Sunset Boulevard (Musical)

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Musical dates
Title: Sunset Boulevard
Original language: English
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Book: Don Black , Christopher Hampton
Lyrics: Don Black, Christopher Hampton
Premiere: July 12, 1993
Place of premiere: Adelphi Theater , London
Place and time of the action: Hollywood, 1949/1950
Roles / people
  • Norma Desmond
  • Joe Gillis
  • Max von Mayerling
  • Betty Schaefer
  • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Artie Green
  • Sheldrake
  • Manfred

& Ensemble

Sunset Boulevard ( Listen ? / I ) is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber . It is based on the film Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder in 1950 with Gloria Swanson in the title role . Audio file / audio sample

Sunset Boulevard celebrated its world premiere on July 12, 1993 at the Adelphi Theater in London with Patti LuPone in the role of Norma Desmond. In the American version of the musical, the famous actress Glenn Close celebrated her greatest Broadway success.

The German-language premiere, with the translation by Michael Kunze , took place on December 8, 1995 in the Rhein-Main-Theater in Niedernhausen , which was specially built for the musical . This production was discontinued on May 5, 1998 after 992 performances. The performance rights for municipal theaters have been released since 2010, the first independent production at the Magdeburg Theater, directed by Stefan Huber .

A new version of the piece with an orchestration for a large symphony orchestra (the "Symphonic Version") premiered in April 2016 at the English National Opera in London with Glenn Close in the lead role. In Germany, this version was performed for the first time in October 2016 in Dortmund and Lübeck.

action

Joe Gillis, a Hollywood screenwriter, is completely broke. Nobody wants to accept his scripts. At one of the producers he meets production assistant Betty Schaefer, who expresses interest in his scripts. Gillis' financial position is so precarious that he can no longer pay the installment for his car. He flees from his creditors.

On the run he gets randomly on the estate of silent film - Diva Norma Desmond. Isolated and forgotten by the outside world, she lives with her butler Max von Mayerling in a run-down villa. At first, Gillis believes the villa is deserted and parks in the garage. Soon after, however, he notices that the villa is still inhabited: Norma and Max believe that Joe has come to bury the recently deceased chimpanzee. When Norma realizes that Joe is not the undertaker, she expels him from the house. However, Joe mentions that he is a screenwriter. The two start a conversation and Norma shows Joe the script for her film Salomé . Joe doesn't think much of it at first, but Norma convinces him to stay the night and read it through to the end. Cecil B. DeMille is supposed to film it with her in the title role. Norma is convinced that this would be her comeback .

Since Norma often receives fan mail, she believes the whole world is waiting for a new Norma Desmond film. Gillis later finds out that Max is the author of the letters, thereby reinforcing Norma's madness that she is still a big star. It also turns out that Max was Norma's discoverer, director and husband.

Due to his financial worries, Gillis accepts Norma's offer, first moving into the apartment above the garage, then into the bedroom of the mistress' former husbands because it is raining in the apartment above the garage. Gillis becomes more and more dependent on Norma and is forced to attend her bridge games with other forgotten movie stars. In addition, she regularly shows her successes from the silent film era in the in-house cinema. The whole house is crammed with photos and other holdovers from Norma's heyday. Norma herself keeps reminding us that actors used to convince through the power of their portrayal and that someone like Greta Garbo didn't need a dialogue.

After an expensive and lavish New Year's Eve party, which Norma arranged just for herself and Joe in the style of great silent film dramas, Gillis has had enough and leaves the property. He visits his friend Artie Green, who is having a big party. There Gillis meets Betty Schaefer again, she is Artie's fiancée. When Norma learns that Joe has left her party, she cuts her wrists. Later Gillis hears about it and returns to her out of concern and then becomes her lover. Norma spoils him and buys him expensive clothes and jewelry.

Norma asks Max to go to Paramount and personally deliver the script to Cecil B. DeMille. Over the next few days, he kept answering Paramount calls and talking to a man. Norma gets very angry because Cecil B. DeMille didn't call himself, even though they had made twelve films together and he would not have achieved anything without her. So she dresses and makes up perfectly, and drives with Max and Joe to Paramount Studios to talk to DeMille about the film. At first nobody lets her in until an old man recognizes her and confirms that she doesn't need a certificate. She is furious now because she believes she is the greatest star on earth. She reminds us that Paramount would not exist without her. Ultimately, it turns out that the studio only wants to use their luxurious Isotta Fraschini from the 1920s for filming. Cecil B. DeMille tells her that they will see what can be done. As Joe and Max wait in the car, Joe sees Betty Schaefer and goes into her office. The two want to write a script, but Joe can only do that during the night because Norma won't let him out of the house.

