Scherzinger in SUNSET BLVD. Previews- Page 9

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 12:12pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "Whether they can legally tell people where to move or not; if you see a person who’s singing,two camera people, security guards, and cops moving toward you, your first instinct should ideally be to get out of the way. If a person’sinstinct is to flip them the bird or obstruct what they’re doing, that says a lot about them. I understand crowded midtown streets can be overwhelming with the volume of people and a small film crew marching toward you, but - to me - it’s much easier to move to the side and stand still for a moment. Some people just lack common sense."

Agreed, sadly lots of these kind of people in NYC / this country ("I can do whatever I want")
It's always so refreshing when I travel internationally - many people understand others better in other countries

[yyys]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 12:31pm

Anyone know why Orchestra B seat 10 is considered partial view? They're selling them for $99-$119 depending on the day.

[binau]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 12:52pm

ALW says Nicole the best performance his ever seen of any of his work? For once we agree on something. 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 1:19pm

Eh, don't get comfortable... he has said practically with each new production of JCS to come down the pike that it's "how he always envisioned it," and then give it another five, ten years max and it's swept under the rug like an old shame in favor of the next one.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 3:21pm

ACL2006 said: "Apparently, they don't have legal permission to be doing this per a YouTube comment:

There is no record with the city of a filming permit that is open for every day of this, so they are likely doing this VERY illegally at the moment, especially given the way they are taking over public space, telling uninvolved pedestrians where they can walk, and holding traffic, etc. It’s not just that it’s NYC, it disrupts a crowded public area illegally."

Well if an anonymous person on YouTube posted something —it MUST be true!!  

PS —it’s completely inaccurate. They have the necessary permits. 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 3:58pm

JSquared2 said: "PS —it’s completely inaccurate. They have the necessary permits."

This whole idea is hilarious, that a Broadway show wouldn't have the permits needed. The original YouTube commenter was likely looking at movies/tv that have pulled permits. That's mostly public info. Permits that Broadway shows need to file are much less likely to be easily accessible to the public.

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 4:12pm

yyys said: "Anyone know why Orchestra B seat 10 is considered partial view? They're selling them for $99-$119 depending on the day."

I'm also wondering why there are a few seats in rear Orchestra House Left that are only $69. What is it that makes those seats so much more inferior?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 7:41pm

spicemonkey said: "
Agreed, sadly lots of these kind of people in NYC / this country ("I can do whatever I want"
It's always so refreshing when I travel internationally - many people understand others better in other countries "

I mean, there is difference between people co-existing in a space and 4 guys yelling at you to move so they can have an actor do some obnoxious lap out in the street every single night...

I find that far more of the "I can do whatever I want!" Attitude you're complaining about than people being irritated that they're being verbally pushed around. And no, them having a permit with the city doesn't make it okay either.

Like when I hear someone screaming to move in the middle of the street I expect some of emergency, not annoyance.

Updated On: 10/5/24 at 07:41 PM

[CreatureKitchen]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 8:34pm

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. 

[Ensemble1726990843]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 10:03pm

Most likely those are ADA locations 

[chernjam]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 11:29pm

It is remarkable to read some people's complaints about the Sunset Blvd walkaround. The show played in London for four months, and I don't think I read any frustration from pedestrians or observers of the show. A week in NY, and people are already making it something controversial.

This might end up getting filed under "Why we can't have nice things"

[getatme]

Posted: 10/5/24 at 11:35pm

The walkaround for the title number is very cool. It's completely nonsensical for the story and a wholly unnecessary gimmick, but it's really cool and very thrilling to see play out.

That being said, it's also incredibly narcissistic of the production to behave and believe (as they seem to) that pedestrians, bystanders, and theatregoers are other shows need to give them the right of way to film a number. The entire thing could be avoided if they had the entire thing take place closer to the St. James. There is a long marquee space for the theatre, they could even cross the street and have him sing part of the number between the Majestic and the Broadhurst if they're so intent on the walk being longer and far-reaching. But to have an actor and crew members try to maneuver around crowds while security for a show those audience members did not see yell at them to stand back or get out of the way puts a bad taste in my mouth.

