LINDA BALGORD in "Sunset Boulevard" - Finale 3 (Greatest Star of All [Reprise])

The super-happy finale to "Sunset Boulevard." Unlike most films and plays, EVERY character gets what they always wanted. Joe gets his swimming pool, Max gets to direct a big scene and Norma once again performs in front of the cameras... It's perverse, but it's true. Note the unusually large Salome headdress outside the London production... I think it's my favorite design! Not too small (LA) or too big (London.) I don't usually get emotional while watching taped videos of stage shows, but Linda Balgord's performance here had me bawling! This ending is just so sad, with the way Norma is whimpering as the cops try to tackle her... Definitely the saddest version of the ending I've ever seen!

[@mrtweak77]

what a bewitching performance - thanks so much for posting x

[@logan0215]

She’s the only Norma I’ve seen who during the Surrender reprise is actually gesturing like a silent movie star would. Every nuanced detail of this Finale is head and shoulders above what else I’ve seen.

[@KekoaOnorati]

I'm so glad you can actually see the effect of her face at the end in this video. It's really eerie and poignant. :]

[@ValtronW]

Wow, the way they all rose to their feet when Linda walked back on was incredible!

[@mikegarcia7986]

Wow!!!! awesome!!

[@HouseOnSunset]

Well, aside from Betty, all the leads get EXACTLY what they wanted. Joe gets his swimming pool. Max gets to direct another scene. And Norma gets to perform in front of the cameras. "It's perverse, but it's true, EVERYONE got exactly what they wanted."

[@Mr17051963]

More sad is the fact that this lady stayed in the part for so little time. I would love to see her performing live this wonderful play. Of course I'm talking of the original stage version. Anyway, it's good to see her in these rare videos.

[@HouseOnSunset]

I think her higher voice fits the more neurotic, immature Norma she portrays. The way she whimpers as the police try to tackle her is heart breaking!

[@caseyjay231]

@HouseOnSunset I agree with you. While I love watching the powerful renditions of other norma's in the finale, Linda Balgord brought me to tears with her raw emotion, the perceived confusion of a woman who has lost her sense of reality, and like you said, her sudden realization on the staircase that she was being taken away. Upon this realization, norma's sanity resurfaces enough for her to know she is in trouble, and Linda made this so believable. I will never get sick of watching this.

[@halsatia]

omg...that was a creepy ending...especially the projected picture of norma.

[@HouseOnSunset]

To answer your question, yes, there was supposed to be a world tour of "Sunset Boulevard," but it got cancelled at the last minute when some backers in South Africa backed out. But I guess it's a blessing in disguise, since it was supposed to star Petula Clark again!

[@chernjam]

Sunset Blvd is my all time favorite musical. I saw it 10 times on Broadway and the second national US tour. The set was truly amazing. And all of the Normas had strong points/weaknesses. It's wonderful to see Linda Balgord - I never saw her (but did see her and loved her in Aspects tour) The only problem with the original (to me) was Trevor Nunn's lack of direction. So many of the tours/recent productions have been stronger with new directors. Would love to see Sunset again someday!

[@caseyjay231]

BRAVA!

[@HouseOnSunset]

LOL, can you imagine a production of "Sunset Boulevard" with an inflatable mansion?!

[@rafflifantome]

Haha... Indeed. But I think I'd do anything to go see Sunset in its full glory really. Not Cats! :P I've a feeling I'd breakdown with Norma when she goes down that staircase. Thanks for the useful info! And thanks for the amazing footage you have of Sunset! :)

[@emlodik]

@bettyboy72 I know, Linda's Norma is the most tragic and sympathetic. She really played up Norma's vulnerable, sweet side more than the other actors who tackled the role.

[@HouseOnSunset]

@Sampiro What I like is how unique Linda Balgord's performance is. This has got to be the saddest version of the finale.

[@HouseOnSunset]

LOL, the sets were actually about 25% smaller than the Broadway counterparts. For example, the Samson & Delilah temple looked very "squished." The mansion had a different stairs apron, which made it "flatter" and easier to store. Every time they needed to raise the mansion, they used forklifts and scissor lifts (the full scale productions used state of the art lifting towers.)

