Broadway Review: SUNSET BLVD - Bored & Confused

[@jayseansantos]

Nicole Scherzinger is the most talented woman. So proud of her getting the recognition she deserves.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

She will be hard to replace.

[@Guerrero-g5u]

She SUCKS!! ! You don't know talent.

[@yelp-l4s]

LOL!!! I needed a good joke today. Thank you.

[@kennethguinto4862]

well the only way to salvage the show right now is for her to leave.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@kennethguinto4862 You think her political position will effect ticket sales?

[@strobe155]

" this is Andrew's melody .....for dialogue that should be spoken...just repeat over and over again" LOL 😝 I"m . Dead! ROFLOL

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thx! You should hear me sing “Repetitious Song” from Song and Dance!

[@davidmarsh596]

I saw this in London and I have to say it's one of The best things that I have ever seen and I've seen a lot. It was emotionally draining in a good way. I was teary-eyed the whole way through because it was that good. I was never a big fan of sunset boulevard until now and I cannot wait for the cast recording of this production. I'm also now and Nicole scherzinger Fan. I would have loved to have seen this again but the tickets were so expensive. But I'm so grateful I saw this in London. Andrew loydd Webber is a God of musical theatre. And I will always be a fan of his. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be going to the theatre at all. He introduced me to London theatre and now because of him I see nearly everything I can see that's on in London. So I'm really glad that you enjoyed this production of sunset boulevard. At first I thought you was going to call it and I was ready to turn you off. But you weren't bored. You weren't confused and you enjoyed it. And it doesn't matter what song you're singing from the show as long as you're singing some songs from the show. Thank you for this review and again really glad you enjoyed it.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thx for your comment! Yeh I was thoroughly entertained by the direction and Nicole’s vocals. But please don’t turn me off if you disagree with me! Hear me out and then let me know where you think I’m off base. I love hearing other perspectives. 😊

[@Guerrero-g5u]

You must have not seen very much. This is shit on a stage. I want my money back.

[@edwardboyd3660]

Based on your actual review maybe you should add a question mark to your headline? "Bored and Confused?" Because you said you were not and as it is now the headline implies you hated it.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

You’re not wrong. I know the title Bored and Confused can be misleading because people think it’s how I felt about the show as opposed to the name of the channel/playlist. But I’m hoping that works in my favor because sadly, negativity gets more attention than positivity. Also it’s kind of fun to pull in the haters and then surprise them with a good review. 😁

[@bryanschimmel]

Agreed, It was only after reading the comments that I ventured into watching all of it. I began by watching and then stopped after 26secs because it came over as a bitter bitchy queen looking for reasons to be Bored And Confused. So @MatthewHardyMusical, perhaps take the note and place the question mark after so it draws us into wanting to find out the answer rather than assuming that it's a statement.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for comment. Sorry I came off as bitter and bitchy in the beginning! I'm glad you went back and watched all of it.

[@laurakinnoin5649]

I saw the show in 2016 with Glenn Close and it was so good. This version has gotten a lot of buzz and it looks like a very different version so I was very curious about it. Thanks for another great review.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Sure thing! This show lives and dies on the performance of its lead actress. Nicole's take is very different than Glenn's but hopefully you'll find it equally as engaging.

[@juliandiaz6414]

Two mid act standing O's in the Saturday preview I saw last week. Nicole Scherzinger sings that amazingly.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Yeh. Her Vocals are incredible.

[@yelp-l4s]

Just shows you how desperate people are to validate their experience after spending a ton of money on a piece of shit show. Garbage parading as theater.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yelp-l4s I won the lottery so I didn't pay full price. 🙂

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Believe it or not, most people at any given performance did not win the lottery. But, since you saved all that money, you can compensate me for the money that was stolen from me by the producers of BLVD.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yelp-l4s What? Regular people pay full price to see Andrew Lloyd Webber shows? I just thought those tickets were for the 1% and friends and family of Nicole Scherzinger.

[@DJGNYC]

Saw it this week & agree with so much of what you said. It is cuckoo crazy bananas but also audacious & kind of unforgettable. And that Nicole…Jesus. She is unbelievable.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

LOL "Cuckoo Crazy Bananas" is a good way to describe it! Thanks for the comment!

[@roccocupido5082]

But not even remotely good​@@MatthewHardyMusical

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@roccocupido5082It’s my belief that if a show makes it all the way to Broadway you can usually find something worthwhile. The question is if it’s worth the price of admission.

