Sunset Boulevard , Linda Balgord

[alxscrz2]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 8:49pm

I found the promo album of the 96' U.S touring company of Sunset Boulevard, starring Linda Balgord as Norma Desmond. She sounds amazing. Im wondering did anyone get to see this tour and what did they think of Linda Balgord as Norma ? Thanks :)

[Justin D]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:20pm

only saw a bootleg online, vocally she was ok, it was kind of odd for me hearing a Norma with such a high voice, rather than a strong belt. She also looked a bit strange, bulging eyes and all, but it was a good solid performance. The set ofcourse was stunning, amazing that they were able to tour that whole thing all over and not loose any of the effects.

[Justin D]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:20pm

only saw a bootleg online, vocally she was ok, it was kind of odd for me hearing a Norma with such a high voice, rather than a strong belt. She also looked a bit strange, bulging eyes and all, but it was a good solid performance. The set ofcourse was stunning, amazing that they were able to tour that whole thing all over and not loose any of the effects.

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:23pm

She was great. I worked & lived with her at a dinner theater many moons ago. She was (is) wonderful.

[Justin D]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:26pm

only saw a bootleg online, vocally she was ok, it was kind of odd for me hearing a Norma with such a high voice, rather than a strong belt. She also looked a bit strange, bulging eyes and all, but it was a good solid performance. The set ofcourse was stunning, amazing that they were able to tour that whole thing all over and not loose any of the effects.

[goodoneinlou2]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:40pm

I saw the original Sunset Boulevard First National Tour with Linda Balgord and Ron Bohmer in Cincinnati.

The set was exactly as elaborate as that on Bway - although the mansion was not as wide. Nothing was visually compromised in the show and it remains the most elaborate touring set I've ever seen.

Linda was good, but she didn't have star presence IMO. She sang the heck out of the score, and raised the roof. She opted to take many song finales "up." It was a complete vocal switch from her star predecessors (Glenn Close on Bway) and LuPone (London.) She had a very high soprano, so it threw me for a loop to hear the score sung so much higher than I had heard before. Linda also was small in stature - so that was a bit of a throw when she first entered on the grand staircase.

Ron Bohmer was excellent. He fit sarcastic, jaded Joe Gillis perfectly and gave a good (but not outstanding) vocal performance.

I can't recall by name the actor that portrayed Max. But I recall being blown away by him. In the end, I walked away feeling horrible for Max in this version.

Lauren Kennedy was Betty and came from Bway where she understudied the role - She was "eh" but then, I don't care for her as a performer whatsoever.

Sunset still remains embedded in my memory for it's sheer awe factor. The tour didn't dissapoint, but Linda just didn't have the "ummmph" that a big name would have.

I actually met Ron Bohmer a number of years ago when he was performing in Floyd Collins. I spoke with him about Sunset. He recalled it fondly, but wasn't nearly as enamored with it as I had been. LOL!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:40pm

Okay.

We get it.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 9:43pm

I felt the same way. Linda was dazzingly vocally, but you almost need a "star" in the role so you can have the same experience as Joe. It's the one time a stunt cast is effective (so long as she can sing the part).

Many years ago, I saw Kiss of the Spider Woman on tour and there was no star playing Aurora-it was a total let down.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 10:42pm

I have that Linda Balgord Sunset CD somewhere in a box.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/14/13 at 11:48pm

Didn't this tour close down early because they actually weren't able to tour that elaborate set? I think I remember reading that it cost them a million dollars to load the scenery into each theatre, but that always seemed a little far fetched to me. Why would they not have scaled it back in order to cut down the load in cost in the first place?

[Proper Villain]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 12:39am

goodoneinlou - the incomparable Ed Dixon played Max in the tour.

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 12:50am

I wish someone would revive this show. In my opinion its one of ALW's best scores.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 3:06pm

Oh, the great memories of the 1996-97 First National Tour of SUNSET BLVD. The set took 10 days to set up in each city so the cast had a guaranteed mini-vacation after they concluded their long runs in each city (the tour had to stay almost 2 months in each city to make its costs). Linda Balgord was given a masseuse and hair/nail person on-call during the entire run of the tour which closed a little over a year later.

A little back story on Linda: she originally auditioned for the standby track when the American Premiere with Glenn Close was announced to happen. Though Andrew Lloyd Webber was enormously impressed with her, they ended-up hiring Karen Mason. Webber promised Linda that she would eventually play Norma somewhere and to not write SUNSET BLVD. off just yet. When the First National Tour was announced, he immediately gave her the role without ever looking at any other actress. Rumors floated about that Betty Buckley and even Chita Rivera were being considered though all along Linda knew she was the tour's Norma.

Here's Linda (along with Ron Bohmer) performing Norma's entire first scene that includes: "Surrender" and "With One Look":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4FzJp7P84

Here she is with the entire cast doing the Stage 18/Paramount Studios scene that includes "As If We Never Said Goodbye":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SFKl-87teY

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/15/13 at 4:59pm

"Didn't this tour close down early because they actually weren't able to tour that elaborate set? I think I remember reading that it cost them a million dollars to load the scenery into each theatre, but that always seemed a little far fetched to me. Why would they not have scaled it back in order to cut down the load in cost in the first place?"

When they were first planning the tour they thought they would be able to sell it to each stop for long enough to actually make back their money (the show was doing incredible business in NY with Glenn Close). Lloyd Webber's name still had some clout amongst the road presenters, with Phantom and Cats still being in the height of their popularity and the recent tour of the "new" production of Joseph also having done quite well. It was assumed that during the first national they would be able to book extended sit downs everywhere and sell out the way Phantom was still doing. It, unfortunately, turned out to be not the case. A lot of road presenters hesitated at the extreme cost and just didn't feel confident that they could sell the show without a star name attached, and their audiences showed them that they were right.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 11:52am

I prefer Glenn Close's singing to be honest. And the acting is questionable. There is no doubt Linda has great talent though. That dialogue between Norma and Joe had awful timing!

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 12:00pm

Not a lot of markets could handle this tour as well. Big cities like SF couldn't present the show since at the time, their theaters didn't have the fly space and backstage to handle the production's needs

[AEA Stage Manager]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 7:07pm

A dear friend of mine was Linda's understudy and got to go on for her. She has a great picture of herself in full Norma get up! She recounts the layers of make up and the heavy costumes. I would have loved to have hear her sing that role. I have tried for years to track down a recording of her but alas who would have a recording of Linda's understudy! Oh well. I can dream.

[morosco]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 7:52pm

I liked her in Aspects of Love.
Seeing is Believing

[emlodik]

Posted: 8/16/13 at 8:32pm

Linda is my definitive Norma (tied with Helen Schneider). Her singing is a bit of an acquired taste, but vocally she's a powerhouse and her performance was mesmerizing and she made some very unique character choices. The final scene between her and Ron Bohmer & Ed Dixon was heartbreaking.