Sunset Boulevard Tickets

This production did a lot with a minimal set, but still retained the feeling of the bigger productions and original film. The ensemble was charming and full of energy in their singing and acting. They bring moments of relief from an otherwise tragic Hollywood story. While all of the lead roles were well cast, Tim Kuehl's performance stuck with me the most. He captured Joe's ragged cynicism in the smallest gestures. Due to the small space, the orchestra is greatly reduced, which diminishes this more evolved score of ALW's. I recommend this production to fans of the show, but also to newcomers who would enjoy the humor of 50s Hollywood.

I am not a fan of the new theater. The stage is small and the seating structure is poor. You sit directly behind the person ahead of you with little elevation between rows. The person playing Norma is much too young for this part.

If you have seen the original production, on Broadway or on tour, the immediate question is how can anybody put on THIS show in a small theater? The Minneapolis Musical Theatre's version obviously lacks the spectacle of the original (e.g., the end of Act 1 when the massive set with Norma's spacious living room goes up, instead of back, and they slide Artie's apartment underneath it for a unique mis-en-scene contrasting Norma's suicide attempt with the New Year's Eve party Joe is at), but the story, the music, and the characters all manage to survive the transition. (NOTE: This review is of the June 1st production at the New Century Theatre in downtown Minneapolis) As Norma Desmond, Sarah Gibson is given more of a caricature than a character to play, but manages to avoid going overboard until the script demands she jump into the deep end of the pool. Our perspective was affected by our seats in the front row, because there were times when I thought we were just too close to the performer, especially given how proximity to or distance from Norma is part of how the world responds to her. But more than playing a crazed grand dame, this is a role that offers an actress several big songs to sing: "Surrender," "With One Look," "New Ways to Dream," "The Perfect Year," "As if We Never Said Goodbye." Gibson probably does the best with that last number, but the most important one turns out to be the first on that list, because it is the one moment where we get to see Norma unguarded. Tim Kuehl's Joe Gillis is the show's lynchpin, both as the narrator and as the pivot point for the odd love triangle that develops over the course of the two acts. Kuehl does a solid job of conveying the cynical veneer that serves as his character's shield in Hollywood, but his best scenes are when his true feelings come through, specifically when he gives Norma what she needs at the end of Act 1 and then at end when he unloads on Betty because he does not deserve her. Kuehl gives Gillis a level of maturity you do not usually see in the role and handles the quick paced delivery of the songs, especially the title song at the start of Act 2. Christian Unser provides the necessary gravitas for Max, Norma's butler and the only man in her life until the Fates throw Joe into the path of her orbit. Time and time again Unser does a nice job of underplaying the character's emotions and demonstrating less is more (I found myself thinking Max was what a butler would be like if you hired one from the planet Vulcan). As Betty Schaefer, Aly Westberg makes it very easy to see why first Artie and then Joe fall in love with her. She is cute and has spunk, but also brains and a heart, which is evidenced by her interactions with Joe working on the "Blind Windows" script. Plus, vocally Betty's songs are right in Westberg's wheelhouse, and her duet with Joe on "Too Much in Love to Care" is the singing highlight of the evening. Director Steven Meerdink came up with the idea of setting the story in some sort of insane asylum, where Norma Desmond has been committed. At the very start we are now treated to some of the lines Norma sings at the end during her "complete mental breakdown," and she calls one of the orderlies "Joe." He then becomes Joe and launches into the opening number. In theory, then, the show is still a flashback, but apparently now it is Norma's memories rather than those of Joe Gillis. Except (a) how can she "remember" the scenes before she Joe meets or any scene where she is not there and (b) why would she want to remember most of what transpires? More importantly, except for the briefest of nods to this conceit at the start of Act 2, there is absolutely no payoff to the insane asylum idea beyond the set and with regards to that there is no real value to the action taking place in front of white hospital walls as opposed to the fine wood of Norma's Hollywood dilapidated mansion. To really make it work you would have to create even more "new" scenes (turning the "Car Chase" into a "song" instead of an instrumental number was done quite well). Consequently, I found the conceit to be completely unneccessary. Meerdink's other spark of creativity is the use of projects on a pair of screens at opposite ends of a stage that is considerably wider than it is deep. Each scene is set with a pair of photographs (e.g., pictures of the two halves of the HOLLYWOOD sign, Schwabs Drug Store, a studio, etc). That works well enough, but there is also the use of a videocamera to "film" closeups of Norma during most of her big songs/moments. This is somewhat distracting inasmuch as it forces you to choose between the actual performer or their projection, not to mention looking back and forth to make sure you are not missing something. Also, my wife commented that the projection, always shot from a low angle, made Norma seem even crazier. However, there were several moments--when Joe calls Max and when Max and Norma "drive" into the studio lot--where this device was used quite effectively. The eleven person ensemble that complements the quartet of principal performers is absolutely stellar. Kudos go to the casting, Music Director Lori Maxwell, and Sound Designer Allen Weeks. There were a few isolated feedback problems, but overall the ensemble sounded great, both in the big group numbers ("Let's Have Lunch," "This Time Next Year") and when broken into guys ("The Lady's Paying") and gals ("Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The ensemble was the strongest element this production had towards making you forget this is a scaled down version of the show. Nor were their any complaints with the orchestra, which fell short of making it to double figures in numbers, but complimented the singers quite well. So in the final analysis, the performances clearly outweigh the problematic production elements. Despite the aforementioned concerns, on balance I enjoyed this production and was glad we drove down to see it.