At some point, Norma realizes that Joe goes out every night to write the script with Betty Schaefer. She threatens to shoot herself with the revolver she recently bought. She calls Betty and tells her where and from whom Joe lives. Joe takes the phone from Norma and says, “Come and see for yourself. The address is 10086 “Sunset Boulevard”. When Betty arrives, he tells her to go and finish the script on her own. But Norma later sees that Joe wants to leave her and begs him to stay. Now she is going crazy and Joe tells her the truth that she is forgotten and that Max writes all letters of admiration. When Joe is in the garden, she shoots him with the revolver with which she wanted to kill herself. After three shots he dies and falls into the pool.

Later, police officers, newspaper people, passers-by, and finally a Paramount News car . Norma sits in front of the mirror in her room and makes herself beautiful. She ignores the questions the police asks her until Max comes and says that the cameras are ready for filming. She thinks that her film Salomé is being shot and walks majestically down the stairs to the main entrance.

Music track

1st act
  • Overture
  • I Guess It Was 5 AM (It was about five in the morning)
  • Let's Have Lunch (German: see you soon)
  • Every Movie's a Circus (German: Every film is a circus)
  • Surrender (dt .: to give up)
  • With one look (dt .: One look)
  • Salome (German: Salome)
  • The Greatest Star of All (Eng .: no star will ever be bigger)
  • Every Movie's a Circus (Reprise) (German: Every film is a Circus (Reprise))
  • Girl Meets Boy (Eng .: she meets him)
  • New Ways to Dream (dt .: dreams made of light)
  • The Lady's Paying (dt .: The lady pays the bill)
  • The Perfect Year (Eng .: a good year)
  • This Time Next Year (German: Just one more year)
  • Finale Primo
2nd act
  • Entr'acte
  • Sunset Boulevard (Eng .: Sunset Boulevard)
  • There's Been a Call (Reprise: The Perfect Year )
  • As If We Never Said Goodbye (German: As if we never said goodbye to each other)
  • Surrender (recapitulation) (German: to give up (recapitulation))
  • Girl Meets Boy (Reprise) (Eng .: She meets him (Reprise))
  • Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering (dt .: A little suffering)
  • Too Much in Love to Care (German: Much too much)
  • New Ways to Dream (Reprise) (German: Dreams from Light (Reprise))
  • Sunset Boulevard (Reprise) (German: Sunset Boulevard (Reprise))
  • Finale Ultimo

Performances

Main cast

  • Norma Desmond - aged, eccentric former silent film star
  • Joe Gillis - desperately poor aspiring young screenwriter
  • Max von Mayerling - Norma's first husband and butler
  • Betty Schaefer - promising young writer and Joe's lover
  • Cecil B. DeMille - the famous director
  • Artie Green - Betty's fiancé
  • Sheldrake - film producer in the parcel
  • Manfred - dear tailor
role Sydmonton Festival
(1991) 		Sydmonton Festival
(1992) 		West End
(1993) 		Los Angeles
(1993) 		Broadway
(1994) 		Toronto
(1995) 		Rhein-Main-Theater
(1995) 		Melbourne
(1996) 		BBC Radio 2 concert
(2004) 		West End
(2008) 		West End
(2016) 		Broadway
(2017)
Norma Desmond Ria Jones Patti LuPone ( Patti LuPone ) Betty Buckley Glenn Close Diahann Carroll Helen Schneider Debra Byrne Petula Clark Kathryn Evans Glenn Close
Joe Gillis Michael Ball Kevin Anderson ( Kevin Anderson ) John Barrowman Alan Campbell Rex Smith Uwe Kroeger Hugh Jackman Michael Ball Ben Goddard Michael Xavier
Betty Schaefer Frances Ruffelle LuAnn Arouson Meredith Braun Judy Kuhn Alice Ripley Anita Louise Combe Daniela Ziegler Catherine Porter Emma Williams Laura Pitt-Pulford Siobhan Dillon
Max von Meyerling Kevin Colson Daniel Benzali George Hearn Walter Charles Yngve Gasoy-Romdal Norbert Lamla Michael Bauer Dave Willetts Fred Johanson
Artie Green unavailable Gareth Snook Vincent Tumeo Christopher Shyer Tim Beveridge Michael Xavier Tomm Coles Haydn Oakley Preston Truman Boyd
Cecil B. DeMille Michael Bauer Alan Oppenheimer John Braden Clive Hearne Ian Burford Craig Pinder Julian Forsyth Paul Schoeffler
Sheldrake Harry Dixon Sal Mistretta unavailable Robert Grubb Rohan Tickell Alexander Evans Mark Goldthorpe Andy Taylor
Manfred Nicolas Colicos Rick Podell unavailable John McTernan Mark Mickerracher Sam Kenyon Fenton Gray Jim Walton