[@jonathanrio6587]

I felt it hard to follow exactly what was going on with no costumes, set or props.... I didn't really get the relationship between his friends fiancee and him that she was a writer too and that's how they were getting closer, etc... At the end, I didn't know there were "police" and she was getting arrested, but thinking she was in a movie. I got it clearly when I watched the movie after..... But was confused during the musical. And I'm usually pretty smart. hahahaha

[@cdm0202]

Love your review and it is spot on!! I watched this last night. You are clearly a theater connoisseur and I was relieved that you were also confused in the beginning. I went into this with a fresh mind not knowing what this show was about, so I was even more confused. I have seen a Jamie Lloyd production before and understood his style, but not sure if it worked with this particular show. I’m still thinking about it. Hence, why I’m watching others’ reviews on KZbin. Overall, I thought Nicole and Tom were absolutely amazing. Even if not a fan of Sunset Blvd, THEY are a must-see.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Agreed. I say go just to see Nicole stop the show not once but twice! That is such an unusual thing to see in modern theater. It reminds me of stories from the Golden Age of musicals where audiences would stop the show and insist that the actor perform the song again! Can you imagine if they made Nicole sing "With One Look" a second time? She'd blow her voice out!

[@cdm0202]

@@MatthewHardyMusical​​⁠ Can you imagine?! The woman has pipes, but she would have nothing left for “As if we never said goodbye”…haha! She had a longer standing ovation for that one during the performance I watched.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@cdm0202 Probably for that long held out note. A bit indulgent but hey it's Broadway. Show off!

[@SharonZarrow-te7qv]

Why is Nicole covered in blood at the end of Sunset Blvd I live in Phoenix Arizona. Have to wait till it gets here.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Cuz the Director wanted the image of her covered in blood at the end of the show. There's not any rhyme or reason to it. This whole production is about creating interesting stage pictures.

[@willuk5765]

After the shooting scene, she went on a deranged soliloquy that recounts her love for Joe Gillis and her wanting to play Salome. I guess it wasn't shown rather implied that she kissed the dead person's head - similar to Salome and her fascination with John the Baptist. Thus, she ended bloodied.

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

Is it portrayed as a stabbing now or still a shooting?

[@willuk5765]

​@@kaitlynrowena5463 still shooting... There were three shots in the climax scene.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@willuk5765 Yes, it think she reprises that part of the Salome song. But it is a stretch to think she'd get blood all over her face from kissing Joe after she's shot him in the chest. Unless she just rubber her face all over his bloody chest. which maybe that's what she did. She is crazy after all.

[@ChristopherButler-um2ko]

There is a brilliant series from Canada called Slings and Arrows. Made in 2006 , it's a love letter to theatre. Hysterical and moving. Keep an eye out for the character Darrin Nichols. His stagings will remind you of ..

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

I've seen a few episodes of Slings and Arrows. Thought they were hysterical, I need to watch the whole series thanks for the reminder!

[@ChristopherButler-um2ko]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Mr. Lloyd is an apostle of Mr. Nichols.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@ChristopherButler-um2ko LOL I'll keep that in mind!

[@kevinwilson3609]

"Let's have lunch" appears a few times because it's sung through, and that's how to structure a score like this, as they do in Opera.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

I'm not a huge Opera guy but I think the difference is that in Opera recitative has more of a spoken quality that doesn't follow a strict repeating melody, that way when you arrive at the Aria you can feel the difference between the recitative and the aria. ALW blurs the lines between recitative and the main songs by using a repeated melodic lines that often occur in both the "arias" and the "recitative". And then there's Boubil and Schönberg who repeat entire song melodies with different lyrics throughout the show. ie. we hear the melody for "I dreamed a dream" several times throughout the show but with completely different lyrics. Lin Manuel Miranda loves to use repeating motifs although those motifs keep the same or similar lyric. I often refer to mostly sung-thru shows like Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables and Hamilton as contemporary operas. Woo! That was a lot! This could have been a Tangent video!

[@kevinwilson3609]

@@MatthewHardyMusical This is why for musical theatre ALW was an innovator.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@kevinwilson3609 Can't argue with success!

