As If We Never Said Goodbye (A Norma Desmond Comparison Video)

[@royperez8965]

Debra Byrne hands down was the best. Very underrated Norma

[@melbamaloney4572]

Nicole’s version is out of this world , so raw and expressive and mind blowing . She sang this song in her own electrifying , distinctive way. I have seen different Normas in the past but hers is the best so far for me . I have seen Jamie Lloyd’s production twice and can’t get enough of it hope to see it on Broadway next year . You got to see it to see what I mean .

[@flipspicksphilip4677]

My Ranking 1. Betty Buckley 2. Eliane Paige 3. Patti Lupone 4. Diahann Carroll 5. Petula Clark 6. Karen Mason 7. Glenn Close 8. Rita Moreno

[@SteveWeaverIvyfield]

Faith Brown was AMAZING! I was very pleasantly surprised.

[@EnterpriseGeek]

Nicole Scherzinger, simply out of this world how long she held the "home" note, she got 2 standing ovations. there is a version on youtube

[@mirandapontarelli5485]

I can't find it!

[@johnboys4697]

Glenn Close had the best silent film star look and actions hands down ! Patti LuPone sounds like Patti LuPone nothing special.

[@MattTexas]

I saw Close, Buckley, Paige in the original runs, and Clark on tour. Buckley’s voice was incredible. Close’s acting was off the charts. I’m lucky to have seen both of those talented ladies perform this monumental role.

[@SteveWeaverIvyfield]

BETTY BUCKLEY. I’ve seen seven Norma’s. Betty - visually and vocally is sublime.

[@matthewgoddard9631]

Glenn Close ❤ probably the most iconic Norma….until the powerhouse that is Nicole Scherzinger. Betty Buckley is also pretty incredible!

[@bcnmanhattan5022]

Glen , Debra, Faith, Mazz. Not particularly in this order. Thank you

[@paulharrison1699]

Saw Petula Clark playing Norma in Londons west end. She was amazing 👏👏👏👏

[@laustpeternielsen-norman9569]

Patti does it for me, but probably because I saw it with her ❤ Glenn's is so over the top, but that's what you would aspect from a silent movie star, that's what make it best acting ❤❤

[@douglasduff4466]

Patti by far the best - saw her many times in it and met her in her Dressing Room. Glenn Close shouts and screams the Score- truly terrible. Elaine Paige and Nicole are ny favourite 2 after Patti.

[@puffpuffseal]

i love it when the audience gets hyped at this part haha

[@matthewgoddard9631]

Controversial maybe but Lupone’s acting through song sucks on this. She sings every line with the same sentiment. No nuance. No light and shade.

[@loferx]

Being a fan of LuPone, I'm surprised with myself by how much I enjoy Betty's and Glenn's takes Norma (Betty's vocal performance is superb, as is Glenn's acting)

[@thomasbradley4505]

I saw Glenn in LA pre-broadway (my sister and brother in law bought my front row tickets for my 29th birthday) and her performance was amazing.

[@benjaminfoster7560]

Patti is incredible, but she can't be the best at everything, sadly 😂

[@valwaring957]

Really enjoyed watching all these actresses together. I’ve seen SB a few times. It’s difficult to compare just from the songs, for me at least, the way the song very much depends on how the whole portrayal of ND is played out. Equally, a hard call to compare Jamie Lloyd’s version to any other purely because it’s so very different. I caught it twice in London, one with NS & the other with RT. For me, NS stole the show. That’s not to take away from any of the others. When I saw a Ria Jones I thought she was excellent as well.

[@ernieb6680]

Betty Buckley is my absolute favorite Norma Desmond. Her voice just amazes me.

[@matthewplampton955]

Having now seen Nicole do this in the current West End run in the Savoy. That was another level.

[@CarloS-cp5gh]

Can't wait to see that. I read it was a scaled down production. How did you like it overall?

[@matthewplampton955]

@@CarloS-cp5gh best piece of theatre I've ever seen. Seen it twice already and booked another 2 times already.

