SUNSET BLVD. Reviews — Page 67

Couldn’t agree more about that last audience.  I’m so glad I saw it several times prior.  One of my favorite moments is the ‘Let’s get a look at you’ and then the bright spotlight on Nicole and the orchestra soaring.  I just find it really simply beautiful.  But as soon as that spotlight hit the stage there was this standing ovation blocking the view and pulling me out of a moment.  Then there’s the overhead clappers that continue to block your view even if you’re standing!  Sigh.  

jakebloke said: "Couldn’t agree more about that last audience. I’m so glad I saw it several times prior. One of my favorite moments is the ‘Let’s get a look at you’ and then the bright spotlight on Nicole and the orchestra soaring. I just find it really simply beautiful. But as soon as that spotlight hit the stage there was this standing ovation blocking the view and pulling me out of a moment. Then there’s the overhead clappers that continue to block your view even if you’re standing! Sigh."

Yes to all of this.

ER765 said: "I am super sympathetic to annoying audiences, but at a final performance, you have to know what you’re getting yourself into and prepare accordingly.

There were certainly moments where the screaming was over the top (yelling and clapping before we even SEE Nicole enter is…a choice), but again - par for the course for a closing show in this day and age.

What I DON’Tunderstand is the very obvious videotaping and picture taking , which the ushers were seemingly allowing. Closing performance or not, it’s still illegal."

I think it would have been impossible for the ushers to do anything as there must have been at least 50 cameras for every one usher.

Also I was seated around a few people that worked on the production and they had their cameras out as well.

Updated On: 7/23/25 at 02:55 PM

New Book Shares Secrets About 'Sunset Boulevard' Ahead of 75th Anniversary (Exclusive)

https://people.com/new-book-shares-secrets-about-sunset-boulevard-75th-anniversary-11783747

'CBS Sunday Morning': At 75, 'Sunset Blvd' Is Ready Again for Its Closeup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsbtK3FuRiQ

FANtomFollies said: "Why does it seem like they are still promoting Sunset Blvd even though it has already closed? I feel like I've never seen so much promo for a closed show in my life. Are they gaging interest in a future production with Nicole somewhere else? A film version?"

Honestly as one who has been having "theatre withdrawals" since this closed, I've been thinking the same thing.  I mean, I get that she couldn't have done all the late shows while doing 8 shows a week and purportedly they were also promoting the Netflix series.  But honestly this continued buzz about her and Sunset Blvd I can't ever recall seeing stuff like this for a show that's closed.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but perhaps the rumored pro-shot will happen after all

Sunset lost $6m

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14994269/RICHARD-EDEN-Nicoles-hit-musical-loses-producers-4-5million.html

It returned 60% to investors and won its producers a Tony Award...it's not a MERRILY-level success story, but they can't be that mad at the outcome. That's 60% more than the investors of GYPSY will ever see.

Income streams also aren't finished. ATG could tour it (without a star), as they're doing with PARADE, and that will return a royalty that will generate small amounts of revenue. If there's a film sale, that will come with a bit of money. And the show only closed last month, they won't be done closing out the books and auditing everything for another 6-12 months, which could very well mean more money distributed to investors.

These are also the perils of star-driven shows. The star is in for a finite amount of time, and more often than not an equal-or-greater star does not want to replace them. And Nicole's drawing power always had its limits (though it was helped by the buzz for her performance).

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "It returned 60% to investors and won its producers a Tony Award...it's not a MERRILY-level success story, but they can't bethatmad at the outcome. That's 60% more than the investors of GYPSY will ever see.

Income streams also aren't finished. ATG could tour it (without a star), as they're doing with PARADE, and that will return a royalty that will generate small amounts of revenue. If there's a film sale, that will come with a bit of money. And the show only closed last month, they won't be done closing out the books and auditing everything for another 6-12 months, which could very well mean more money distributed to investors.

These are also the perils of star-driven shows. The star is in for a finite amount of time, and more often than not an equal-or-greater star does not want to replace them. And Nicole's drawing power always had its limits (though it was helped by the buzz for her performance)."

Thanks for stating that so clearly and reasonably.  The bonzo business they were doing those last weeks and guesstimate based on what was publicly shared about the weekly running costs, capitalization, etc and doing some math, I thought they had returned a bit more than the article had stated (I thought 10-12million) and had only hoped for its financial success to finally silence the haters who've been talking down the show since it opened in London.

I'm still crossing my fingers that a limited "return" to London with a  pro-shot would happen that could perhaps  close that gap and preserve this legendary production and performance for generations to come

Even with a reasonable view of the shortfall and the potential to close the gap, and its certain ‘happier-ending’ than Gypsy or Cabaret will have, this will surely make the raise for Evita more difficult. 

Updated On: 8/13/25 at 09:58 AM

Yes true about Rachel. She will also surely be cheaper than Nicole (despite doing “more work” per night). And I’d imagine Diego will be cheaper than Tom was. Factor out whatever price David Thaxton commanded too.

I also suspect there won’t be a Mandy/Caroline B level cost for Evita either. So all of that should bring some relief to potential investors.

I wonder if they’ll simply bring less Brits over to make ‘accommodation’ a much smaller line item.  

Rachel Zegler currently doesn't have a weekly alternate--Bella Brown is just doing select performances, so if that pattern continues on Broadway then theoretically Evita wouldn't have the one performance a week where it loses money like Sunset did (though I'm very curious who her understudy would be).  Also, James Olivas who plays Peron is American as well, and Aaron Lee Lambert (who plays Magaldi) looks like he might've grown up in the States (he has a BA from Yale) but has worked exclusively in the UK for the past few years, so not sure about him.  Though I don't think Magaldi and the Mistress are as crucial roles to the show as people like Betty and Max were to Sunset, so I wouldn't be surprised if they recast when they transferred (though I'd love to see Bella Brown's Eva again).  And there's no Young Norma equivalent either, as well as less camera work that I also don't think would necessarily demand transferring the camera operator.