[@MC-wc8mi]

Thanks, Matthew, I enjoy hearing you break these productions down, discussing themes, highs, lows, bored, confused, etc. Off topic - what's your favorite musical (if you have one) and why? Thanks!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for the comment. Glad you're enjoying what I'm putting out. Hmmm... favorite musical... maybe I should do a video about this. A few of my favorites are Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, The King and I, West Side Story, Chicago, Sweeney Todd, Book of Mormon, Hairspray, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors, Music Man. I love Musical Comedies that can then turn and pack an emotional wallop! So for today I'm going to pick Little Shop of Horrors. It's funny, heartbreaking, unsentimental, uniquely theatrical and I don't think there's another show like it. Ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably pick a different show.

[@melbamaloney4572]

❤❤❤ 👏👏👏 yes it is innovative and amazing how Jamie Lloyd made this a masterpiece and his choice of Nicole as Norma is a stroke of genius including the other cast members he truly took this oldie musical and giving it modern vibes watched it twice in London and three times in Broadway and still can’t get enough of it truly blew me away !

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Wow Five times! You really do love it. I'd like to go again to focus on all the technical aspects of the direction.

[@roccocupido5082]

Trite garbage...

[@melbamaloney4572]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Yes it gets better the next time you see it also there were some minor tweaks made in Broadway for the better and more effective !

[@MP-lq3xx]

sorry...just from the thought of scenery and costumes..lack thereof, combined with same ticket prices🤔

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Check out Death Becomes Her and The Great Gatsby to get costume and set designs bang for your buck!

[@jeffkoons001]

I had no emotional connection to this show and found it really gimmicky, even though the gimmicks were often really good. But soon after the second act started I found myself checking my watch and waiting for it to end. I think the performative style and wink wink directorial luges from the director subverted the potential for this to really land emotionally. But lots of it was slick and fun.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks Jeff. I have a hard time connecting with melodrama so I welcomed the gimmicks!

[@SilviaLopez-eg9wh]

I agree completely. I was confused but intrigued at first like "oh, this is really interesting", but by the second act I was like "oh, this is more of the same". All those moments offstage felt like they were prerecorded. And I never understood if I was supposed to take it seriously or not? Nicole humping the floor one minute and then giving a super serious (incredible, has to be said) rendition of any of her songs the next, I was definitely confused. Came out feeling like I was glad I saw it so I could have my own opinion, but like I'd rather seen something else that night.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@SilviaLopez-eg9wh Yeh I had the same confusions. And based on my criteria of critiquing a show based on whether I was bored and confused I shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. I think the crazy inventiveness coupled with my low expectations allowed me to have a good time. I don't think any of the offstage parts were prerecorded. I think it's just all highly choreographed. A lot of people will be talking about the show so I think it's good that you saw it if only to join in the conversation. Thanks for your comment!

[@SilviaLopez-eg9wh]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Yeah, I figured the offstage scenes were veeeery well choreographed. As a techie, I can’t help but admire everyone backstage that makes them happen (also whoever cleans the lipstick off the mirror and who washes Norma’s dress after every performance!)

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@SilviaLopez-eg9wh LOL Love the thoughts of a techie - "Oh no, someone has to wash that!" . A least Joe was nice enough to get undressed before he gets shot.

[@JoshAragon]

Good review I walked by that theater almost every day so I was curious

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks! If you walk by about 9:15 PM in the evening or 3:15 PM in the afternoon you might be treated to a free performance of the title song. :-)

[@CarlosDRuiz-ow9jr]

OMG WOW! I just saw Sunset BLVD. on Broadway and I am astonished! Nicole Scherzinger was breathtaking. Tom Francis was great. However, David Thaxton and Grace Hodgett Young were a revelation. A must see.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for sharing your experience!. Glad you loved it!

[@paulcanaday-elliott9834]

Thank you for helping make sense of what looked to be a very confusing production. Each time I see clips from it I think, what the hell is going on? I’ll never get to see it, most likely, unless it happens to go on tour. Are you free to reveal why Norma is covered in blood from the neck down at the end? Does she kill Joe some other way and fall on top of him? Does she slit her own throat? I’m so confused whenever I see that.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

SPOLER ALERT!!! Actually not really a spoiler because I'm trying to remember how that happened. There are blackouts when the gunshots ring out and Joe is shot. He is covered in blood. And then... I think she may kiss him? I think she then breaks some blood packets on herself and just rubs the blood all over? LOL It's all blur. The show is so set outside of reality that the how and why seem secondary to the director getting the visual he wants. Norma spends the whole show barefoot and in that black neglige. Even when she goes to the studio to visit Mr. DeMille.