[@rafflifantome]

That was amazing... I loved Ms Balgord's interpretation of Norma. =] It was sooo tragic! :( The set looks amazing - this was on tour right? How'd they manage to haul all that scenery across cities? Omg. They seriously should bring this to Singapore!!! Not Cats! :( Why are they bringing Cats again? I heard a rumour a very long time ago that Sunset was gonna tour Australia/Asia or something like that. Dang.

[@HouseOnSunset]

Did you notice the subtle way the smile appears on her face? Too creepy!

[@HouseOnSunset]

I adore Linda in this role! I had tons more clips of her in the role, but they were taken down because of bitter bitchy Petula Clark fans... I'll try getting more uploaded tonight. =)

[@HouseOnSunset]

I guess one of the reasons the Linda Balgord show looked so much sharper is because they had a different director working off of Nunn's notes, but not Nunn himself. Trevor Nunn may not be the best director, but he was infinitely better than Susan Schulman. What she and Petula Clark did was like the Holocaust for "Sunset Boulevard" fans worldwide!

[@HouseOnSunset]

No can someone PLEASE tell me why Miss Balgord is spending her entire career in La LuPone's shadow?!

[@oscarphile]

Who's Max in this?

[@HouseOnSunset]

I thought Petula was AWFUL, her voice (and what little acting skills she had) had died years ago... My problem wasn't with the smaller sets, it was the fact that they were DREADFULLY cluttered and amateurish, like a high school production. And Schulman tried making way too campy and "cute" when the story is anything but that. The UK show had a lot more class.

[@HouseOnSunset]

Yes, the cut much of recitative and had very cheap sets and amateur staging... You can see some clips on my page.

[@HouseOnSunset]

But the thing is, it was still too expensive and time consuming to haul this show around the country, so it shut down in about a year and a crappy low budget tour with Petula Clark was launched. I'll post clips from that hellish nightmare soon. LOL, about "Cats," they've been milking that goat for years! Probably because it's the easiest to stage of all Webber's "big" musicals.

[@emlodik]

@bettyboy72 You should also check out Helen Schneider. Her Norma is by far the craziest and creepiest, but she somehow made it all work towards the character's sympathy. Very different portrayal than Linda's, but very good one as well.

[@HouseOnSunset]

Who says I was the one who took them down? Blame the bitchy Petual groupies who reported to RUG that I have clips of the touring productions up. (As you can see, the other clips were left untouched.)

[@chernjam]

Well I loved the Original Broadway production (and it makes sense how the different director was able to sharpen Balgord's performance) but I don't think the Schulman production was THAT bad. Its hard to follow the beautiful sets of Napier - but I thought some of the cuts, changes (finale , Too much in Love and As If scene) where much more moving. Petula Clark (live when I saw her) seemed pretty good to me.

[@lumiere85]

I think Linda was the craziest norma. Don't really care for the way she ends with one look, I'll be me. Maybe I'll grow on me. Was reading posts, they made cuts to the score for the Petula crap? God, casting her wasn't bad enough?!

[@douglasac10]

@rafflifantome If it's the same cast as I saw in Adelaide a couple of years back, it was dreadful and I can understand why... I could swear they stuffed up the lighting cues, the music was pre-recorded, the moon on the backdrop was so bright it was distracting... I felt as if I wasted $120 (for the ticket, in the top balcony on a Wednesday Matinee no less, and the program). It would be so, so nice if Sunset Boulevard could do an Asia\Pacific tour. I would willingly pay $120 to see that.

[@AtLastOnTheGround]

You're right -- Her acting is fantastic. BUT I really don't like her voice, it's just not my cup of tea, really. Although it does suit the eccentric Ms. Desmond.

[@emlodik]

Ed Dixon.

[@HouseOnSunset]

Bitchy Petula groupies got pissed off at my criticisms and were probably enraged I posted proof of how infinitely better Miss Balgord was, so they reported to RUG that I had clips of the touring productions up and youtube had them deleted... =(

[@HouseOnSunset]

I think you forgot to throw Fran Drescher in the mix... You should have seen her in the 2nd US tour after they dumped poor Linda! The set was cartoonish and Susan Schulman's direction non-existent! They went for camp and parody... Petula was a bloated joke! (Literally! How much water did she drink in the States?!?!?!) I had clips up that tour as well and I will post them back soon.