There is more magic in the making to come for Sunset Blvd. fans this fall.
Not only will the transfer of the hit London revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical begin previews at Broadway's St. James September 28, but the London cast recording will be released October 25, according to a post on the show's Instagram.
Recorded live at London's Savoy Theatre, the double album features 2024 Olivier winner Nicole Scherzinger as the faded silent-screen star Norma Desmond plus 2024 Olivier winner Tom Francis as Joe Gillis, 2024 Olivier nominee Grace Hodgett-Young as Betty Schaefer, and Olivier winner and 2024 Olivier nominee David Thaxton as Max Von Mayerling. All four will reprise their roles in the Broadway bow of director Jamie Lloyd's minimalist production, which is set to officially open October 20.
Sunset Blvd.: The Album will be released globally via The Other Songs. Click to pre-order the recording.
It was earlier announced that Mandy Gonzalez, who created the role of Nina in the Tony-winning In the Heights, will guest star as Desmond in select performances (typically one show a week) beginning October 22. Caroline Bowman (Frozen, Evita tours) will be the standby for the role of the former movie star.
The Broadway company will also include Olivia Lacie
Andrews as Nancy, Brandon Mel Borkowsky as John, Shavey Brown as Finance
Man/Stan/DeMille, Hannah Yun Chamberlain as Young Norma, Cydney Clark
as Joanna/Guard, Raúl Contreras as Finance Man/Frank, Tyler Davis as
Sheldrake, E.J. Hamilton as Lisa, Sydney Jones as Dorothy, Emma Lloyd as
Mary/Heather, Pierre Marais as Sammy, Shayna McPherson as Camera
Operator/Katherine, Jimin Moon as Morino/Hog Eye, Justice Moore as Jean,
Drew Redington as Myron/Jones/Camera Operator, and Diego Andres
Rodriguez as Artie. Swings for the production will be Giuseppe Bausilio
(dance captain), Kristina Garvida Doucette (assistant dance captain),
Brandon LaVar, Maggie Likcani, Abby Matsusaka, and Rixey Terry.
The London Sunset Blvd. revival was a startling departure for the traditionally opulently designed musical; it featured a minimalist set and ample use of live video. Images of the curtain call, featuring Scherzinger covered in blood, went viral on social media. The show opened in London's West End at the Savoy Theatre October 12, 2023. Read the reviews here.
The production also has set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, choreography by Fabian Aloise, music supervision and musical direction by Alan Williams, lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design and cinematography by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, hair and makeup design by Cheryl Thomas, U.S. casting by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger and U.K. casting by Stuart Burt. Johnny Milani is the production stage manager, and 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the general manager.
Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton) is based on the 1950 Billy Wilder movie of the same name, which featured Gloria Swanson as the reclusive Norma Desmond who falls in love with an unlucky writer—Joe Gillis—who happens upon her home by accident. William Holden played Gillis in the film, which was directed by the late Billy Wilder. Swanson, Holden, and Wilder all received Academy Award nominations for their work.
Tony and Olivier Award winner Patti LuPone created the role of Norma Desmond for the musical's world-premiere production in London, earning an Olivier nomination for her performance. Glenn Close played the role in Los Angeles and later in New York, where she won a Tony Award for her work as the aging actor. Other musical Normas include Tony winner Betty Buckley (London and New York), Olivier winner Elaine Paige (London and New York), Tony winner Diahann Carroll (Canada), Petula Clark (London and U.S. tour), Debra Byrne (Australia), Helen Schneider (Germany), and Linda Balgord (U.S. tour). After bringing her Norma to London, Close starred in the 2017 Broadway revival of Sunset, while Tony winner Stephanie J. Block played Norma in a recent production at the Kennedy Center. Sarah Brightman currently stars in an Australian production.
Scherzinger, who played Grace in Annie Live!, also voiced the character Sina in Disney’s Moana and starred in ABC's remake of Dirty Dancing. She was seen as Grizabella in the London revival of Cats.
Sunset Blvd. is produced by The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, and Gavin Kalin Productions by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd and based on the Paramount Pictures film directed by Billy Wilder.
Nicole Scherzinger
Tom Francis and Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Tom Francis and the cast of Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Rachel Tucker in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Norma alternate Rachel Tucker and cast of Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
Grace Hodgett Young, Nicole Scherzinger, and Tom Francis in Sunset Boulevard
Hannah Yun Chamberlain and Mireia Mambo in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
Tom Francis and David Thaxton in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Tom Francis and Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Tom Francis and cast of Sunset Boulevard
Tom Francis and cast of Sunset Boulevard
Grace Hodgett Young in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
David Thaxton and cast of Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Grace Hodgett Young and Tom Francis in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard (West End, 2023)
Cast of Sunset Boulevard