[@paulcanaday-elliott9834]

@@MatthewHardyMusicalLOL! Thank you!

[@gcupton]

@@MatthewHardyMusical i saw it and wonder if the negligee/barefoot/haze also could be interpreted to suggest that she is dreaming or hallucinating much/all of what transpires

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@gcupton Ooh! I love that interpretation! Maybe she's in a psychiatric ward? lol

[@gcupton]

@@MatthewHardyMusical yes!! lol

[@archiecaya9623]

Saw this few days ago and there were 4 standing ovations that time. ❤

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Wow! When did they occur?

[@archiecaya9623]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Oct 15

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@archiecaya9623 I meant at what parts in the show? I assume after With One Look, after As if we never said Goodbye and at the end of the show. But where was the fourth?

[@archiecaya9623]

@@MatthewHardyMusical hmmmm I believe after sunset blvd by tom 🥰

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@archiecaya9623 Ah. that makes sense

[@susanharrison7451]

If i hadn't seen the movie i would have been lost. I dont feel it did the movie any justice especially the final line we all wait for. That IM READY FOR MY CLOSE UP. But at least mk it mk sense. They didn't even show a prop of the monkey until the outside sean which i thought was the best part of the play .I brought 2 friends who neva caught the movie n they were lost. Also seated was horrible. The theater is musty n if u sit in the back mezzanine good luck. Now the singing was ok nothing blew me out the box. Nicole definitely has beautiful vocals but they did her no justice in this play. N no 1 else blew me away with vocals. On a scale of 1- 10 save yur money n if u are a fan of Nicoles try n see her n a live performance in Vegas...or mayb thats what they were trying to illustrate. N NICOLE WAY TO YOUNG FOR THE FAMOUS NORMA DEZMEN.😢

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Yeh I agree. The director is taking for granted that most people are familiar with this story because of the movie fame. I was confused by the beginning of the monkey burial scene because I had forgotten about that part.SPOILER ALERT I did think it was hilarious that the monkey wasn't in the scene but he kept showing up other places. That is part of Jamie making fun of how ridiculous this story can be. It's really hard to take a monkey funeral serious. I was way over on the side of the rear mezzanine over the stairs which meant there weren't any heads in my wa so I could see pretty well.

[@yelp-l4s]

I was bored and confused. This show makes no sense and doesn't even compare to the original, which wasn't that great to begin with. The lead actress lacks the vocal and theatrical chops of Glenn Close. This "version" is just a tired gimmick and "minimalism" is just another word for cheap. People will buy anything these days. Zero stars.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

It made sense to me once I understood that the director doesn't hold any reverence for the original so he was just having fun with it. He managed to hold my attention, although I know for some that wasn't the case.

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical And that is the problem. The "director" holds no reverence for the original material. Perhaps the "director" is incapable, doesn't understand the material, wants to put his scent on it the way a dog pisses on a tree. Regardless, the imposition of these trite cheap gimmicks transforms what was a once mediocre show into the abysmal. This iteration is beyond stupid and cheap.

[@jeffreyweller]

lol Glenn close is a great actress but comes nowhere near the vocal chops of Nicole Scherzinger.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@jeffreyweller Or Patti LuPone!

[@jeffreyweller]

@@MatthewHardyMusical yes!! I wasn’t too familiar with this play until Nicole started performing in it in London, so it got my attention. So I watched a lot of old KZbin videos and things of other performers and Patty was by far the best. Especially vocally. although this production is so completely different I think Nicole is perfect for it.

[@samuelm.5752]

I do not understand the concept of her being covered in blood and a man wearing only his underwear.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Everyone likes a little skin on stage! :-) Joe takes off his clothes because he wearing the expensive suit that Norma bought for him. It's his way of saying he's not going to be a kept man any longer. I think Norma having blood all over herself was a way of making her act of murder visible on her person. I think she kisses Joe after she killed him, just as Salome kissed the severed head of John the Baptist. When she kisses him she gets the blood on her.

[@davidhanna9074]

I saw this production in London in November 2023. I had also seen the show on Broadway with Glenn Close. I thought that Nicole Scherzinger effectively captured the mystique of Gloria Swanson and channeled Swanson’s clinging, unhinged “neediness.” I didn’t feel that with Close. There was a clip of Swanson in the suicide episode quickly shown as Act II started in the London production, which adeptly linked Scherzinger to Swanson. It was also refreshing to see “Joe Gillis” as a living, breathing character, rather than a talking stage prop. I did find that the ending would have been confusing to those unfamiliar with the original film. Note too that this version omits the song “The Lady’s Paying.”

