Scherzinger in SUNSET BLVD. Previews- Page 14

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 12:39am

bwayphreak234 said: "Question: Was anyone else here reminded of Ivo Van Hove's (sadly) short-lived West Side Story revival that never returned after the pandemic while watching Jamie Lloyd's Sunset Boulevard? I know I was! I think that Ivo's approach toWSS was a tad more successful than what Lloyd has done with Sunset (granted WSS is a much better show than Sunset in general), but both productions are in the same vein."

 

A good friend of mine saw the show last week. I was dying to hear his thoughts and the first thing he said/asked was, "Did you See the Van Hove production of West Side Story? It is the first thing that came to my mind".  I didn't see it. Planned to after the shutdown, but....

 

[cglaid]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 7:21am

Dirty Rotten Scoundrel said: "I was there this evening. First and foremost: you can't help but admire a show that had two mid-show standing ovations juxtaposed with multiple audience members leaving in a huff throughout. God, I love theatre.

I'll start off by saying that Tom Francis was out and I unfortunately was disappointed by his understudy, Jimin Moon's, performance. His vocals were shaky, and his acting amateurish. The Act 2 opener wasn’t as impactful as Tom Francis’ seems to be based on what I've read and the clips I've seen from his Olivier performance. Curious to hear what others thought of his performance if you were there.

Onto everything else: I loved this show. Echoing another poster's sentiments: it was ridiculous AND amazing. It's camp AND it's art. If you are the type of person who can suspend disbelief and accept that this is a 1949 when Macbooks and iPads exist, then you'll do just fine. I often roll my eyes when I read phrases like, "[director name]'s reimagining of [classic property]" but this truly was fully reimagined and although it's divisive, I think people have to at least give credit to Jamie Lloyd for trying something so drastically different. While there were parts of the show that dragged and didn't fully work for me, I remained fully captivated. Nicole's take on Norma is fresh and zany and terrifying and I loved it. I have tickets to see it again in November and hopefully will get to see Francis perform then.

To rapid fire address some key issues I have seen pop up throughout this thread: the theatre temperature felt fine to me, if anything I was a bit chilly; it is slightly hazy when you enter (at first I thought my glasses were dirty), but nothing ridiculous; the lights come on as soon as the end credits begin to roll; no audio issues where I was in front of rear mezz; Shubert Alley is a privately owned public space, and the production has the appropriate permits despite what That One Guy in the YouTube Comments says; The title number scene is incredible and I would kindly request that all the people who are saying that it's inappropriate/rude/selfish/unfair to have an actor walk through the street singing and acting his face off shut their computers and go outside and touch some grass.

"

Completely echo your thoughts on Jimin. His acting felt much like he was just trying to get through, and I thought he played WAY too young. 

His entrance in Act II was his strongest for me, but maybe only because I had no idea it was coming and thought it was cool and completely unexpected. 

Updated On: 10/11/24 at 07:21 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 8:10am

Dirty Rotten Scoundrel said: "The title number scene is incredible and I would kindly request that all the people who are saying that it's inappropriate/rude/selfish/unfair to have an actor walk through the street singing and acting his face off shut their computers and go outside and touch some grass. "

My fav comment of this thread.

I'm so curious (I see it Tues) why this Lloyd production fits his approach better than others have. That's often the way with someone with a signature style, and fascinating analyzing why said style fits with one piece and not another.

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 9:08am

I was there last night as well and from orchestra, only saw a standing ovation after "As If We Never Said Goodbye." I'm not too familiar with this musical and came to see Nicole Scherzinger, not Tom Francis. I heard from someone during intermission it was his Bway debut as a leading performer so kudos to him! I see what you mean though how parts of his acting seem like he just wanted to get it done and over with.

I plan to see this again at some point in the future. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 9:38am

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "What if I think this has always been a bad musical with bad music, that coasts on the movie and is nowhere near as good as the movie



will I still find it to be a revelation?

