Amidst the glitz and glamour of Broadway, “Sunset Blvd” captivates with the formidable, powerful performance of Nicole Scherzinger, who embodies the once-legendary silent film star Norma Desmond. This self-proclaimed queen has long been dethroned and now resides in a veil of delusion. Yet, it is within a pivotal moment featuring Tom Francis as Joe Gillis, the struggling young screenwriter, that my gaze was unequivocally drawn—right after he submits to the whims of the desperate Norma as the curtain falls on Act I.
As Act II unfurls, we witness Joe crooning the haunting title song:
Sunset Boulevard
Frenzied boulevard
Swamped with every kind of false emotion.
This poignant verse resonates on multiple levels, encapsulating not merely the enigmatic realm of Hollywood but also the emotional core of this latest Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s grandiose 1994 musical melodrama. Directed in Jamie Lloyd’s distinctively minimalist yet visually striking style, this production challenges the audience to ponder the deeper implications of fame, artistry, and the crushing weight of nostalgia.
The clever use of live video projection plays a pivotal role throughout the show, with Francis’s image appearing on a massive screen, a striking technique that underscores the themes of voyeurism and self-exposure inherent in Hollywood’s allure. Notably, as he traverses the bustling streets of New York, the camera trails him through the elaborate backstage labyrinth, offering glimpses into a world that feels both astonishingly close and tantalizingly out of reach.
Yet, irony weaves itself into this moment. A marquee from a competing production proudly boasts about the melodies that linger in the minds of departing theatergoers. Sadly for “Sunset Blvd,” only a handful of its three dozen musical pieces strike a memorable chord, with “As If We Never Said Goodbye” standing out in a parade of mediocrity and forgettable lyrics—a stark reminder of a bygone era.
The narrative itself is steeped in a vinegary tang of cynicism and ageism, as Joe attempts to placate Norma with lines such as, “Nothing’s wrong with being forty, unless you’re acting twenty.” Such attempts to couch the show’s darker, more toxic elements within humor only serve to shed light on the underlying misogyny that mars its charm.
Take the plot, for example: Joe, fleeing from an imminent confrontation with unpaid debts, unwittingly finds himself ensnared in Norma’s eerie, lavish mansion—its opulence a stark contrast to her own fading dreams of stardom. Here, she offers him a lifeline, hiring him to rescue her inelegant script about Salome, which she believes will boot her back into the spotlight. As the tenuous relationship between Norma and Joe spirals into dependency, the depths of deception reveal themselves, leading to a tragic struggle for dominance, ultimately culminating in Joe’s entanglement with the ambitious Betty.
In a surreal twist, Scherzinger’s portrayal deviates from the character’s intended grotesque allure; she exudes a vampiric seduction—a far cry from the desperation and decay one might expect from Norma Desmond. Indeed, “She must be about a million years old,” remarks a character, a description that starkly contrasts with Scherzinger’s radiant glamour.
As the production pushes forward, the predilection for modern interpretations—black street clothes over classic Hollywood glamour—further distances itself from the narrative’s core. The pervasive black-and-white video projections harken back to an idealized cinematic past, but they blur the boundaries between homage and horror.
“Sunset Boulevard,” though ambitiously conceived and meticulously executed, often wrestles with contradictions—its earnestness veiled in a transparent shroud of spectacle. While Scherzinger’s star power undeniably enchants many theater aficionados, the production leaves lingering questions about its relevance.
As Norma aptly puts it, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small,” and yet, perhaps too many flickering projections fail to kindle the spark of nostalgia or connection.
In retrospect, despite the sumptuous designs and ambitious intent, “Sunset Boulevard” might not rise to the occasion of a revival worth celebrating. The shadows cast by its complexities are, after all, merely part of the tragic tapestry that Hollywood weaves.
“Sunset Blvd”
St. James Theater
Duration: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one intermission
Tickets: $56 – $499. Digital lottery and rush available for $45.
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton; Directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Tom Francis, Grace Hodgett Young, and David Thaxton among others.