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for the comment. I didn't realize they had omitted "The Lady's Paying" and “Eternal Youth Is Worth A Little Suffering” till after I saw the show, which would have added a little more lightness to the production. Joe's character is such a difficult one because he's such a sad sack at the beginning and then he's just being acted upon by Norma and Betty without having any real ambition of his own. After I realized what the director was doing I put aside trying to really understand the ins and outs and just enjoyed the cinematic/theatrical spectacle of it all.

[@dorislachat9581]

About those melodies... kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKC5lJaOnKasbLc

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

“Put him out of our misery” !! Hilarious. Thanks for sharing! But as I always say, you can’t argue with success. My hats, bats and gnats are off to you Sir Webber!

[@dorislachat9581]

@@MatthewHardyMusical O.K., *my* take on Sunset Blvd. I thought it was a dumb idea for a musical back then...and I still do. Norma couldn't make it into the talkies and yet she's written for a Broadway belt? The movie is darkly cynical and Gloria didn't play for sympathy. The black and white is part of its stark look and feel. Norma isn't a tragic figure, she's pitiable. I saw Miss Buckley who I thought was wonderful. But it felt like they treated the screenplay as holy text and plopped it onto the stage without any (theatrical) re-imagining. Make it sumptuous, cast a movie star, throw in hydraulics and call it a day? I have no idea how I'd like the current revival, but if there's any musical that could use deconstructing, it's Sunset Blvd. Miss Swanson's attempt... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnywaZV7br-FhKc

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@dorislachat9581 OMG! This is amazing! Thanks for sharing! This song has so much more wit than ALW entire score. It reminds me of Henry Higgins "Why Can't the English?" One of the things I find most annoying about commercial theater is that they want to adapt the most famous works into musicals. But how can you compete with a masterpiece like Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard? You're bound to fall short. If given the choice between watching the musical or the film I would always opt for the film. That being said, I really enjoyed this production of Sunset because it was so inventive. Jamie Lloyd certainly didn't treat the script and score as a holy text! LOL Thanks for sharing your insights and that amazing clip!

[@dorislachat9581]

@@MatthewHardyMusical She talk-sings that number, but Gloria could actually sing-sing... kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3K8noybqbt2h68

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@dorislachat9581 She holds out some notes at the end. I could hear that she has a voice!

[@TheTurkaderr]

All this minimalist shit for shows that don't benefit from it is pissing me off and has been for a long time...I blame John Doyle with all of those tiny Sondheim shows...COMPANY worked, but the rest of those shows did not work for me. A show like this needs flash, it needs glamour, because that was ALL the original had going for it ( well, Glenn Close of course ) because the songs were bland and more speak-song than songs...it has the one hit song, and the rest of the show might as well just be the movie onstage. The set was amazing, but this show without all that just seems weird. Why does every revival now have to be handled the way people do Shakespeare now, modernized and stripped down. Is nothing sacred ? I wouldn't mind EVITA like this, because it has more going for it, but this show doesn't.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Ironically, the original Evita production directed by Harold Prince has a lot in common with this current revival of Sunset Boulevard. The set was stark and filled with light and projections that gave it a cinematic grandeur. I wouldn't describe this current revival of Sunset as minimalist. There's a giant moving movie screen on stage and the staging is very inventive (albeit perplexing at times) . LOTS of smoke and lights! The show has lots of flash. And Nicole definitely brings the glamour even clad in nothing but a satin neglige. I agree with your assessment of the musicals flaws and no, I don't think Sunset Boulevard is sacred! LOL This is why I was fine with the director trying crazy stuff because the show is problematic to begin with, why not try to change it up?

[@yelp-l4s]

AMEN! This is a very cheap production that undermines its own content, Hollywood glamor. It's awful!!!!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yelp-l4s I don't know if anything is cheap on Broadway. I would be curious to know the cost of the technology they used verses building a giant set.

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Well now you know that producers are cutting costs, which is why Broadway shows look cheap and orchestras are smaller. If there is anything else I can educate you on regarding commercial theater, please let me know. Best.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Have you seen Death Becomes Her? It's the most expensive show in the past 5 years.

