Published on Jul 24, 1997
As an Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, I’ve done the requisite attend-
Phantom-twice and spend hours analyzing Liz Callaway vs.
Elaine Paige vs. Betty Buckley in the role of Grizabella.
Cats being my ultimate favorite (being a cat-lover and a
Star Trek fan to boot), I tend to listen to “the Other” ALW
records with prejudice; but I don’t need to do that with the
lavishly gargantuan
Sunset Boulevard.
This show has
everything; sure, the usual John Napier sets, Don Black in
the lyrics team (though like everyone else, I miss the Tim Rice
combo), and a perfect “diva” role which seems to be all the rage
these days. But this latter part of “everything” became the origin
of even jucier “everything”s. Producer fires star (stars, in this
case). Star sues producer. Producer hires someone who can’t sing
the role, but this miscast pulls off the show to almost unanimous
rave reviews.
But in time when it all settles and the controversy wears off,
the show (which has a considerably longer lifespan than a movie) is
left to its own devices, which explains why
Sunset Boulevard is leaving Broadway after the fraction of
the runtime
Phantom of the Opera or
Cats (“now and forever”) are enjoying.
The centerpiece of the record is Glenn Close, and this review is
no better than any of the other reviews out there. She is not much
of a conventional belter, but the vocals are very serviceable, and
her portrayal of Norma Psychotic Desmond is simply mezmerizing;
comparable to reading
The Vampire Lestat through the silent night. Her voice is
the only thing percieveable on the record but like any capable
artist, she shows you much more in songs like “With One Look”, “As
If We Never Said Goodbye” and “The Final Scene”. I’m sure the
sacked Patti LuPone and Faye Dunaway might have sung the role to
perfection; but I seriously doubt they would’ve come up with the
same effect (which I’d prefer to LuPone’s EDGE any day).
George Hearn, who plays Desmond’s butler, also puts up an
equally formidable performance in “The Greatest Star Of All” and a
host of key lines (“And wipe your feet.” “It’s not Madame they want
…”). It’s this ability to capture the senses of the audience
which makes this record work.
So it’s too bad that the rest of the cast doesn’t live up to the
noir score. Curse words sound awkward and the Hollywood
talk/singing in “Every Movie’s A Circus” and “Let’s Have Lunch”
sound like New Yorkers imitating Alicia Silverstone in
Clueless. Alan Campbell is unconvincing as the cynical Joe
Gillis which rules out more than two thirds of this album. Judy
Kuhn does what she can with the role, but the score isn’t right for
her; it needs more acting.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s prodigious pen produced three single-ready
songs, and all of them are sung by Close (Desmond). “Surrender”,
“With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” all echo with
space enough for creative improv by whoever is singing, and Close
did a better job than I thought she did (this was realized after I
heard the Barbra Streisand versions; never would I have thought I’d
see the day when the Babs version of a song isn’t number one on my
list). All of them are characteristically dramatic, the lyrics
flawless and appropriately stark in arragement.
It’s a bad album with excellent spots. Sure musical soundtracks
take on a whole new meaning when you see the actual show, but
previous ALW productions have done fine as stand-alone albums. The
set, the diva, the controversy … one can’t blame their role in
the Broadway-closing of
Sunset Boulevard … but you can with the album.