Awards

Laurence Olivier Awards

  • 1994: Best New Musical (nominated)
  • 1994: Best Actress / Musical - Patti LuPone (nominated)
  • 1995: Best Actress / Musical - Betty Buckley (nominated)
  • 1996: Best Actress / Musical - Elaine Paige (nominated)
  • 2009: Best Actress / Musical - Kathryn Evans (nominated)
  • 2009: Best Performance in a Supporting Role - Dave Willetts (nominated)
  • 2017: Best Musical Rival (nominated)
  • 2017: Best Actress / Musical - Glenn Close (nominated)

Tony Awards

  • 1995: Best Musical (won)
  • 1995: Best Original Score - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton (won)
  • 1995: Best music libretto - Don Black and Christopher Hampton (won)
  • 1995: Best Actor / Musical - Alan Campbell (nominated)
  • 1995: Best Actress / Musical - Glenn Close (won)
  • 1995: Best Supporting Actor / Musical - George Hearn (won)
  • 1995: Best musical director - Trevor Nunn (nominated)
  • 1995: Best Choreography - Bob Avian (nominated)
  • 1995: Best Set Design - John Napier (won)
  • 1995: Best Costume Design - Anthony Powell (nominated)
  • 1995: Best Lighting Design - Andrew Bridge (won)

Drama Desk Awards

  • 1995: Outstanding Actress / Musical - Glenn Close (won)
  • 1995: Outstanding Supporting Actor / Musical - George Hearn (won)
  • 1995: Best Director / Musical - Trevor Nunn (won)
  • 1995: Best Choreography - Bob Avian (won)
  • 1995: Best Set Design - John Napier (won)
  • 1995: Best Costume Design - Anthony Powell (won)
  • 1995: Best Lighting - Andrew Bridge (won)
  • 2017: Best Lighting Design - Mark Henderson (nominated)

CDs

  • Sunset Boulevard - World Premiere Recording - Original London Cast (m. Patti LuPone & John Barrowman ; double CD, Polydor 1993 )
  • Sunset Boulevard - Original American Cast Recording - Starring Glenn Close ( Double CD, Polydor 1994 )
  • Sunset Boulevard - Original Canadian Cast Recording - Starring Diahann Carroll ( CD: Highlights, Polygram 1995/96 )
  • Sunset Boulevard - German original recording - With Helen Schneider ( CD: Highlights, Polydor, 1996 )

filming

A planned film adaptation has been postponed several times for unknown reasons. Media reports in spring 2019 speak of a start of production in autumn 2019.

literature

  • George Perry: Sunset Boulevard: From Movie to Musical . Henry Holt & Company, New York 1993, ISBN 0-8050-2927-3 (English).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Oliver Bock: Mixed program near the motorway. In: FAZ. July 26, 2010, accessed May 8, 2019 .
  2. ^ Matt Trueman: London Theater Review: Glenn Close in 'Sunset Boulevard' . In: Variety . April 5, 2016 ( variety.com [accessed November 21, 2016]).
  3. ↑ Noisy sounds on the SUNSET BOULEVARD . March 9, 2015 ( musikundbuehne.de [accessed November 21, 2016]).
  4. ^ Theater & Philharmonie Thuringia: Sunset Boulevard. Retrieved May 6, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Olivier Winners 1994 - olivierawards.com, accessed March 29, 2011; Archived from the original on December 24, 2013.
  6. ^ Olivier Winners 2009 - olivierawards.com, accessed March 29, 2011; Archived from the original on May 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ Borys Kit: Glenn Close's 'Sunset Boulevard' Movie Musical Finds Its Director. In: The Hollywood Reporter. February 28, 2019, accessed May 8, 2019 .