[@stephenn8366]

Its a brillant show...Nicoles performance is legendary.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@fbueller]

0:23 ‘SYTCD’ choreography! 😂

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

I think that's the technical term for those moves. :-)

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

I haven’t started your vid yet lol but Modern day interpretation I don’t mind seeing but when I heard it was minimalist I was turned right off but I was still intrigued but couldn’t afford it when it was here in London so it became a mute point lol I’ll quit till I find a full show bootleg of it but yh if it would have have proper sets and costumes in present day I would have found a way. Sunset in the sort of musical that works for faded stars of the silent era to fadesd stars from the 80s or whatever era Nicole’s Norma was set in hell it could probably work with a gender swap! Norman Desmond lol now that would be fun haha

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Go ahead and start it it's only a 9 minute commitment! lol OR 4 min 30 seconds if you watch it at 2x speed. I don't know if I'd call this production minimalist. It's minimal in props, costumes and set. But it's maximalist with technology. I still think it's a spectacle just a different kind of theatrical spectacle. AND 100% I would love to see Norma played by a drag artist! Maybe Jinkx Monsoon will replace Nicole? 😆

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

Oh my god jinx monsoon would be an epic Norma! Especially if it was back to the original glenn close costumes and sets etc I’d sell my soul to watch that, love them in dr who

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@kaitlynrowena5463 I'd definitely pay to see Jinkxy. Maybe a future revival? They could go really camp with it.

[@youtopia4100]

PURE RUBBISH…save your $$$$. The entire show was over miked and amplified out the wazoo Smoke machines and harsh lights were used on 75% of the songs -- it was more like a Las Vegas or American Idol show. Nicole was too young (but can sing) the choreography was like something out of a high school revival. The hand held camera bits was novelty at first but after umpteen uses it bordered on delirium. Takes place in 1949 with 1980s costumes. A giant mess!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely going to divide people. Curious… did you like the original production?

[@susanharrison7451]

I agree jus saw it

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@susanharrison7451 agree it was rubbish?

[@yelp-l4s]

Amen!!! It's awful!

[@yankee04]

Which aisle does Joe enter from? Have tix in November.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

In the second act he comes down the house left aisle.

[@yankee04]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Darn, I am on the right aisle.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yankee04 It's okay. It's not like he has time to stop and sign autographs. lol He was booking it down the aisle to get on stage before his final note. I'm sure your seats will be great.

[@yankee04]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Yes, aware he doesn’t stop. I watched the Olivier’s performance. Very much looking forward to seeing this.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yankee04 You just wanted to trip him didn't you?! LOL Let me now what you think after you see it!

[@Raulgermont]

Loved your review.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@Raulgermont thank you!

[@james-dd5hh]

The cast must be fantastic, because the whole concept of a minimalist spectacle (oxymoron?) based on silent films makes me skeptical. But idk, it IS an interesting approach, and maybe covers up the flaws of ALW tendency towards operetta - Patti LuPone's performance did this for Evita.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

It's not just the cast. The director is great at saying "look over here!" to distract us from the shows shortcomings. He's got a lot of stunts up his sleeve.

[@roccocupido5082]

Not a compliment ​@@MatthewHardyMusical

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@roccocupido5082 sometimes my compliments come sideways.😂

[@yelp-l4s]

My Favorite Review about this piece of shit show. The campy West End production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical SUNSET BLVD. has hurled itself onto the Great White Way and rarely have I ever witnessed minimalism being so obtrusively excessive. What this adaptation lacks in axiomatic intention, theme or detail to plot is more than made up for with some preternatually high-pitched ululating from a faded film star that will surely resonate with gaggles of yeowling gay men, not unlike those seated near me, determined in their own strident way to drown out Norma Desmond's sanguine yet protracted declaration that she'd "come hooooooooooooooooooooooooooome at laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast". Nicole Scherzinger has a remarkable set of pipes and is thoroughly committed to her execution of this interpretation of Norma Desmond as directed by Jamie Lloyd Co. (who recently helmed the sit-down production of A DOLL'S HOUSE {ba-boom-keesh!}). Lloyd does keep one guessing from scene-to-scene if he actually likes this musical or if this is a fervid Andy Kaufman-style stunt that he's pulling on Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber which unfortunately would then be tantamount to elder abuse. I'm going to go with the former and further ponder if this is possibly an audacious exploration of style over substance...and speaking of style: Tom Francis, who is grounded and wonderful as Joe Gillis, also has the most remarkable hair. In many of the uber close-up camera/film moments that make up this theatrical endeavor, I kept finding myself distracted from whatever was happening on stage and drifting away thinking, "His hair is otherworldly; what product is on there? It's shiny and bouncy and holds its shape - is it that 'Spritz' stuff that's sort of a gel hairspray?" No clue what was happening during these moments, as the filmic elements did take away some live dynamics of the performances by manipulating a particular perspective of the scene, but his hair looked FAB-U-LOUS. Despite this Norma not having much of a character arc (she starts wildly-unhinged and ends wildy-unhinged only now slathered in blood) and Max often being relegated to a visual joke, this style of production brought back Proustian memories of my college days when we would dress in black undergarments and put on plays in black box spaces; not because we were so experimental but because we had no budget. Overall, there is a lot of thought going into this revival of SUNSET BLVD. I don't know if they are good thoughts but that's for the individual to decide. I can't definitively speak to the intention of the tone of the show but I was thinking that if the Met Gala ever brings back the "Camp" theme (that most participants several years ago did not seem to understand) they might ask Jamie Lloyd for his suggestions and I'd bet they'd have a solid hit on their hands. #SunsetBlvd Ken Kleiber

