Sunset Boulevard Revival Broadway Thread- Page 41

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/20/17 at 11:16pm

qolbinau said: "The orchestra and those soaring melodies with the strings sounded beautiful (I can't imagine what they must have sounded like in London). Glenn Close also had incredible moments of acting - watching her flip from delusional happiness, to emotionally upset, to complete crazy (see: final scene) was something fine. The scene after she cuts her wrists and then basically rapes Joe was chilling. This has been a great season for musical acting indeed.

Having only listened to the 'good' songs on repeat for a few years now though, the score is even worse than I remember it to be. When I heard the line "Shut up I'm rich not some platinum blonde bitch" I couldn't stop cackling with laughter. It almost sounds like they stole it from somewhere in the original "Carrie".

Would be interested in a television recording but think a cast recording seems a bit unnecessary to me...Glenn can't sing it any better now.

"

Well we will have to disagree... Have had that overture in my head since seeing it again this past Saturday.  And to me there's not a clunker in the score from ALW... Even small bits like "Girl Meets Boy" is melodically beautiful and the orchestral versions of this are perfection.

And you're observation of "Shut Up I'm rich" - is precisely why I think a new recording is needed.  Close's portrayal has only gotten finer, richer over these 2 decades - and her co-stars and the new orchestrations - all make this a definitive version that they need to preserve.  If we can have Elena Rogers on two Evitas issued only a few years apart, we can certainly have a new Sunset recording

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 8:34am

"Shut up, I'm rich..." is a lyric, not part of the score.

I agree with chernjam that the score is glorious. The overture is one of my all-time favorites.

 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 10:14am

After reading the news yesterday about the new recording of SITPWG, it made me realize how badly this needs to be recorded and preserved.

I think it will happen.

[carnzee]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:17pm

I finally saw this Wednesday evening. It was a dream come true, and here are a few observations: 

1. I didn't feel cheated at all by this being "semi-staged." It was a beautiful show and Lonny Price had many elegant solutions to the staging challenges. 

2.Like many others, I've never been keen on the score as a whole. I  liked the Norma/Max stuff, but didn't care to listen much to the rest. But seeing it in context of the show, with energetic performers putting the studio / Artie's party scenes over, and that orchestra creating a plush, purple wall of sound, I enjoyed the score from start to finish. I think folks have been to hard on it, mainly because it's cool to bash ALW. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a wonderful show. 

3. The three supporting principals were great, even though I had no idea who they were. People have not given Michael Xavier enough credit. People come to see Norma, but Joe carries the show. I feel like Xavier was like Atlas Shrugged, holding the show on his shoulders. 

4. Glenn sounded rusty, even flat at first, but she nailed the money note at the end of "With One Look", and from there she was off to the races. I really appreciated how her vocal inflections have changed over the years, like the eerie little girl voice she uses for "when he scorned me I knew he had to die... " On the other board, someone who attended the same performance I did is putting forth a conspiracy theory that some of Glenn's notes are being piped in!  I think this actually a testament to how strong her voice is these days. 

[binau]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:22pm

Lot666 said: ""Shut up, I'm rich..." is a lyric, not part of the score.

I agree with chernjam that the score is glorious. The overture is one of my all-time favorites.

 

 

"

When I say 'score' I'm referring to the wider definition used by the Tony Awards that includes both music and lyrics. 

But speaking of music, does anyone enjoy the repetitive melodies that Joe sings all night? I enjoy most of Norma's songs of course. 

 

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/21/17 at 5:28pm

carnzee said: "I finally saw this Wednesday evening. It was a dream come true, and here are a few observations: 

1. I didn't feel cheated at all by this being "semi-staged." It was a beautiful show and Lonny Price had many elegant solutions to the staging challenges. 

2.Like many others, I've never been keen on the score as a whole. I  liked the Norma/Max stuff, but didn't care to listen much to the rest. But seeing it in context of the show, with energetic performers putting the studio / Artie's party scenes over, and that orchestra creating a plush, purple wall of sound, I enjoyed the score from start to finish. I think folks have been to hard on it, mainly because it's cool to bash ALW. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a wonderful show. 

3. The three supporting principals were great, even though I had no idea who they were. People have not given Michael Xavier enough credit. People come to see Norma, but Joe carries the show. I feel like Xavier was like Atlas Shrugged, holding the show on his shoulders. 

"

carnzee - I've thought that this entire run... not only is Xavier pretty much on stage the entire 2 and a half hours -  he has to portray Joe in a way that makes him likable/cynical/opportunist all while matching the intensity of Glenn's Norma.  That's a tall order that Xavier makes look easy.  And vocally he's the finest Joe I've heard live.

One other point that I thought of today - I really loved the "Ghost" norma when I saw it again on Saturday.  I had forgotten when exactly it was used the first time I saw this revival, and when they used her in "The Greatest Star of All" - that made that scene even more emotionally moving.  It just made Max's obsessive devotion/enabling of this delusion that much more believable.  And in The Perfect Year, watching Glenn watching her younger self (while Joe starts to realize that, yes he has stepped into quicksand and wasn't sure what to do) was heart-wrenching...

Absolutely love this production

[lczvera]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 12:01am

I echo everything you said. Xavier is definately taken for granted (huh, no pun intended) by lots of people, especially in this thread. I love his interpertation of Joe and I think he gave an astonishing performance opposite Gleen Close. He also gets great vocal skills, especailly when he sings that duet with Dillon.

