SUNSET BLVD. to transfer to Broadway — Page 21

BorisTomashevsky said: "I’m going to be a dissenting voice here (and open to being wrong) but even if reviews are good I think word of mouth won’t be, and that this will be an early closer.

NY audience memories of that original production are strong and close to the heart, and people who went back for every Norma still debate over Glenn/Betty/Elaine. The score is so accessible that the cuts and politically-correct changes will stick out glaringly, and will have some resenting changes to a score so satisfying. And the love of the piece doesn’t stop at the performers but spills over into the design and opulence of the original, which has be given a total 180 this time around.

Ultimately I think it will sell to the curious, but a large number of those who see it will tell others “that’s not Sunset.” I’m going to generalize, but I think British audiences are more open to avant garde/experimental/radical interpretations of established pieces. I don’t think it will be embraced here.

And this may be oversimplifying the Lloyd production as I know there’s more “to it”, but if tourists (and a higher percentage of the Broadway buyer is foreign tourists than the London percentage which is mostly domestic) want to see a black box production then they can just go and end of semester presentation at the local drama school. They’ll spend their money while in NYC on something spectacular. Wicked and TLK will get those dollars.

As always, ready to be wrong and will be keeping a keen eye on the reception it gets."

I think yoiu're massively overestimating the number of people who know the score well enough to notice all the changes made to the show. Those small numbers will make no difference to the box office figures in a venue the size of the St. James. No one missed 'The Lady's Paying' or 'Eternal Youth...' because those songs are covered by dialogue.

This is giving me strong 'the Phans were responsible for the long run of Phantom' vibes.

What 'politically correct' changes are you referring to?

The last Sunset prodiction didn't have massive designs or opulence and that did well, but only because of Glen Close being in the show.  And yes, 'a black box production' is wildly iunder estimating what the show delivers

Playbill design:

Thanks, Taffy. One of these days I will learn how to post an image correctly. 

Should have been all black cover with either red or glossy black Playbill letters.

Updated On: 9/9/24 at 12:44 PM

I kind of assumed this was going to happen. It’s the new trend now. 

The problem is it’s a bit too camp for this slick COOL dark production (and I still think the camp factor of the score sometimes does still somewhat surface even though Jamie Lloyd literally tries every trick in his book to stop it). 

I love flannel on a man.

You know what you can do with your vicuna.

 

EvanstonDad said: "I love flannel on a man.

You know what you can do with your vicuna.”

 

Now that’s getting personal, Lion.

I haven’t seen any images of Nicole in rehearsals. I’ve seen plenty of Mandy and Caroline there, and the rest of the cast and crew, but no Nicole.  Where is she?

gibsons2 said: "Should have been all black cover with either red or glossy black Playbill letters."

.......Playbill doesn't work that way outside of very rare special events, which I'm sure are printed at a high premium.

No Playbill design is selling mass amounts of tickets.