It was easier in London where the Savoy is largely isolated from other theatres and while the Strand can get crowded, it's mostly standard sidewalk traffic. And London sidewalk traffic has nothing on NY sidewalk traffic and REALLY nothing on Shubert Alley.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 12:50am

Saw this tonight. Loved every millisecond of it, from the minute I stepped in the St. James.

Let’s set a few things straight upfront:

1. The lights are dimmed as the audience enters and during intermission, but still brighter than your average movie theater. The idea here is to strike a mood, and it certainly hits being lit only by sconces and chandeliers. If you find that uncomfortable, ushers have flashlights they used sparingly. They don’t raise the house lights until the credits and orchestra finish - plan accordingly.
2. Theatrical haze is this productions’s stock and trade, and it’s employed heavily from the minute you walk in. Think hotboxing a car, but make it Broadway theater.
3. If the house temperature is higher than usual, I didn’t notice and/or I didn’t care. It felt very comfortable and the only reason I can imagine the air is on lower is to sustain all that haze.

The title number went off without a hitch. It was exhilarating to watch be executed in real time.

Just wow. It’s theatre boiled down to its barest bones: lights, sound, and action. It’s absolutely thrilling. One thing I kept returning to was the claim that Jamie Lloyd is doing everything he can to distract from the weaker parts of the show, and that’s true - to an extent - if you’re being as cynical as possible. The more generous (and, I think, accurate) reading is that he’s using the book and score of Sunset Boulevard to paint his own unique take on the story. It accentuates the monotony of Hollywood schmoozing, the madness of Norma, and the general spookiness of the plot in ways that a more traditional staging simply could never.

Much has been said about Nicole Scherzinger’s performance - and rightfully so; she’s a powerhouse - but nothing can prepare you for the ferocity with which she tears into the role. It’s such a reckless abandon, you would wonder how she manages it if it weren’t so evident how much fun she’s having. The same can be said of the whole cast: it’s exacting staging, but it also looks like a blast to perform. Don’t let the dead serious faces on the cast at curtain call fool you; it never takes itself too seriously.

How I described it to a friend: Imagine you saw a trailer for a movie; and then that movie not only lived up to the hype, it actually matched the energy you got from the trailer. It won’t be for everyone - the people around me were doing too much to “make sense” of it at intermission - but for the people who get it, it’s a genuine revelation.

Updated On: 10/6/24 at 12:50 AM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 1:02am

my first exposure to this play, and i am underwhelmed by the story (could be told in 20 minutes) but impressed by the score, which is way more than the two numbers ive heard performed a billion times before. 

and oh how this cast sings it! im struggling to remember the last time i was this impressed with the sheer vocal power of a cast, not a weak link amongst Nicole and Tom and David and Grace in the voice department. I hope the mushy-sounding ensemble is a bug of early previews and that the mics/sound will be adjusted going fwd because i could not understand them half the time. 

but i dont think this production cares much about whether i understood the lyrics or not. once again, jamie lloyds egomania has overtaken his interest in actually conveying a story, and like the Tommy revival, I got the sense i was expected to already know the plot before i sat down. lloyd is the king of shtick, and that doesnt meant its all bad: the stroll down 44th street, and the run up to it, is alot of fun, and kudos to Tom Francis for somehow pulling it off so smoothly. i do not know how this production will continue to literally shut down a NYC street for 5 minutes every night going fwd but if there was ever a thrilling use of video in theater, this was it. And yet: if that song had ANY plot details in it, i missed them. if there was any character development intended, oops, they had better things to do. 

this was a theme. yall can fangirl yourselves to death (lke the audience did, in pure elation start to finish) but Scherzinger is directed nonsensically. The sudden slow speaking was preposterous. Shes gorgeous, and dressed to seduce, which seems totally off from the aging mess shes supposed to be? Shes mugging, and diva-ing, and doing very modern poses like a Kardashian into the camera- and thats all well and good but it completely clashes with the over-the-top seriousness with which she takes the role in the rest of the show. I have never seen a curtain call where the actors refuse to smile (Grace Hodgett Young was struggling, really struggling, not to show her enjoyment at the rapturous reception they were receiving). 