"

I'm going to be a voice of mild dissent. While I thought Nicole was just as incredible as advertised, I wasn't as in love with the production around her. Ironically given what Betty says in the show, I don't think Lloyd trusts the audience enough to understand the show without handholding or appreciate Nicole's performance without making the rest of the show a blank canvas around her. For me, they went a little over the top in adding modern affectations to camp up Norma. I didn't hate it, I just wish it had happened fewer times. As for the rest of the production, I didn't find directing the ensemble to play every song like the taxi dancers in Big Spender to be that effective of a choice. It fights against the comedy in the text to the point that in some numbers it feels ridiculous how stone-faced they are. I wasn't asking for light and frothy but maybe something closer to the garish camp of Kander and Ebb or even the sardonic edge of the actor playing Sheldrake. The rest of the actors seemed afraid to emote at all. Betty's voice was expressive but it felt like she was being asked to suppress any natural charisma.

I did see the Jimin performance last night so perhaps the show played differently. I'm willing to go back but I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity except on a Mandy night. I was surprised how much I appreciated the lighting and haze and screens but the direction of the actors didn't work for me as much as the visual elements.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 9:54am

dearalanaaaa said: "Saw this tonight, ADORED IT, cannot rave enough, but even going in with knowledge of the show I agree audio felt spotty. House right mezz, definitely should be fixed before the end of previews. The act two opener felt clearest and it was literally outdoors. Wow. I will say it could be that the ensemble has too many mics, as "Let's have Lunch" was so hard to understand."

I managed, but I also thought the ensemble numbers were a little tough to understand. Partially, it was diction and I just had to pay very close attention to parse the lyrics. But I also heard what sounded like mic feedback twice. In contrast, Nicole sounds excellent and they've perfectly synchronized things so you get the full effect of her playing with dynamics to draw you in with what she can do with her voice. I agree the title song oddly sounded much clearer except for a moment when I think the mic pack moved and there was a scratching noise.

[Jeremiah]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 10:10am

Hmmm. A revival with mostly white actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “radical” or “innovative.” 
 

A revival with mostly black actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “cheap” or “ghetto.”

This is why some folks will never understand how people of color have to always be ten times better than their peers to be remotely praised for anything. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 10:21am

TBFL said: "This is what Grace Hodgett-Young had to say about her character, Betty Schaefer, in this production of Sunset Blvd:

For me, especially because of the work we've done on her in this version of the show, it's how strong she is. No shade to the original production, but I think she was very much so written to fall in love with Joe. I feel like in our version, she has her own life and she is using Joe to her advantage to get her work seen. And she happens to fall in love with him after that. But she is driven. She knows what she wants. She's there to get her money. She's there to get her work seen by important people.

She's so strong and I think that's what I love the most about her. In a lot of shows written in that time, the female characters are there to be the love interest But she has a backbone and she stands up for herself. She fights against him and I think she tries not to fall in love with him, which I enjoy as well.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Grace-Hodgett-Young-Is-Ready-for-Her-Close-Up-20240924"

Surprising. I feel like she's still written to fall in love with Joe because of what others have said... it doesn't make sense why she keeps pursuing him, especially after he gifts her Dark Windows to write on her own. She doesn't trust in her talent but she keeps telling him to trust in his. She works for a producer, she's married to a director, and while there was misogyny, female screenwriters did get work. So it's really not clear why she'd need Joe if she wasn't attracted to him because the show keeps telling us he's a middling talent who is out of favor at the studios. Betty and Norma are the only ones who think he has writing talent.

[lopside]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 10:24am

Jeremiah said: "Hmmm. A revival with mostly white actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “radical” or “innovative.”


A revival with mostly black actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “cheap” or “ghetto.”

This is why some folks will never understand how people of color have to always be ten times better than their peers to be remotely praised for anything."

There are 4 leads. 2 are people of color. The ensemble is diverse. Wth?

[binau]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 10:30am

Jeremiah was there a minimalist revival of Sunset with mostly black actors I’m not aware of? 

In any case, the lead of Sunset who in my opinion is giving one of the greatest performances of all time is obviously a person of colour. I love that I have not read a single comment in the 12+ months this production has been in existence that has called this out because the focus has been on her talent not her race. However, if you want to celebrate a person of colour then please let’s celebrate Nicole. 

As a general rule, people of colour often make up some of the greatest leading performances of all time and they do get praised for it. This doesn’t mean there are never any issues, or that hard working black actors don’t ever get passed over because they don’t have the right ‘look’ or that particular races seem to be more absent than others (eg there are more black actors getting recognition than Asian - even more reason to celebrate Nicole). 

