Not sure how many people are familiar with this, but here is Patti LuPone singing the original lyrics to 'With One Look' at Sydmonton in 1992. I don't know why they decided to change some of the lyrics - I think the original is much more powerful and emotional.
Does anyone know the reason for the change and when it was done ? (I'm curious if it's one of the changes Streisand asked for in March, 1993 and they liked it so much they kept it in the show.)
What do you think of these original lyrics ? Should they have kept them in the show ?
Something happened when they moved away from Amy Powers with the lyrics for Sunset for sure, and I have a feeling that specific phrase you mention may have been hers or close enough to warrant legal credit more than the fine print she receives in the final version. I actually prefer it to the final version, but I'm not a fan of many of the tweaks made over the years that took away some bite.
I also think there was this constant shift throughout the entire development and run of the original production(s) and the many Normas to make the character less of an unrelatable, unsympathetic diva and more into a sympathetic misguided woman with mental illness. And this is why so many portrayals of the role are divisive. Many people straight up claim Patti was unsympathetic and this made her portrayal difficult to swallow compared to Glenn. Glenn went super serious but kept a fragility that was more successful (combined with her star power) for a larger audience. Petula was too sympathetic and rightfully earned the title "Granny Desmond" from many, playing that nice older woman next door. I personally loved Betty - she was fun and sexy, but even I'll admit her Norma was mentally unstable from the first moment she hit the stairs, but I loved that sense of danger she brought. I've seen other valid takes as well and it's a great role that really offers a chance for lots of exploration and depth. Can't wait to see Stephanie J. Block this February in DC tackle it!
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
greensgreens said: "Something happened when they moved away from Amy Powers with the lyrics for Sunset for sure, and I have a feeling that specific phrase you mention may have been hers or close enough to warrant legal credit more than the fine print she receives in the final version. I actually prefer it to the final version, but I'm not a fan of many of the tweaks made over the years that took away some bite. "
I forgot the Amy Powers situation. Thanks for this info !
TaffyDavenport said: "With one look I touch everyone With one glance I eclipse the sun Take a look and you will see Why the world watches me
vs.
With one smile I'm the girl next door Or the love that you've hungered for When I speak it's with my soul I can play any role"
I much prefer the final version, specifically the first two lines quoted here. I think they sound much better when sung, and they invoke concrete examples of Norma's abilities rather than abstract images.
The last episode on the "Sunset Project" podcast about Sunset Boulevard is an interview with Amy Powers where she is quite explicit about how terribly they treated her and the whole experience. She mentions that she was prohibited to have a lawyer read her contract and it estipulated her contribution was to be counted by the exact number of words put by her on the final version, not concepts, meaning, titles, rhyme schemes, syntax etc, hence why many small changes to say the exact same thing, to avoid paying her.
Yes, by searching The Sunset Project podcast on google you get multiple results. I'm adding the spotify link, probably the most useful along with the link on the previous message.
Episode 16 is the episode that focuses on Amy Powers and her involvement with the show. It is quite an extensive podcast with a total of 17 episodes.
"Opinions are very interesting because we all have different ones. You are entitled to your opinion, but that does not mean you should always give it to others, especially when your opinion is not necessarily grounded in truth, but in what you believe or want to believe."
Wow! Thank you guys for mentioning this Amy Powers interview. It was beyond fantastic. Delicious seeing her SUNSET BLVD hiccup is just a fun anecdote in her life now as she’s gone on to bigger things. Heck, her husband has his own thing going and one of her kids is a multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer (at age 23!). I love how this SUNSET BLVD period is such a joke to her in retrospect.
Thank you for this! It’s a very good podcast though most of the info so far (first six episodes) is read from newspapers, Lupones memoir and Diahann Carroll memoir. Nothing new at all, but still nice to hear everything recapped 30 years later.