I dont fault Scherzinger one bit- shes as friggin glorious as advertised, stopping the show to standing ovations more than a few times. I have never heard either Mandy Gonzalez of Caroline Bowman ever sing a single note with the power/richness that Scherzinger does, and I do not want to undersell the impact there. Shes worth the price of admission. Musical theater heaven, and she gives it her all on stage, as invested and manic and hysterical as one could ask. Her Tony nomination will be well deserved and the way she immerses herself with total abandon is a sight to behold.

But did she create an interesting character? Make a fragile lunatic make any sense? I'm afraid not, but again, this production doesnt seem to care much about any of that. And so the stage is--from start to finish--pumped with smoke for reasons unknown (though the lighting overall is crazy impressive). Betty Schaeffer is in combat boots because? Again, its Lloyd's shtick to do a bare set with no color/props/background, but that really undercuts a story that seems to describe swimming pools and cars and mansions, and turns on an eccentric woman living in the past. And while I understand turning the play into a movie--the opening credits, kinda cute--the dark theater while the credits rolled was silly and added nothing but time.

Packed house, and they loved it, guess im happy to be in the minority again, wondering why everyone else is so easily impressed by productions that cheat us out of the storytelling part. but as a strangely staged concert production, by all means, A+.

 

Updated On: 10/6/24 at 01:02 AM

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 1:11am

Is this the biggest problem with the walkaround? No. 

But it does occur to me recently An Enemy of the People and Suffs both had performances disrupted by protesters. If someone wanted to try that with SUNSET BLVD. it wouldn't even require buying a ticket. They could do it every night.

[djoko84]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 1:53am

It seems to me that this happens abruptly and out of nowhere while people are just walking a public street. If you're in the middle of doing something and then someone is running towards you and shoving you out of the way you wouldn't be happy either. If they have permits then I don't get why people from the show's production team can't go outside before the number and set up some sort of barricade for them to walk through. It looks like it's done so haphazardly. Like other people have said on the board, one day they're going to mess with the wrong person... but they could also be looking for the publicity.

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 1:56am

They are figuring it out. You all just need something to go on about. Like someone else said .. this is why we can’t have nice things.

[TBFL]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 7:25am

PipingHotPiccolo said: ".

this was a theme. yall can fangirl yourselves to death (lke the audience did, in pure elation start to finish) but Scherzinger is directed nonsensically. The sudden slow speaking was preposterous. Shes gorgeous, and dressed to seduce, which seems totally off from the aging mess shes supposed to be? Shes mugging, and diva-ing, and doing very modern poses like a Kardashian into the camera- and thats all well and good but it completely clashes with the over-the-top seriousness with which she takes the role in the rest of the show. I have never seen a curtain call where the actors refuse to smile (Grace Hodgett Young was struggling, really struggling, not to show her enjoyment at the rapturous reception they were receiving).

I dont faultScherzinger one bit- shes as friggin glorious as advertised, stopping the show to standing ovations more than a few times. I have never heard either Mandy Gonzalez of Caroline Bowman ever sing a single note with the power/richness that Scherzinger does, and I do not want to undersell the impact there. Shes worth the price of admission. Musical theater heaven, and she gives it her all on stage, as invested and manic and hysterical as one could ask. Her Tony nomination will be well deserved and the way she immerses herself with total abandon is a sight to behold.

