PipingHotPiccolo said: "ColorTheHours048 said: "This Norma is a Real Housewife, a Golden Bachelorette, a former soap actress, an… aging pop star. 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. Anyone trying to make sense of why she doesn’t look like Glenn Close or Patti LuPone or Gloria Swanson are sort of missing the point.
Now, as to whether you think that “point” is worth making: your mileage may vary. I’m in the “this is brilliant” camp, but if it doesn’t resonate with you, that’s showbiz."
There were moments that this Norma did come off like a Real Housewife but we are asked to fill in the blanks about all of it, and it didnt come off consistent as she descends into actual murder. No one wants her to look like Glenn Close, but the story turns on a woman being "over the hill" and forgotten by her fans/industry. Scherzinger's sex appeal and star power make that harder to swallow.
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Interesting take. And yes, I see what you're saying about NS. She may be in her 40s, but she is not a Glenn or Patti or Betty type at all. Or even a Gloria Swanson type.
And we're living in age when this "over the hill" actress phenom is not nearly as predominant as it was in the past anyway. Older actresses, many of whom have been successful actresses for decades, are still getting cast. And in some pretty great roles. I don't think the whole "aging actress" nowadays is the same as it was when this movie was made. It would have been much more compelling back then than it is now. Silent film stars were pushed out as the talkies came into existence. And then plum roles for older women did seem few and far between as time moved on into the 40s and 50s. At least by comparison to the men of the time who could age and still get great roles, often starring with women much younger than they.
But even to the latter point, that is no longer true either. Older women are finding themselves as the heroines of books, TV shows, and movies, and there is often a much younger man written into the story. The recently divorced 50 year old woman who travels to Italy to "find herself," and invariably ends up with a hot young Italian stud. Or the frumpy housewife sitting at the counter in a small town cafe who is confronted by some hot young cowboy who strolls in and sits down next to her. And we know where it goes. So again, nothing provocative about that.
Even in real life, older women go after younger men quite regularly. We've all seen it. And it's not just your Madonnas and Chers. And it's accepted. I've always wondered though why women find this chic and progressive, yet they see men who do this as dirty old men going through a midlife crisis. lol. Do they think the same of the women who are doing it now?
I'm in my 50s and I have female friends who are in the same age bracket and have tried the dating apps. While they are very attractive, they don't have the money and power of a Cher, but they're getting approached by younger men quite often. Again these are not guys who are necessarily looking for "sugar mommas" either. Some might be, but not all. Men are not exactly what women make them out to be, at least in the straight world. They're not all looking for perfection in body, age, or bank account as many women will make it seem to be. Younger men especially seem to be not so troubled by that. (Now, in the gay community, it's completely different. Younger men will only look at older men if the older dude is willing to offer something of the "gen" sort. You do "age out" in the gay community when it comes to dating and relationships. Unless you're a Hollywood director, or producer, or the like, that is).
Neither of the stories in SB though--the "aging actress" or the older woman/younger man storyline--is especially provocative anymore. This is why this musical does have to be a musical of its time. As in one that takes place in the 40s/50s. When the storylines were a little more believable and thought-provoking. Putting it into some modernistic form of staging does seem gimmicky, but I would say it is understandable and in some ways necessary. Because many theatergoers like this approach to theater. Especially nowadays. A standard revival of SB with the rising house and the authentic to the time costumes, even with a NS in the lead, wasn't going to garner much discussion.
