her as Betty."

Yes. I completely agree. This is not an issue of "not liking" her voice. She was croaking out some of the words, really struggling to stay on pitch during parts. I think it was particularly on the low notes? The high notes she sounded pretty good on. She sounds completely different from the cast recording. The friend I was with didn't notice it until after I pointed it out during intermission, and actually really liked her. It was deeply concerning for me and I hope if something is wrong it's temporary and/or she can get help

Final performance tickets are currently $1100 for mid orchestra and $250 for rear mezzanine. These precedents are not good.

I'm all for affordable tickets but final performances are an Event, so I don't think it's crazy to hike them up for this (and you probably would've paid much less if you got them when they first went on sale, or if your tickets were automatically moved when the show extended). I'd be more concerned if that was the case for every regular show in the run.

BorisTomashevsky said: "Final performance tickets are currently$1100 for mid orchestra and $250 for rear mezzanine. These precedents are not good."

Wait...Mr. Capitalism has a problem with market forces?!

TheatreMonkey said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "Final performance tickets are currently$1100 for mid orchestra and $250 for rear mezzanine. These precedents are not good."

Wait...Mr. Capitalism has a problem with market forces?!"

This is beyond market forces. This is the emperor, in his new clothes, overestimating his worth.

These are sophisticated computer algorithms that match supply and demand, adjusting as dynamics shift. They exist because producers/investors lose money on 4/5 Broadway productions, and because theater rents and NY unions have made the economics of producing on Broadway a daunting task. When producers cut the cost of set design or other elements to keep prices lower, we focus on the cheapness of the set design rather than the relative affordability of the ticket. Sadly, it has created an environment where potential audiences are priced out, producers/investors are losing lots of money, particularly on new work, and chat boards turn the livelihood of hundreds of people into a parlor game, anticipating when a show that just opened will close. Sunset has had plenty of affordable tickets during its run, and that remains true for some remaining performances before it closes. Hope those that still want to see Sunset before it closes can do so, it is a brilliant piece IMO.

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Something extraordinary happened during tonight’s performance.

Just as she was about to start AIWNSG, it seemed like Nicole got a lump in her throat and began to cough a bit. You could almost feel the audience lean forward to see if she would restart the song or go into a coughing fit. She kept it together, cleared her throat a couple of times, and then sheheld that note for no less than 15 seconds, to which the entire orchestra leapt to their feet, applauding all the way through “with so much to live for…”

A prolonged standing ovation MID-SONG.

It was absolutely electric and palpable. That ever-elusive, ever-rare feeling of a fully engaged audience assuring aperformer that they’re in good hands and vice versa.

It was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget, honestly.

The show is in great shape. Pierre is a very strong Joe. He, too, got a standing O after the title song.

Could’ve done without the audience member who loudly and obnoxiously “whooped” during the mad scene, in response to Norma asking if she could say a few words…but not going to let one bad apple taint an otherwise perfect audience.

This productionis brilliant. I’ve said it before, but it’ll be sorely missed after July 20."

I was at this same performance and was completely in awe of how she pulled off the song after the coughing. Her holding that note for upwards of 20 seconds - and then finishing the phrase with no breath - is something I won't soon forget. Also, her final sequence was extra fiery and intense, and even scarier than my previous visits. Her performance is truly something to behold, and I feel honored that I got to witness her brilliant work.

Have to also agree with some of the audience behavior - from the front mezzanine, the "whooping" was extra self-indulgent at this performance, especially during the moment mentioned above at the end of the show. Ridiculous.

Just left tonight’s performance—this was my second Sunset Boulevard experience. It’s not that I was necessarily in love with it the first time, but I realize it’s closing soon and felt like it was such an event of the season that I wanted to experience it one last time.

Nicole was magnetic as always, though I will say she added a few more verbal and physical ad libs that felt anachronistic, and I personally found them distracting. The show opens with “1949” flashed on the screen—I just wish they’d commit more clearly in one direction: they’re either playing it in that era or they’re not. I think I said this in my first review, but I wish she trusted herself—or that Lloyd trusted her—enough to find humor without relying on “bits” like cheeky vocal fry.

That said, she had me back in the second act, and her performance in the final scene was even scarier than I remember. She got two standing ovations that I saw from the mezzanine: “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.”

Jordan Donica is just delicious—my jaw dropped at several of his vocals. Pierre Marais was excellent too, with a great voice and a very sympathetic portrayal. Grace Hodgett Young seems to be losing her voice? Her upper register was fine, but something is definitely going on.

I think it can be easy to roll one’s eyes at all the video/projection work, but the quality of the imagery is just stunning—and damn if that wall of red during the climax of the chase (post–“The Phone Call”) didn’t make my heart race, despite knowing it was coming.

The audience? Could’ve been worse, but still not great. Definitely some gratuitous whoopers who started cheering while she was still singing in “With One Look,” though they improved by the end of Act I. More offensive were the two (!!) phone rings during the last scene.

singerunlimited said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Something extraordinary happened during tonight’s performance.

Just as she was about to start AIWNSG, it seemed like Nicole got a lump in her throat and began to cough a bit. You could almost feel the audience lean forward to see if she would restart the song or go into a coughing fit. She kept it together, cleared her throat a couple of times, and then sheheld that note for no less than 15 seconds, to which the entire orchestra leapt to their feet, applauding all the way through “with so much to live for…”

A prolonged standing ovation MID-SONG.

It was absolutely electric and palpable. That ever-elusive, ever-rare feeling of a fully engaged audience assuring aperformer that they’re in good hands and vice versa.

It was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget, honestly.

The show is in great shape. Pierre is a very strong Joe. He, too, got a standing O after the title song.

Could’ve done without the audience member who loudly and obnoxiously “whooped” during the mad scene, in response to Norma asking if she could say a few words…but not going to let one bad apple taint an otherwise perfect audience.

This productionis brilliant. I’ve said it before, but it’ll be sorely missed after July 20."

I was at this same performance and was completely in awe of how she pulled off the song after the coughing. Her holding that note for upwards of 20 seconds - and then finishing the phrase with no breath - is something I won't soon forget. Also, her final sequence was extra fiery and intense, and even scarier than my previous visits. Her performance is truly something to behold, and I feel honored that I got to witness her brilliant work.

Have to also agree with some of the audience behavior - from the front mezzanine, the "whooping" was extra self-indulgent at this performance, especially during the moment mentioned above at the end of the show. Ridiculous."

I’m still thinking about it. What a moment.

And I’m all for a good “whoo!” or “bravo!” at the appropriate time. I love a lively audience. That specific moment, however, is NOT the time. Nicole played it perfectly though - she seemed to look in their general direction, without breaking, and deliver the next couple of lines directly to them. Terrifying and chilling. Loved it.