But did she create an interesting character? Make a fragile lunatic make any sense? I'm afraid not, but again, this production doesnt seem to care much about any of that. And so the stage is--from start to finish--pumped with smoke for reasons unknown (though the lighting overall is crazy impressive).Betty Schaeffer is in combat boots because? Again, its Lloyd's shtick to do a bare set with no color/props/background, but that really undercuts a story that seems to describe swimming pools and cars and mansions, and turns on an eccentric woman living in the past.And while I understand turning the play into a movie--the opening credits, kinda cute--the dark theater while the credits rolled was silly and added nothing but time.

Packed house, and they loved it, guess im happy to be in the minority again, wondering why everyone else is so easily impressed by productions that cheat us out of the storytelling part. but as a strangely staged concert production, by all means, A+.

Norma Desmond is meant to be 'an aging mess'? That's news to me. Looking at all the others before her, Patti, Glenn, Betty etc, not a single one of them looked an aging mess with all the kaftan, turbans and jewellery they wore.

Also, all the above actresses were mid to late 40's when they played the role, the same as Scherzinger is now.

And Why do people who dislike a show always have to put down those that enjoyed it? It's some weird superioty  complex. The need to be seen as more knowledgeable about it than anyone else. Weird. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 8:40am

TBFL said: "

Norma Desmond is meant to be 'an aging mess'? That's news to me. Looking at all the others before her, Patti, Glenn, Betty etc, not a single one of them looked an aging mess with all the kaftan, turbans and jewellery they wore.

Also, all the above actresses were mid to late 40's when they played the role, the same as Scherzinger is now.

And Why do people who dislike a show always have to put down those that enjoyed it? It's some weird superioty complex. The need to be seen as more knowledgeable about it than anyone else. Weird."

We can agree to disagree on the first point- i dont know whether youre suggesting Norma isnt supposed to be "aging" or isnt supposed to be a "mess" but i think shes absolutely meant to be both, and certainly thats how Glenn Close played her in the clips I have seen. But I admit my unfamiliarity with the work prior to last night, so if Normas not meant to be a delusional recluse who is past her Hollywood prime, chalk my confusion up to yet another plot point that got muddled. 

As for the final point- i certainly did not mean to criticize anyone for enjoying this show- in fact, I thought I had made clear that I enjoyed quite a bit of it. And i definitely did not intend to appear more knowledgeable than anyone, in fact, my point was the opposite- i didnt know what was going on because i went in with less knowledge that the other posters on this board. The post above mine stated that some people will "get it" and some of us won't- I guess I didn't.

 

Updated On: 10/6/24 at 08:40 AM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 9:34am

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.

Updated On: 10/6/24 at 09:34 AM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 10:02am

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.

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 10:05am

TBFL said: "Norma Desmond is meant to be 'an aging mess'? That's news to me. Looking at all the others before her, Patti, Glenn, Betty etc, not a single one of them looked an aging mess with all the kaftan, turbans and jewellery they wore.

Also, all the above actresses were mid to late 40's when they played the role, the same as Scherzinger is now."

Genuinely curious...if you don't think Norma Desmond is an aging mess (emotionally, not sartorially), what do you think Sunset Boulevard is about? A young, emotionally stable lady?
 

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 10:21am

Finding oneself forcibly rerouted while walking down a NY street is neither new or unusual; I've seen people strong-armed into making way for deliveries to restaurants. There is ALWAYS something going on in NY, especially in Times Square, and pedestrians are routinely rerouted to accommodate those goings-on. The suggestion that this is somehow unprecedented and unforgivable is laugh-out-loud absurd, as is the claim that the show is doing this "illegally". NY has always been about getting things done in seemingly impossible circumstances, and New Yorkers have never been opposed to eschewing politeness in order to accomplish their aims. That's life in The City That Never Sleeps, and it always has been.

Updated On: 10/6/24 at 10:21 AM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 10:44am

I mean… 

 

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this production treats her almost literally (as much as it can be literalized) like a vampire or a supernatural being of some sort. That’s subtextual to Norma as a character, made as textual as they can get without showing actual fangs. Her descent to murder doesn’t feel earned so much as inevitable - she needs to kill Joe.

[Mellony]

Posted: 10/6/24 at 11:13am

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.