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

LOL Love this review! where is it from? Love the tangent about Tom Francis's hair. Love the idea of excessive minimalism and questioning whether Jamie Lloyd actually likes the musical. I agree with most of this review and yet I had a great time watching this crazy revival.

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Ken Kelieber, "Thats Kentertainment"

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@yelp-l4s Thanks for sharing. I'm checking him out.

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical "excessive minimilims" LOLOL! Fools will buy anything.

[@yelp-l4s]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Ken has been around for many years and has seen it all. His reviews are spot on.

[@barbraseville8984]

🎵🎶 I've got a date w sheldrake 🎶🎵

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Stop I can't get it OUT OF MY HEAD!!

[@JessRansdellSmith]

How can you work with Darrell? We should talk, gotta run, let's do lunch!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@JessRansdellSmith Love Darrell. Such an underrated performance.

[@JessRansdellSmith]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Haha!

[@evanpeay]

people want to relax when they go and pay the high prices......

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for the comment. But I'm not sure I follow.

[@michaelmorin6235]

So well said brava🎉

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks! I was a little all over the place with my thoughts when I recorded this but I managed to cut it together with some semblance of continuity.

[@bluelv]

Go see this show!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Yup! And if you're on a budget (like me) Score some lottery tix before it becomes impossible!

[@emjayay]

You need to be miced closer and put up some sound absorbing material if still necessary.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Is the sound bad on this video? I thought it was pretty good!

[@broadbent2001]

Did you see the NYT review by Jesse Green? Ouch! I am seeing it this week, and having seen the original B'way production, wasn't a fan, I am curious to see Scherzinger's performance. The hand held camera with big projection trick is certainly not new...West Side Story, Network etc etc.....

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

I just read it. I think all his points are valid. Jesse's critique is more about the waste of Jamie Lloyd's talent on a shows that aren't that great to begin with. But I'm just critiquing the production itself and I found this bizarre production a lot more interesting than the original. Let me know what you think after you see it!

[@melbamaloney4572]

@@broadbent2001 This NY T critic seem to forget that this is a reimagining of Sunset Boulevard hence the director’s vision is different from previous productions and if your premise is already wrong your conclusion follows . It is ironic though because the NY T critic in London was raving about this and gave it a 5 star and if you read that NYT critic in London he was able to completely understand Jamie Lloyd ‘s vision and details and how Lloyd took an old plot and bolted it out to the present now audience with a timeless theme which Lloyd portrayed as a blur between the past and present including the choice of black and white as costumes and the use of projectors etc which the present NY T critic missed in his review though he praised Nicole’s performance . The Broadway audience though will be the final judge of success of this show because they are the ones paying for the tickets to see ad the buzz is very positive even celebrities and talk shows are endorsing it btw most if the other official reviews are good .

[@melbamaloney4572]

@@broadbent2001 You be the judge like countless of people who watched it because ultimately it is the audience who will determine the success of the show because they are paying for the tickets !Forget the old versions which you saw and didn’t like Jamie Lloyd’s version is groundbreaking and visionary and enjooyn

[@melbamaloney4572]

@@MatthewHardyMusical I think it is genius of Lloyd to be able to take an old story line come back to life again in a reimagined way but because it is a reimagining there are some liberties which the director made to make it more compelling and alive which theatre should be

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@melbamaloney4572 Absolutely. He's definitely a visionary director.