Yeah, Gleen Close is the star of this production, but I hope Xavier do not get overlooked. 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 1:11am

I also enjoyed Xavier a lot...hopefully he gets a Tony nomination...he does a fine job as Joe Gillis, and Alan Campbell's shoes are big shoes to fill. Unfortunately there hasn't been a better Betty Schaeffer than Judy Kuhn yet.

[Hamilton Addict]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 8:52am

Is there any chance of a cast recording being made of this production?

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 10:33am

Hamilton Addict said: "Is there any chance of a cast recording being made of this production?

"

There's always a chance... I've taken to "harassing" (or rather encouraging ) people on Twitter - @SunsetBlvd @OfficialALW @michaelxavierUK @TheGlennClose @SiobhanDillonuk asking the same thing.  Xavier and Siobhan seem supportive as they've retweeted/liked tweets where people have asked for this... so jump in!  Hopefully the producers will see that if SITPWG could get another recording, Sunset is long overdue for one

[Hamilton Addict]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 10:40am

chernjam said: "There's always a chance... I've taken to "harassing" (or rather encouraging ) people on Twitter - @SunsetBlvd @OfficialALW @michaelxavierUK @TheGlennClose @SiobhanDillonuk asking the same thing.  Xavier and Siobhan seem supportive as they've retweeted/liked tweets where people have asked for this... so jump in!  Hopefully the producers will see that if SITPWG could get another recording, Sunset is long overdue for one"

That's great-thanks for the response! The show doesn't close for another two months, so there's still a lot of time for the producers to decide. I'll keep my fingers crossed! 

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 10:45am

101 DALMATIANS is on HBO right now, and I had forgotten how similar Glenn Close's "Cruella de Vil" is to her original "Norma." It's not surprising, though, considering she made the movie immediately after she left SUNSET in 1995.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 5:33pm

I just bought tickets for May 6th matinee!!! I'm near the point of tears that I am finally going to experience Glenn Close live in the show!!!

 

And Anthony Powell did the costumes in Dalmations so it should come as no surprise that they looked so similar!

 

I'm Theater geeking it out right now-it's real-I'm seeing the show instead of the awful Petula tour from 99'

 

Time to blare As If We Never Said Goodbye!!!

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/22/17 at 10:43pm

10086sunset said: "After reading the news yesterday about the new recording of SITPWG, it made me realize how badly this needs to be recorded and preserved.

I think it will happen.

"

I'm hopeful 10086... looking on Amazon and they barely have the American Premiere Recording in stock anymore, so I'm choosing to take this as a good sign that with the stock running low that they'll produce a new recording.  Why not even just take a live recording from the theatre like they did for Woman in White?  They could record a couple of performances, take the best cuts of each?

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/23/17 at 8:03am

chernjam said: "Why not even just take a live recording from the theatre like they did for Woman in White?"

Wait, what? Are you saying that The Woman in White cast recording was done live during performances?

[castlestreet]

Posted: 4/23/17 at 10:24am

The Palace Theater in London I believe has an in-house recording set-up that facilitated not only the live recording of WIW but also the two live Song & Dance albums.

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/23/17 at 10:44am

Lot666 said: "chernjam said: "Why not even just take a live recording from the theatre like they did for Woman in White?"

Wait, what? Are you saying that The Woman in White cast recording was done live during performances?

"

Yeah Lott... they were going to record in studio and then ALW announced they had recorded I think Opening Night (possibly another night) and utilized those, which was how it got released so quickly...  I forgot as castlestreet pointed out that there was an in house set up... I kind of thought they could do it from the sound board.  But then again, what do I know about those things?

[lczvera]

Posted: 4/23/17 at 11:43am

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lin-Manuel Miranda are having a FB live event at 2pm EST. If there is a Q&A session, I guess I will bring the new cast recording up!

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 2:00am

lczvera - watched most of it on Facebook and posted a question asking ALW the same question but didnt see it get asked... Did you have an opportunity after the event?

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 9:25am

chernjam said: "... they were going to record in studio and then ALW announced they had recorded I think Opening Night (possibly another night) and utilized those, which was how it got released so quickly...  I forgot as castlestreet pointed out that there was an in house set up... I kind of thought they could do it from the sound board.  But then again, what do I know about those things?"

I guess that explains why the CD includes the opening night, live performance of "You Can Get Away With Anything" by Michael Crawford. I guess what I don't understand is why that one track is described as "live" and features audience applause/sounds.

[Daddy Warbucks]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 9:55am

I was at the show on Saturday and Glen auctioned off some shoes that she was wearing on stage. They ended up going for $6000!  It was hilarious watching her go crazy on stage as the bidding kept going higher and higher. She's so great. 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 11:14am

They really seem to have been on a serious mission to win the BC/EFA fundraising.

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 11:16am

This show's BC/EFA efforts have been phenomenal.

[chernjam]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 11:19am

10086sunset said: "They really seem to have been on a serious mission to win the BC/EFA fundraising.

"

Do they post the tally somewhere?  How long does this go till?

[morosco]

Posted: 4/24/17 at 11:33am

Glenn sounded rusty, even flat at first, but she nailed the money note at the end of "With One Look"

There has been some online speculation that her money note at the end of that number is pre-recorded.