However, I don’t think it’s healthy to try and continue division like this when clearly this Sunset is not just a white person show. In fact Jamie Lloyd has an excellent recent record for this. Look at the casting of Tom Holland R&J. I think your good intentions are oriented towards the wrong target here…

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 10:45am

CreatureKitchen said: "Beyond the logistics, I wonder what this gimmick does for the song itself? I understand going for the reality TV aesthetic and highlighting the artificiality of everything. But I found myself completely tuning out the lyrics in favor of the spectacle during this number. Even if you don't like the lyrics, it's one of the few extended moments of reflection and introspection the character gets, and crowding that out with chaotic spectacle seems counterproductive.

But I felt the same way about the entire ensemble racing around during on stage Sunset Blvd (reprise), too, so maybe it's just a choice that doesn't work for me."

For me, the continuous shot was more metatextual fan service than anything about reality TV or fame. I didn't get much out of seeing the actors being lighthearted backstage because I don't get why they're directed to be so expressionless on stage in the first place. And some of the references only make sense if you know the original movie or musical. I never have suspension of disbelief (I'm always aware I'm watching actors) but even so, I found the gimmick pulled me out of the show and it took a while to settle back in. I agree it doesn't serve the story and feels like a cheap gimmick for a show that apparently wants to be for adults rather than pandering.

[yyys]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:04am

Nicole is part white but she is mostly Asian.

 

binau said: "Jeremiah was there a minimalist revival of Sunset with mostly black actors I’m not aware of?

In any case, the lead of Sunset who in my opinion is giving one of the greatest performances of all time is obviously a person of colour. I love that I have not read a single comment in the 12+ months this production has been in existence that has called this out because the focus has been on her talent not her race. However, if you want to celebrate a person of colour then please let’s celebrate Nicole.

As a general rule, people of colour often make up some of the greatest leading performances of all time and they do get praised for it. This doesn’t mean there are never any issues, or that hard working black actors don’t ever get passed over because they don’t have the right ‘look’ or that particular races seem to be more absent than others (eg there are more black actors getting recognition than Asian - even more reason to celebrate Nicole).

However, I don’t think it’s healthy to try and continue division like this when clearly this Sunset is not just a white person show. In fact Jamie Lloyd has an excellent recent record for this. Look at the casting of Tom Holland R&J. I think your good intentions are oriented towards the wrong target here…

"

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:08am

lopside said: "Jeremiah said: "Hmmm. A revival with mostly white actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “radical” or “innovative.”


A revival with mostly black actors. Great singing. Minimal sets. Hailed as “cheap” or “ghetto.”

This is why some folks will never understand how people of color have to always be ten times better than their peers to be remotely praised for anything."

There are 4 leads. 2 are people of color. The ensemble is diverse. Wth?"

And if you saw last night’s performance, three leads are people of color.

 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:09am

I've now seen the show twice...once in London and once in NY (last night), and I've still yet to see Tom Francis. Alas.

I haven't experienced an audience reaction like last night since...well...last November in London at the same show. It really is thrilling. What that woman does with her voice is unlike anything I've ever experienced live. I am not a person who believes in a mid-show standing ovation. And I resisted standing for With One Look (thought it was otherworldly). But As If We Never Said Goodbye really is an astonishing moment and did I ever leap to my feet and screaming like a teenaged girl seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium.

I thought Jimin Moon did a fantastic job. That role is a friggin' marathon and he shouldered it impressively, especially considering he probably had minimal rehearsal at this point. His voice leans to the crooner-ish and I thought that worked. And I don't think his characterization was far off from what is intended in this show. 

The title song moment is entirely unnecessary and astonishingly thrilling. The poster who said that this is camp AND art hits the nail on the head. Scherzinger's work in the first act - over the top, calculated, ridiculous and very funny - pays off in spades with her descent into madness. I don't know how she does what she does 7 shows a week. 

Is this production perfect? No. Is it wild and off-balance and thrilling? Yes. And in the end...it is incredibly entertaining, which is a word I've never used to describe the musical Sunset Boulevard.

