REVIEW: Sunset BLVD on Broadway
Scherzinger Slays in Jamie Lloyd's Stunning Production
When Nicole Scherzinger accepted her Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical she joked about how growing up the role of faded film star Norma Desmond was not one she ever wanted to play. ( see here from 1minute 20seconds).
She was probably not alone. The original framing of Norma with the bloody awful turban and weird kaftan (which later became the bloody awful turban and weird fur trimmed jacket),being consistently overshadowed by scenery so massive that it needed the engine from the old QE2 to move it, was so outdated and kitsch when the show first opened that a whole generation literally ignored the show. People were aware that it existed but as the last of the grandiosely (over) designed British mega musicals to open it fell out of fashion within moments.
Which was a shame because it is a powerful, intense and frightening piece about delusion, child abuse (Norma started in movies at 16), mental illness and gender politics. In 1994 it was all about the vision of some upper class white British men and their freaking flying house.
Jamie Lloyd, the director of the new Tony nominated and Olivier awarded production does not give a flying fuck about the original. He has ripped out the artifice, cut two (terrible songs), and found the deeply dark chamber musical within. And it is this that makes Sunset BLVD so incredible.
I had seen this production in London (see my review HERE), and was excited to see it on Broadway as well. In London the audience were waiting to be warmed up to Scherzinger, but on Broadway people lost their minds the moment she appeared and, when Nicole sung With One Look there were no more minds left to lose: oxygen was brought in for the many people who were completely slayed.
Jamie Lloyd and Andrew Lloyd Weber made a very good decision to bring all four leads and Hannah Yun Chamberlain from London to New York for this run. There is clear development in all of their characters and performances.
Tom Francis as Jo Gillis is more muscular, physically and in terms of his acting. His Jo was never the fey, cynical and frankly annoying twat of the original version. Now he is more masculine and powerful so, of course Norma is going to be physically attracted to his animal charms and his hints of the hustler Val Xavier in Orpheus Descending. I felt much more clearly Jo’s own descent into madness in the second act especially in the spectacular and explosive scene with Betty where she discovers the truth about him and Norma. He is forced to face his own deception and the delivery of each ‘That’s Norma Desmond, That’s Norma Desmond’ felt like a gunshot. Mr Francis has become a star and is rightly Tony Nominated for his performance. And the act two opener that has him walking up Shubert Alley stopped the traffic and stopped the show. Probably the greatest theatrical moment since lot 666 came crashing down all those years ago.
As Betty, Grace Hodgett Young has likewise developed her performance. She is less ingenue now, playing her character as a more grounded, intelligent woman who knows she is being held back because of her gender. She is an exciting young actor bizarrely overlooked by the Tony committee but never fear because this woman will be leading shows, creating parts and winning all the awards soon.
As Max, I saw understudy Pierre Marais. He got the pacing and the vocals spot on but adopted a strange physicality that took away some of the character’s threatening and violent presence. It is hugely difficult to cover roles, especially when they are played by the fantastic David Thaxton, so all credit to Mr Marais for his work.
As Young Norma, Hannah Yun Chamberlain is sometimes overlooked. Sure she was born with a facial resemblance to Nicole Scherzinger (some gals get all the luck), and if that was the extent of her getting the part, all would be fine. What Ms Yun Chamberlain creates with her role is dream like, she becomes Norma with movement, emotion and tenderness. When the on-screen images are cross fading between Young Norma and Norma Today we are not sure which version we are looking at and her presence is at once striking and ethereal - a Banquo’s ghost haunting the monochrome feast. Did we see her? Was it Norma? This screams of strong direction giving a young actor confidence to deliver.
Nicole Scherzinger is the star of this production. What makes her performance and presence all the more incredible is that she does not use her star power to blind the audience into only seeing her. Instead she illuminates the production and the rest of the cast; this is a leading actor who gives space to her fellow cast members, who recognises and nurtures those around her.
And, above all, she is an extraordinary actor. She is as fearless, open and totally committed as she was in London. What has developed further is the playful, funny and fierce side of Norma - this is a character that is not wholly defined by her madness which is why we believe much more in the romance between Norma and Jo. She’s hot, rich and funny while he’s hot, poor and damaged. With Norma, Jo sees a way of repairing his life, first because he can hide out there, then because he has everything provided for him -”24 hour 5 star room service” as he sings in the title song. What he fails to calculate in time is the gravitational pull her delusion will have on him and when he understands he is already underwater. What we understand is that he was already fatally holed beneath the water line and Norma’s ocean rushes in to fill the voids and force him to the bottom.
Vocally, it is hard to think of another performer who can match Nicole Scherzinger for both sheer power and emotional range except maybe an Evita-era Elaine Paige (see HERE from the 1978 Olivier Awards), or Patti Lupone. Neither of those incredible women had to perform their iconic roles with cameras following them around the stage projecting their every twitch and imperfection in perfect UHD on a cinema screen behind them. Scherzinger (and the cast), have learnt much more about using the tech and the concept to their advantage in this production. It now feels more integrated and organic than it did in London and it would be hard to go back to flying mansions, fake cars and an ensemble cast dressed in clothing bought from a vintage specialist stall in Camden Market. This can only be positive.
In my opinion Jamie Lloyd’s direction and vision prove something about Andrew Lloyd Weber’s work that, once I realised it, seems obvious; the musical Lord knows how to write a great show but when he is not pushing the envelope the work becomes less well defined and even sloppy. Aspects was a second go at a Phantom style romance, and Sunset needed to cutting edge in the way some of his earlier work was. And if you don’t think Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita were cutting edge then let’s chat!
Think of the impact the Hal Prince-led productions of Evita and Phantom had on the theatre world and how Cats and Starlight brought the spectacular into the theatre through Trevor Nunn’s Direction and John Napier’s design. By the time the original Sunset production opened both Nunn and Napier were recycling ideas from nearly 20 years ago. They imposed physical grandiosity and pomposity on a show that didn’t need it. The music, book and lyrics stand on their own as some of ALW, Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s best work - and it is telling that Director Lloyd cut two songs from the show and it works better. Nunn couldn’t see this because he was too far engrossed in his own ego and designer Napier only had one design choice - Big, Huge.
This production starts with the play. It looks at the characters, listens to the music and assesses the story, then adds where necessary. In act one Norma tells Jo to sit down. He sits on the floor because there is no leopard skin covered and gold framed chaise longe to extend his frame on. It is fine, it doesn’t matter, it’s not a movie - it is about movies. It uses movie technology that makes things appear hyper real with our filling in all the visual gaps.
Sunset BLVD is classed by the Tony committee as a Revival. It should set the standard for all revivals from now on; it looks at the material in a new way and it adds to our knowledge of the show which gives it a purpose to be presented - and, more importantly, the public loves it.
This production doesn't just interrogate the original show, it makes the audience ask new questions and, importantly for the future of the art form, (just like Daniel Fish’s Oklahoma), it challenges producers to come up with new creative reasons to revive shows instead of just recreating the same old show with the same old style.
Hey Mr Producer - it’s over to you sir (or ma’am!).
Sunset BLVD has 7 Tony Nominations and is playing at the St James Theatre in New York. To find out more and book tickets click HERE