[@matthewgoddard9631]

SJB is a little too over the top for my liking. Overacting!

[@DistantCousin]

Elaine's interpretation is never less than thrilling. Second favourite (not featured here) is now Nicole Scherzinger

[@DistantCousin]

Patti Lupone's voice is a VERY "acquired" taste

[@stevesize3262]

Debra Byrne for me..

[@stephenhkent]

Id be very excited to see Mazz Murray in the role. From what ive seen on youtube of her " semi - staged" performances of this song, and With One Look, she has an incredible voice - Paige-esque with a growl! - and seems to present a more feisty and confident (on the surface) Norma - which is a valid interpretation...

[@gabriellaracuente1051]

Betty Buckley and Karen Mason are on another level.

[@douglasduff4466]

I thought Betty Buckley was one of the worst.

[@D4V1D209]

That’s a terrible recording of Betty Buckley. She was one of if not THE BEST of the original Norma’s.

[@TruthSerum101]

I saw Karen Mason do it on Broadway. It was a very weak performance.

[@chrisjacobs7417]

​@@TruthSerum101The u/s, Susan Dawn Carson, was so much better. She was absolutely stunning. The voice and the acting choices were incredible.

[@TruthSerum101]

@@chrisjacobs7417 I wish I had seen her instead.

[@MVOV2000]

Betty Buckley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$

[@timhealea5112]

I’ve seen both Betty and Petula perform this live, and while both were phenomenal, there’s something about Petula’s version that is revelatory. It’s my favorite by far. I was surprised by this recording of Patti…she sounds, dare I say it, robotic here. Not a fan.

[@nigelmorgan9240]

It’s between Patti and Elaine. But for me LuPone just has the edge - it has never been better sung than by the original Norma.

[@douglasduff4466]

Completely agree. Worst vocally has always been Glenn Close - just awful.

[@matthewgoddard9631]

Funny isn’t it - how subjective it is as I think Lupone and Paige are the worse! Lupone’s singing it, she’s not acting it.

[@Krees82]

Seen Nicole last weekend and she was amazing. Such a talent! Betty Buckley is the best for me overall - that vocal range is epic.

[@TruthSerum101]

No matter what key the song is sung in, it scans a little less than two octaves. They are all covering the same range. Did Betty interpolate higher or lower notes in other sections of the song or score?

[@WilsonWatt-q2e]

Although these are magnificent performances, I think that Close is really the only one who captures completely the gradually fracturing persona of Norma. With many of the others the singing is so strong that her mental fragility is lost. It may be that all of these were great on stage as the physical acting might convey the fragility under the temporary strength.

[@fatheranthony4pope]

Debra Byrne wipes the floor!!! ❤

[@laurapeter3857]

Patti is a very close #1 with Betty Buckley as a very close #2. These are the 2 I’d want to see on stage. If they make a movie of this show then Glenn Close is the hands down winner to play Norma. She needs an Oscar already for her body of screen work.

[@ernestopiscione957]

The best is the original, Patti LuPone . No changes in This time it will be Bigger!, changing for a bigger bigger. The score as it was written was the best. Patti LuPone and Barbra Streisand are the only two that sing With one look, without lowering the key., like it is in the original score . Glen Close version probably is one of the worst, talking of only the singing.

[@EnterpriseGeek]

also Nicole Scherzinger doesnt change the key, there is a version on youtube, its amazing!

[@lepetitchat123]

I think so too!!! For me maintaining the key is so important. The song just deflates after the key is lowered...an anti-climax.

[@bookemdano7567]

The edge that Patti has is she actually sings the song smoothly through, like she does in all her roles. She doesn’t sing talk the lyrics. She doesn’t sing like she’s putting periods after each word. She doesn’t shout certain words to emphasize them ( Bigger, Brighter) And she doesn’t do big pauses to suck in a breath to hold out her notes.