[@andyanderson3628]

It was a big hit in London. Sometimes that doesn't always transfer.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

I think it might be a bigger hit here. But we'll see what happens after Nicloe's contract runs out. Maybe they'll get one of the Spice Girls?

[@consrevilgreen9117]

So was Cats and that was awful too.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@consrevilgreen9117 I need to make a video about how Cats isn't really a book musical but a variety act.

[@Guerrero-g5u]

Worst piece of crap I've ever seen. And I thought The Notebook was bad. HORRIBLE!!!!!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for sharing. Anything in particular you didn't like?

[@Guerrero-g5u]

​@@MatthewHardyMusical Let's start with the things I did like. I loved that I had an aisle seat so I could leave before this "re-imagined" piece of cheap crap ended. I want my money back.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@Guerrero-g5u LOL When did you leave?

[@Guerrero-g5u]

@@MatthewHardyMusical Not soon enough.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@Guerrero-g5u LOL Go see Maybe Happy Ending. I want to know what you think.

[@mattm8895]

Sunset Boulevard! Sunset Boulevard! how many times do they say SUNSET BOULEVARD! I generally can't stand Andrew Lloyd Webber productions. I think Jamies version made it tolerable. Nicole, Tom, and David made it a joy to watch and listen.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Yeh. I always made fun of that song stressing the BOO-levard. The most repetitious ALW song has to be "Unexpected Song" from Song and Dance. I always change the lyric to "Like a repetitious song. A repetitious song. That keeps repeating and repeating!" But this is why people find his stuff so catchy! Repetition is the key!

[@gavindean6708]

From Australia.. we’ve just had a stock standard version of sunset.. with Sarah Brightman in the lead.. I’m not even going there.. then I saw Sylvie Paladino.. the understudy.. who was stunning.. but yes… even though I loved the production.. I was bored with this less than stellar show.. and for the past 2 weeks all that’s been going through my brain is that stupid song! I’ve been singing at my friends.. at their detest… hahaha but yes very average show…

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks for sharing theater news from down under! Which song? The et's have lunch song that I sang in the video? I've been tempted to listen to the cast album and count how many times that phrase repeats but then it will REALLy get stuck in my head!

[@gavindean6708]

@@MatthewHardyMusical 100 percent let’s have lunch… it messes with your brain!!! And as you said there are sooo many better songs from the show I’d rather have stuck in my head.. you should read the reviews for sunset in Melbourne… ALW would love reading these about his ex wife! Hahahah

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@gavindean6708 That bad eh? No one ever described Sarah as being a great actress. She was probably better suited for the one dimensional Christine Daaé.

[@gavindean6708]

@@MatthewHardyMusical a snippet for you… If only Brightman could play any of it. She delivers those famous early lines - “I am big! It’s the pictures that got small” and “We didn’t need dialogue, we had faces” - as if reading the lesser contents of her will. In her opening number, With One Look, she seems to suck in lungfuls of air like a guppy, only to release a breathy, stretched and haltingly phrased series of notes that barely travel over the orchestra pit. Her voice improves in the second act but her performance never shifts beyond the wooden and superficial.

[@gavindean6708]

The rest were not much better.. I wish I could see your production.. it sounds .. umm interesting! It sounds like the director did everything he could to breathe some life into this piece..

[@BroadwayGuy]

I like your video reviews, but I avoid all ALW "musicals" like the deadly plague!!!!!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

LOL I feel you. I definitely prefer an intimate show that holds a mirror to the human experience over a big spectacle. BUT if any of Jamie Lloyd's directorial ideas sound interesting to you I would suggest getting a lottery ticket via TodayTix or Luckyseat and check the show out. The visuals are pretty cool.

[@tinotiralongo252]

Completely agree!

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Thanks!

[@MissPerriwinkle]

glenn close was tons better......

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Apples and Marmalade

[@MissPerriwinkle]

@@MatthewHardyMusical caviar & mayonaise

[@tonythompson1187]

Not for one moment during this show has anyone topped what Nicole does with this role.

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

@@MissPerriwinkle LOL! Although if I'm having a Turkey sandwich I'm gonna choose the mayonnaise every time!

[@KenLucon]

I doubt you even watched the new production

[@Mr17051963]

To my taste… Nope! 😖

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

You saw it?

[@fairamir1]

I sent a message on facebook did you get it ?

[@MatthewHardyMusical]

Lemme check when I get done here and transition over to Facebook.