But, sweet baby Jesus, is Too Much in Love to Care a dreadful song. There's not enough polish in the world for that turd. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:15am

Mellony said: "ColorTheHours048 said: "A vampire, possibly. She’s not meant to be the kind of grandiose silent movie star literally written in the script and presented in the realism of the movie/original production."

Sunset Blvd is ultimately about a fragile, aging women who is discarded by the industry she dedicated her life to due to her age and poor mental health. That is, underneath all the camp and melodrama, the societal critique at the heart of the show.

Several people now have commented that this Norma is meant to be more like some supernatural entity. And, if that's the case, where does the heart of the show go? The thrill of hearing her belt and seeing her covered in blood only goes so far if she's just an inhuman monster I can't connect with. Yes, we know she's delusional and none of her goals are going to work out, but I think there has to be some empathy there, at least for how badly she wants it. Having a character sing their wants and ambitions and desires, while doing everything as a director to make them a black and white movie monster, seems to be fighting the material.

"

I don't think it threads the needle perfectly but that first paragraph is definitely still part of the characterization. If she's monstrous it's in a parody of what she was taught (both in terms of silent film performance and seeking outside validation). She's less of a vampire and more like Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? In terms of mental health, I don't think it quite finds its footing in negotiating Norma as both emotionally fragile and manipulative. That's certainly a way people behave, but sometimes the way scenes are played, she seems more purely manipulative from Joe's POV in a way that falls more in line with the flat monstrous characterization. I'd agree with you about the moment that's played for laughs after her suicide attempt as one of these awkward points.

I wouldn't say she's fully supernatural or inhuman so much as... this production likes to create stage pictures/movie stills. There are certain moments in the story, like the close up on Artie's face with the single tear, for instance, when it feels like the person is being crystallized into a movie character, into an archetype, into something larger than life but also with less nuance. I think this fits with the bloody scene being followed by the most iconic close up of the story as though commenting on the camera erasing the nuance we've just seen on stage in "reality." Updated On: 10/11/24 at 11:15 AM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:23am

binau said: "Jeremiah was there a minimalist revival of Sunset with mostly black actors I’m not aware of?


The only comparison I can think of is that he was referring to the reception The Wiz received earlier this year.

Except the spare, minimal staging of Sunset is obviously an artistic choice that's very different from previous versions, while The Wiz wasn't trying anything different, and did come across as a cheap and amateurish version (not surprising for a touring version they just stuck on a Broadway stage). So the fact that the one that tried to do something different is called innovative and the one that cheaped out was called cheap has nothing to do with race...

But maybe he's referring to something else.

Updated On: 10/11/24 at 11:23 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:28am

HasBeen1947 said: "When I saw this in London, during the final scene I noticed Max standing upstage weeping. My interpretation was that he was horrified bythe "monster" he had created and was taking blame for her madness. Interesting to read other interpretations."

I think that's a valid interpretation. For me it was seeing that she still hadn't technically "surrendered" but acknowledging how broken she really was. Covered in blood and talking in that quiet voice, it would be impossible to reconcile her with his memories of the dancing Mirror Norma. I still don't think he saw her as monstrous at the end, but he was forced to acknowledge that her moments of lucidity didn't mean she wasn't suffering, and also given the actual crime, that he wouldn't be able to care for her anymore.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 11:54am

jkcohen626 said: "bwayobsessed said: "I’ve always felt like Joe is the real monster of the show. Norma is incredibly manipulative, vain and delusional but also very mentally ill. Max’s taking care of her and hollywoods rejection of her don’t help."

IDK if I wasn't paying close enough attention or if it's this production, but I really didn't get that until the very end when he kicks out Betty before he's shot. He certainly accepted her gifts, but I felt like he took pity on her and was drawn in by fascination of her, not by the wealth."

I wouldn't go so far as to call him depressed but this version of Joe seems directionless (aside from keeping his car and staying afloat). Norma energizes him by giving him Salome and they also do seem to connect at the New Years party. Betty energizes him by resurrecting Dark Windows and continually trying to get him to believe in his talent and push him to work on an artistic project he actually believes in again. I do think Joe stays partially because he pities Norma (a suicide attempt is a lot) but also because he doesn't really have the momentum to leave for a long time. Is it weird to say it's a bit like Jenna in Waitress? He complains and pushes back a little but it takes a long time for him to care enough to commit to the decision to go. I do think him caring about the wealth is still there in the lyrics but it's downplayed a lot in the show to the point that it's a little jarring when he starts singing about champagne and caviar again.

