Will Sunset Boulevard tour?

[mplstheatrefan]

Posted: 2/7/18 at 11:03pm

After its run in London, the show launched a tour around the UK. Is there any chance it’ll tour the US now that it’s not on broadway?

[antonijan]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 1:37am

Hopefully so!

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 7:26am

As much as I would love it to tour, I doubt that it will.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 7:48am

I would love to see this happen (although I also doubt that it will). I'd really like to see a fully-staged production.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 10:15am

I feel like this is a show that regional and community theatres have been afraid of for some reason. I rarely, if ever, hear about any productions of this, which is a shame. So I would certainly love to see it tour. I'd rather see a fine B'way actress than a movie/tv star for the tour though. As good as Glenn's acting is (and she does have B'way cred), I just never cared for her singing (and I saw it on opening night in 95). What's Donna Murphy doing? Does Jan Maxwell have the voice to pull it off? I'd love to hear Bernadette tackle the big numbers, but I doubt she'd tour. What about Sunset alumni Alice Ripley? Who else could do it?

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 10:19am

greensgreens said: "I feel like this is a show that regional and community theatres have been afraid of for some reason. I rarely, if ever, hear about any productions of this, which is a shame. So I would certainly love to see it tour. I'd rather see a fine B'way actress than a movie/tv star for the tour though. As good as Glenn's acting is (and she does have B'way cred), I just never cared for her singing (and I saw it on opening night in 95). What's Donna Murphy doing? Does Jan Maxwell have the voice to pull it off? I'd love to hear Bernadette tackle the big numbers, but I doubt she'd tour. What about Sunsetalumni Alice Ripley? Who else could do it?"

they should get Patti's standby Evita.  People have been wondering what she is up to lately....I'm sure she could sing the role better than most Norma's.

[scampsweep]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 12:09pm

I believe that Bernadette Peters was considered as Norma as a replacement to Betty Buckley back in the nineties. I’m sure I remember reading that. I think Bernadette had certain conditions, including the fact she wanted ‘input’ in relation to who her understudy would be. Negotiations obviously eventually fell through and Elaine Paige transferred instead. I’m fairly certain that Bernadette was approached though.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 12:42pm

I don't think this could tour without some recognizable name attached. The initial tour that starred Linda Balgord kind of proved that the public wasn't interested in this as a musical without a star - and that's when the show was new and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the peak of his powers.'

 

[rg7759]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 12:52pm

the end of jumanji: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 1:04pm

scampsweep said: . I think Bernadette had certain conditions, including the fact she wanted ‘input’ in relation to who her understudy would be. N

Ironically, Peters never played the role, but her frequent standby Maureen Moore (who covered Peters in GYPSY, SONG AND DANCE) did cover Elaine Paige as Norma.

[David10086]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 5:54pm

scampsweep said: "I believe that Bernadette Peters was considered as Norma as a replacement to Betty Buckley back in the nineties. I’m sure I remember reading that. I think Bernadette had certain conditions, including the fact she wanted ‘input’ in relation to who her understudy would be. Negotiations obviously eventually fell through and Elaine Paige transferred instead. I’m fairly certain that Bernadette was approached though."

Yes, she was approached by ALW back in 1996, along with a long list of other 'big names'. I had heard the reason she didn't take the offer was because she had heard (from one of the other actresses) how physically draining it was to play the role, running up and down the stairs multiple times for each performance. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 8:09pm

That sounds very silly to me. I can’t imagine her not doing it because she thought might get tired playing the role. Her agent probably just didn’t want her to be the third replacement in a Broadway show.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 2/8/18 at 10:41pm

Word around town this time last year was that it was supposed to tour. For whatever that's worth.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 12:00am

I'd love to see Alice Ripley take it on. Her version of Never Said Goodbye is stunning. She's been gunning to play the role for awhile too.

[chernjam]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 3:21am

trpguyy said: "Word around town this time last year was that it was supposed to tour. For whatever that's worth."

This time last year - on Opening Night - they had announced the 4 week extension, sold over half a million dollars in tickets the next day and were flirting with extending the limited engagement to a longer run with another actress... So I think some of that might have been opening night euphoria.  

I was hopeful that the UK tour (which looks cool from the pictures I've seen) might get a second go in the US.  Donna Murphy had done a workshop of a potential Sunset revival about 4 years ago - which I heard had the creative team make some changes to the show which ALW didn't go for, so it never went anywhere (would LOVE to see what those changes were).  But I would love to see Donna in this role.  She has such a uniquely beautiful voice and is a tremendous actress (her Fosca from Passion still haunts me)

As huge a fan as I am of this, I'm doubtful.  I think ALW and Glenn are full speed ahead on seeing this get filmed.  So that probably would happen before a US Tour.  

You're all correct though.  It's really disappointing that it's not been mounted more often.  Not sure if the rights are readily available or what - but I look every year to see if Paper Mill Playhouse would ever take a stab at it.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 8:12am

chernjam said: "I think ALW and Glenn are full speed ahead on seeing this get filmed."

Really? I haven't heard much on that front. I hope you're right, but is there some recent article or interview out there that you're basing this on?

[brettarnett]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 8:28am

"were flirting with extending the limited engagement to a longer run with another actress"

Were there were rumors to who that other actress was?

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 8:41am

brettarnett said: ""were flirting with extending the limited engagement to a longer run with another actress"

Were there were rumors to who that other actress was?"

Not that I recall, but some of us in the revival thread were hoping that Betty Buckley would take over at the last minute and stop the show from closing!

[chernjam]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 10:34am

Lot666 said: "chernjam said: "I think ALW and Glenn are full speed ahead on seeing this get filmed."

Really? I haven't heard much on that front. I hope you're right, but is there some recent article or interview out there that you're basing this on?"

I haven't heard or seen anything new since late summer (maybe it was Playbill) that said they were aiming at pre-production this year or something.  Was wondering if the one night thing that ALW and Glenn are doing together in NYC for his 70th b-day/book release if they might share some news

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/9/18 at 10:40am

chernjam said: "Was wondering if the one night thing that ALW and Glenn are doing together in NYC for his 70th b-day/book release if they might share some news"

Hopefully!