Went on Sat. 6/1 and unbelievable. Lead Actress was amazing, her performance alone made the play! The lead actor was just as good and combine made for an excellent evening!!! Entire cast was just top notch!!! You can tell the good from the bad, I didn't want to go home!!! Bravo!!!

This production of Sunset Boulevard captured the character of Norma Desmond as originally brought to life by Gloria Swanson. The subtle weakness in the hard exterior was brought out well. The voices of all the performers made it all the better.

This show was fabulous, the set, the cast, the music...the leading lady had the best voice we had ever heard!

If you are like me, and chase this show wherever it plays just to see how Norma is played, you will not be disappointed here. Christine Sherrill plays breathes life into Norma Desmond, making her a real person rather than a larger-than-life diva. Instead, Sherrill's Norma is one who holds onto an ounce of hope. At the end of the show, I felt deeply sorry for her, and wanted to jump up on stage to help her find a therapist! It was a deeply emotional, moving portrayal of a woman who had been stampeded by big business Hollywood, but did not have the emotional means necessary to work through her experiences and move on. Because of Sherrill, I understand Norma better now than I have since discovering this show just a few, short years ago. As for the rest of the production, it was aesthetically and audibly appealing. Roberta Duchak's musical direction was fantastic, the use of the stage and set was creative, and seamless scene changes kept the show moving (let's be honest, anyone who is familiar with this show know it can drag on forever...like most of Andrew Lloyd Weber's work). While the show is not without it's flaws, it is an enjoyable evening at the theatre. Anyone who likes dramatic shows, especially musicals, should see this.

Excellently cast! Wonderful voices! An extreamly entertaining evening! Definetely worth seeing! There is nothing like live theatre!!!

Great show, scenery, music and of course the singing/characters & cast. Even single actor really put their entire "Heart & Soul" into the production. Even though we sat in the next to last row of seating, we had the feeling that the actors, where doing a personal performance just for us. Play was the right length, intermission chance to stretch your legs etc. Entire audience really appreicated the play, you could tell by the applauses, and standing ovation at the end.

The lead actors and ensemble had lovely voices and did an admirable job with the musical numbers. The actress playing Norma Desmond was just a little too young and didn't play the crazy or desperate part of the role as well as I have seen in other production but she did a wonderful job singing "With One Look".

This was an absolutely stunning production of Sunset Boulevard. I saw this once before during a National Tour starring Petula Clark and I have to say that this production was better. Christine Sherrill was brilliant as Norma Desmond. She turned what I had always felt was a caricature into a human being. You actually felt for the character instead of simply being entertained by her eccentric personality. I was thoroughly impressed!!

Being younger, I did not know of the history behind this. I truly enjoyed it because of the excellence of the performers.

....Seats were outstanding, included meal was delightful, and acting was top notch. The story was predictable, and the music was not Webber's best. Don't go if you are expecting a lot of laughs, as this is a dark depiction of Hollywood's treatment of silent stars once "talkies" came to be.

The actor that played Norma Desmond was outstanding. I believe the set could have been a bit better.

Perhaps initially seeing this production in Los Angeles featuring Glen Close had my expectations too high. While the cast certainly had wonderful voices and the score is quite enjoyable, I felt cheated by the sets. Granted the stage is considerably smaller than the Pantages, but I feel more could have been done and that corners were cut. Norma's wardrobe paled in comparison to the LA production as well...I never really believed her to be part of the Old Hollywood sect of opulence and glamour. The other downside was that the theater itself got unbearably warm by intermission---more people were using their playbills as fans than as a reference for the actors.

Sunset Boulevard was slow in the beginning but made up for it and picked up in the end.

MUSIC WAS GOOD AND SOME SONGS WERE EXCELLENT BUT OVER ALL THE MUSIC AND STORY WERE SLOW. CAST WAS VERY GOOD

This Andrew L. Weber adeptation is amazing!! Having loved the movie, I was wondering how this was going to be made into a musicial? Mr Weber blows it out of the water. If you liked Phantom, you"ll love this. A MUST SEE!!

Despite an ornate venue and talented actors and actresses, the unsympathetic characters and uninspiring music led us to leave the theatre at intermission.

Music not very good and story worse. Way too slow and dark.