[Eddie3]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 1:00pm

I was there last night as well, and Tom Francis was out when I saw it in London as well. Question: Was there more of Nicole's video mugging on screen in this NY production? It's been almost a year since I saw it in London and don't remember that much mugging for the camera.

Btw, although I enjoyed the show, Patti LuPone is for me still the best musical Norma. Nicole's voice is amazing, but I'm afraid (at least dramatically) she seems to be channelling Maila Nurmi (aka Vampira). 

 

 

[Ensemble1728379893]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 1:16pm

I don't think the amount of mugging has changed at all. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 1:34pm

PLease let me know if Tom Francis is in the show tonight. I see it tomorrow matinee and badly want to see him.

[Mellony]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 2:33pm

VintageSnarker said: "In terms of mental health, I don't think it quite finds its footing in negotiating Norma as both emotionally fragile and manipulative."

I loved the way Nicole played the scene between Norma and DeMille. That was the most impactful I've ever seen that scene be, and it threaded the needle perfectly between her ambition and her fear and fragility. I just wish more of that energy was brought to her scenes with Joe, but I feel this production misses a couple key moments.

After Max goes to deliver the script to Paramount, Joe says he's going back to his apartment and Norma has a panic attack until he relents and stays. Nicole played this as a completely fake panic attack and it got a big laugh when I saw it, but I feel it needs to be genuine as it's the first real indication the audience gets that she needs him to stay and isn't just using him to finish her script. They argue and she begs him to stay again during "The Lady's Paying," which is now cut. The song's a clunker but that moment reinforces her desperation.
And the big one is the suicide attempt. In almost every production, we see Norma alone: either through the original production's split screen effect where we see her getting increasingly drunk and depressed and/or we see Max helping her down the stairs/onto the couch before Joe comes in. Either way, we get to see how broken she is before Joe rushes in and she puts her guard back up. In this version, Joe is there immediately so we never see her privately break down. And Joe seems so eager to get her clothes off I didn't get the sense he was staying out of genuine guilt but just because he wants to **** her.   

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 2:39pm

Mellony said: "VintageSnarker said: "In terms of mental health, I don't think it quite finds its footing in negotiating Norma as both emotionally fragile and manipulative."

I lovedthe way Nicole played the scene between Norma and DeMille. That was the most impactful I've ever seen that scene be, and it threaded the needle perfectly between her ambition and her fear and fragility. I just wish more of that energy was brought to her scenes with Joe, but I feel this production misses a couple key moments.

After Max goes to deliver the script to Paramount, Joe says he's going back to his apartment and Norma has a panic attack until he relents and stays. Nicole played this as a completely fake panic attack and it got a big laugh when I saw it, but I feel it needs to be genuine as it's the first real indication the audience gets that she needs him to stay and isn't just using him to finish her script. They argue and she begs him to stay again during "The Lady's Paying," which is now cut. The song's a clunker but that moment reinforces her desperation.
And the big one isthe suicide attempt. In almost every production, we see Norma alone: either through the original production's split screen effect where we see her getting increasingly drunk and depressed and/or we see Max helping her down the stairs/onto the couch before Joe comes in. Either way, we get to see how broken she is before Joe rushes in and she puts her guard back up. In this version, Joe is there immediately so we never see her privately break down. And Joe seems so eager to get her clothes off I didn't get the sense he was staying out of genuine guilt but just because he wants to **** her.

 

Did you do your Directing MFA Thesis on this show?  You seem to be WAY overanalyzing everything about it.  It's a musical, for god's sake!

 

[Mellony]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 2:57pm

JSquared2 said: "Did you do your Directing MFA Thesis on this show? You seem to be WAY overanalyzing everything about it. It's a musical, for god's sake!"

Haha I did my MA thesis on animation, actually.
It's just a fun thought exercise for me: I can understand it's 'not that deep' while also enjoying thinking about the character dynamics.

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/11/24 at 3:03pm

Mellony, your posts are more interesting than anything JSquared2 has ever contributed to these boards, so please continue.