[@ferrierepc]

As much as I love Patti Lupone...in this role, her voice was too affected. No doubt she could sing it at all...but I think Betty Buckley pulled it off better than Patti...and Elaine, well, I cannot imagine Elaine in doing anything she has done, indeed, originated...Evita, etc...and she is a great singer, loved her in "Follies"...singing "I'm Still Here" (on youtube) ....but not in this role. Have only seen the videos of Nicole singing on youtube, the 2 pivotal numbers, she is giving so much drama..and more drama..and she does it. I cannot comment on her acting..remembering that many of us only know her from her Pussycat Dolls gig. I mean, everyone has different tastes and this is not a factual thing but a relative question as to who and why we like those we do. There is no wrong answer. Stephanie is great, too...as is Alice, but not the role for her, for me. You know whatI mean. In the end...I only think..."Who knew" there were so many Normas out there?

[@slingerslasher4743]

The faith brown image is wrong. They have used Kathryn Evan’s pic. Faith Brown was very good in the role

[@aljavier2927]

Some of these are truly as scary as Norma Desmond is! Patti sings it as written, thoug i know performance history changed with subsequent casts

[@1NYCHombre]

Betty Buckley takes the prize here. You can literally hear the audience rise to applause during the song. Of all the Normas, and I’ve seen Patty, Petula, Karen, Elaine, Diahann, and Glenn; however, Betty’s performance was on an entire different stratosphere just the absolute best. I did enjoy Nicole’s fabulous version of the song on KZbin and look forward to seeing her performance if the production comes to Broadway next year. No doubt she will be brilliant. I love the show and think she’s a terrific talent and a gorgeous performer.

[@kevinwilson3609]

They're all great singers, and they all give fantastic versions of this song with power and beauty - well, all but two.....sorry Hollywood actresses

[@cheryldodd-marko9787]

Glen close 🕊🇺🇲💕

[@hefinrosser8685]

Some please tell elaine paige she wasn't the first person to hold out home!!

[@stephenhkent]

Oh yes the other thing i wanted to say is - check out Helen Schneider singing With One Look in a German language production. Its magnificent.

[@chrisjacobs7417]

I would love to see her in an English language version. She was spectacular in the German language productions and English is her first language. She still has the voice

[@Megjmm]

Mazz all day! Love Patti as well

[@Shelver92]

Glenn Close, enough said!!

[@kw2299]

Saw Betty perform twice and watched the production with Nichol at the weekend. She was spectacular. I know a lot of people have not been keen on Jamie Lloyd's unusual production but I really enjoyed it. Innovative and full of talent.

[@georgeknowles6806]

Petula Clark played Norma Desmond the longest in London and touring USA fantastic performance 👏

[@chrisjacobs7417]

The picture labeled Faith Brown is not Faith Brown, it's Katherine Evans.

[@PhantomifyEponine]

Oh, my bad. Will add a correction in the description. Thanks!

[@SteveWeaverIvyfield]

Correct.But Faith Brown was very good!

[@chrisjacobs7417]

@@SteveWeaverIvyfield yes she was

[@TimSpradlin-c6d]

No one comes close to Patti LuPone. I was impressed with some of the others like Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige. I would put Glenn Close somewhere in the middle of the pack. She could not sing the role the way it needed to be done.

[@hnc52]

Betty Buckley and Petula Clark are the winners.

[@scottmiller7779]

I saw both Petula and Rita in London and Buckley in NY. Petula was by far the best of the three. She understood the pathos and played it to the hilt.

[@chrisstoren1954]

Petula played her like some demented caricature of a woman with a really bad American accent. It was tolerable when I saw her in London but on the US tour it was just a atrocious. The tour itself was mess. It looked like they borrowed the staircase from the set of Titanic and then created the rest of Norma's mansion with curtains from a production of Phantom. Her understudy Susan Emerson was something to see though

[@douglasduff4466]

Patti every time. Betty Buckley and Glenn Close are just dreadful.

[@RAREEVITAAUDIOS]

Lol

[@joeburinskas8672]

Betty Buckley by far. Never heard Lupones version. Didn't expect it to be so awful