It always feels like a once in a lifetime in experience where your in a theatre and you feel like you’re truly, TRULY enamored with a show that you feel like you’re floating and never want to come down. I believe that sums up my experience of seeing the astonishing masterpiece that is The Jaime Lloyd Co.’s production of “Sunset Blvd.”
Yes, Webber’s underrated sweep of an operetta score (in my opinion at least) coupled with Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s quick-pace-moving/somehow-still-poignant book, and the lush, epic orchestrations are still very much beautiful and in tact, only there’s one slight change that’s been made since the last revival: there’s absolutely nothing onstage, the trademark Jaime Lloyd move. Does that take away from the grandeur and macabre-esque quality that a typical production of this show has to offer? Hell no! If anything, this production seemingly brings you deeper into the tormented psyche of the famed Norma Desmond via 1. carefully selected direct contact with the audience, even in partner scenes (highlighting Lloyd fantastic usage of the acting technique known as elliptical energy), that makes a character and their internal turmoil burn into your very soul, 2. the usage of visual symbolism from the actors to represent specific settings and actions with the right energy level to match that is expertly crafted within both the staging and the fabulous, pulsating modern-mixed-with-floor-barre choreography by Fabian Aloise which fuses together so seamlessly that you can’t tell whether you’re watching a dance or a simple scene playing out before you, and 3. the expertly-made decision to incorporate black and white cinematography (orchestrated by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom) that both gets you even more intimate with the characters and their emotions whether intense or lush and actually gives the incredible sensation that you’re truly witnessing an oldie (silent or spoken) of the time (opening and end credits even included!). And what’s even more incredible is the pas de deux of lighting by Jack Knowles and theatrical haze that makes the production sizzle in even more mysterious and foreboding manner that trying to describe it would be like trying to describe a rainbow to the blind.
But the crown jewel of it all would have to be its cast. Grace Hodgett Young actually brings a much-needed oomph, bravado, feminine-powered essence to her take on Betty, a character that could easily be lost in the ether of the massiveness of this show. Brown, stepping up into the role of butler Max for my performance, was absolutely dripping with this painful longing and tentativeness that brought Max to another level of internalizing and surrender I never would’ve thought of with this character. And the fine Tom Francis (who I’ll continually refer to as the Jeremy Allen White of Broadway) finally makes you feel pity, and maybe even what feels like remorse, for the character of Joe Gillis, and if that’s the intention he’s playing at for this production instead of what I’ve always felt was the atypical suaveness of men of the 50’s, then he has succeeded and has won my full attention on the character for the first time. And while they’re all amazing… well, you can probably see where I’m heading with this one. The diamond of this production, of this entire Broadway season I should say: Nicole Scherzinger.
Never in my time as a theater goer have I been honestly, truly, god as my witness had my face and mind completely melted and reeling by a performance of such depth and magnitude. Scherzinger’s vocal prowess trumps any other female powerhouse that exists within the Broadway circuit, so much so that she earned two three-minute-long mid-show standing ovations for the two biggest Norma solos. If her singing wasn’t enough, the fragility, grace, desperation, and unhinged psyche cracks she brings to her take on Norma is so beautifully tragic and raw in every facial expression, gesture, and, yes, dance move that you are literally drawn to the edge of your seat and will never be able to take your eyes off of her for as long as you live. Note to the Tony Committee: JUST GIVE HER THE TONY NOW!!!!!!
In fact, just give this production all the awards in my opinion because that’s how absolutely breathtaking this “Sunset Boulevard” actually is. My hope is that you come out of this one with the same amount of fanatical raving and astonishment that I’ve had because this one is worth every single penny out of your wallet. Do whatever it takes to get yourself a ticket.
