Sunset Boulevard Revival Broadway Thread — Page 32

Also, no Norma I've seen (not even Glenn) ended the show like Betty. Her reprise of "With One Look" to lights out was flawless. The growl in her voice when she sings "look" still gives me chills. It was fierce, on every level.

https://youtu.be/j-RnHI29_Mg

Updated On: 3/17/17 at 01:38 PM

btw - how awesome is the "bows" music for Norma. Get chills all the time when I hear that :)

chernjam said: "CT - spot on. Buckley was a phenomenal Norma. Was perfect to follow Glenn in that she was so different - vocally and performance wise. And that ending with the younger Norma on the screen raised the hairs of my neck.

Shoot... do I have time/money to run in to see this tonight. I so love this show



"yes you do, this show is priceless, it will never be done like this before. I've seen it 3x and counting!

Awwww, I adore Preston, poor Artie Green! Thanks for posting that. I highly doubt they will extend. Glenn must be exhausted.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORMA - Glenn Close turns 70 today!

https://parade.com/556186/lindsaylowe/glenn-close-celebrates-a-big-birthday-8-video-clips-that-remind-us-of-her-amazing-singing-voice/

Glenn can't even get a break on her birthday from haters. I happen to like Glenn's voice much better than Betty's by the way. I don't like the color of her voice at all...and don't start me with the vibratto. I do like Patti Lupone's voice, but although her voice is amazing, I didn't think she acted the role well. Glenn is perfection in my book, her acting capacity is overwhelming.

muscle23ftl said:I do like Patti Lupone's voice, but although her voice is amazing, I didn't think she acted the role well.

Did you see her in London?

BenjaminNicholas2 said: "Those who disagree with your sycophantic praise of Close aren't haters: We just know the technicalities of a well-trained voice. Buckley made the role thrilling to listen to. Close will never, ever approach that.

There's a reason ALW chose LuPone to originate this role. If you had seen her in London, Australia or were lucky enough to be sitting at Sydmonton all those years ago, you'd know. She was a force of nature.
"

Probably the first time I ever agreed with Frank Rich was when he reviewed Patti saying: Ms. LuPone is a gifted actress whose vocal pyrotechnics are especially idolized by the British, not least because their own musical-theater stars can rarely match them. Yet despite her uncanny mimicry of Gloria Swanson's speaking voice and her powerhouse delivery of the score's grand if predictable ballads, she is miscast and unmoving as Norma Desmond.

Sure, I enjoy listening to Patti singing songs from Sunset in concert - and would even go to see her if she did take the stage in this role again out of curiosity more than anything. But, whether its on the World Premiere Recording or any of the videos of her performances -- from her bitchy delivery of "I am big... it's the pictures that got small" with her characteristic snarky, arrogant growl, she does not get Norma Desmond.

Glenn, for whatever might be lacking in vocal power, quite simply is Norma Desmond from the moment she walks on stage until the curtain finally comes down. I loved Buckley in the role...But Glenn has a command on this that I've never seen matched.

From the 1994 New York Times review written by David Richards.

The musical's two big songs, "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye," are Norma's, even if Barbra Streisand has already staked her claim to them. Ms. Close does not sing them so much as cast a spell over them. Her voice is small and unexceptional. The amplification comes from her acting skills: the flashing eyes, the magnanimous stance, the histrionic gestures actually give the notes color and power.

A Director said: "From the 1994 New York Times review written by David Richards.

The musical's two big songs, "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye," are Norma's, even if Barbra Streisand has already staked her claim to them. Ms. Close does not sing them so much as cast a spell over them. Her voice is small and unexceptional. The amplification comes from her acting skills: the flashing eyes, the magnanimous stance, the histrionic gestures actually give the notes color and power.

Well, if David Richards (who?) said so, I guess the matter is settled.

I adore Dame Kiri, listen to her often and she has the most beautiful voice I've ever heard.( In fact she dubbed Glenn in a movie years ago when Close played an opera singer.)

There's no question whose performance of With One Look I prefer : Glenn Close. She connects with the material in a way Kiri doesn't. Glenn's voice is so redolent of Old Hollywood glamour.

CT2NYC said: "Also, no Norma I've seen (not even Glenn) ended the show like Betty. Her reprise of "With One Look" to lights out was flawless. The growl in her voice when she sings "look" still gives me chills. It was fierce, on every level.

https://youtu.be/j-RnHI29_Mg"

Watching this clip, I began to think about how I usually favor a specific performer as the definitive incarnation of a given character and that individual becomes the only one I want to see/hear in the role. However, this footage of Ms. Buckley presents me with something of a dilemma and has me very much wishing that I'd seen her do the show. It's not necessarily that she's better than Ms. Close, but that she plays it differently and both takes are valid. For example, her speech near the foot of the staircase is far more restrained than Glenn's, but Betty also punctuates her performance with moments of intensity that create more of a roller coaster ride than Ms. Close's consistently bristling energy. And, as CT2NYC said, Betty's final reprise is electrifying. There's no doubt that she's technically a much better singer than Ms. Close (who, to be fair, has never really claimed to be a singer) and there are key moments when that ability allows for a transcendent performance. Now I wish there was a complete cast recording with Betty.

This footage also shows a lot of the exquisite detail in the set design and I just can't wrap my head around the criticism that it was "distracting" and "too cinematic". When Max calls "Lights!" and a flood of beams sweeps upward onto Norma near the top of the staircase, the color and texture of everything around her - the banister, the wall finish, the sconces, the artwork - screams vintage Hollywood and makes the whole thing "real". Why shouldn't it be cinematic? It's a show about a film star and the film industry!

Can anyone explain the significance of the red ribbon that Norma continually toys with in this scene? It seems to be there in every production, including the current revival, and I don't understand the intent of this accessory.

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 08:49 AM

Lot666 said:

This footage also shows a lot of the exquisite detail in the set design and I just can't wrap my head around the criticism that it was "distracting" and "too cinematic". When Max calls "Lights!" and a flood of beams sweeps upward onto Norma near the top of the staircase, the color and texture of everything around her - the banister, the wall finish, the sconces, the artwork - screams vintage Hollywood and makes the whole thing "real". Why shouldn't it be cinematic? It's a show about a film star and the film industry!




As I've said before, I miss the mansion set. For me, it was a character in the show, its dark and cavernous space beautifully representing Norma's loneliness. It was used, to stunning effect, in "This Time Next Year," with the juxtaposition of the quiet sadness at the mansion above and the raucous jubilation at Artie's tiny apartment below.

chernjam said: "Definitely would love to go back to Phantom with a 40 piece orchestra"

The dream of a lifetime, for me. While the 2004 film was woefully miscast (although the award for Worst Movie Musical Casting In History is reserved for Russell Crowe in Les Miserables), the orchestral performance/recording was absolutely gorgeous. The overture has never sounded better and really diminished that pre-recorded synthesizer sound. The orchestra for the 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall was also wonderful.