I would LOVE to see Caroline Bowman take on the role in any capacity. Having seen her in both the Evita and Frozen tours, I think she's a very powerful performer - a true triple threat.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
Broadway Flash said: "Well I was talking to one of the great viola players of broadway the other day, and he said they want even strings now to play multiple instruments. "
It’s not atypical for musicians to double on violin and viola. In the past, bass and tuba used to be a pretty common double. Jason Robert Brown makes his string players double on percussion and celeste in The Last Five Years, and that was over 20 years ago. Doubling is not a new occurrence, and it requires you to pay musicians more for playing more than one instrument.
My guess is that she’ll mostly perform Tuesdays, but there’s likely enough exceptions to that rule that the producers are just saying “certain performances.” They’ll definitely announce her dates in advance once they solidify the schedule.
"Gonzalez will play her first performance on Tuesday, October 22 and will normally perform one show per week with Olivier Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Nicole Scherzinger scheduled to play all other performances."
Odd that they won't say that Gonzalez will perform every Tuesday. Does Sunset have a unique performance schedule that differs week-to-week?
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Odd that it says October 22, since that date never had a performance listed, and still doesn't. October 29 would make more sense anyway, since October 22 would be first performance after opening night.
SeatGeek already has "The role of Norma Desmond will not be played by Nicole Scherzinger at this performance" showing up for the specific dates - mostly Tuesdays, but looks like an occasional Monday depending on the shifting performance schedule.
Not gonna lie, Bowman was kind of a meh choice IMO to take on a big alternate role. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is an extremely pleasant surprise. And I have to say, having both the main and alternate Norma not being played by the typically white leading ladies is refreshing.
"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008
And now I'll actually go to the show. I will never forget Mandy opening her mouth to sing for the first time at the Baryshnikov Arts Center for In The Heights. Absolute star of a woman. Thrilled for her!
Mandy Gonzalez said, “In my 25 years playing leading ladies on Broadway, I’ve never been more excited for a show. The role of ‘Norma Desmond’ is iconic, Jamie Lloyd's direction is masterful, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score is sumptuous. To reinterpret a timeless story with such raw sophistication, especially as the first Latina to take this role on, is a dream come true.”
Um, no ma'am. You are not the first Latina to take this role on.
Mandy’s involvement is very akin to Donna Murphy in Hello, Dolly. Mandy is strictly the alternate and not a standby or understudy. Bowman is due to be the Norma standby,
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Dan6 said: "SeatGeek already has "The role of Norma Desmond will not be played by Nicole Scherzinger at this performance" showing up for the specific dates - mostly Tuesdays, but looks like an occasional Monday depending on the shifting performance schedule. "
The first Monday being 11/4, since the show is dark on Election Day.