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Post by Michael on May 8, 2016 7:22:21 GMT
Glenn should definitely be awarded the Olivier for this next year - it would be crime otherwise! There's an Olivier for Worst Performance in a Musical? I did not know that. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 8, 2016 7:27:29 GMT
Glenn should definitely be awarded the Olivier for this next year - it would be crime otherwise! There's an Olivier for Worst Performance in a Musical? I did not know that. Lol put your flameproof jacket on Michael! |
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Post by Ade on May 8, 2016 7:41:07 GMT
Glenn Close's performance in this was better than Imelda Staunton's in Gypsy. By quite a stretch too. Yep, read it twice. That's what I said.  I'm in agreement here. While I don't know about it being quite a stretch, I left far more impressed with Glenn's performance. |
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Post by Michael on May 8, 2016 7:53:18 GMT
There's an Olivier for Worst Performance in a Musical? I did not know that. Lol put your flameproof jacket on Michael! I know, each to their own, but I do wonder how the very same performance can be received that differently and how extremely opinions can differ. When I saw Sunset last week, I was not only unimpressed by Ms Close's performance but also found it painful to listen to her trying to sing the songs. For me, she was the one weak point in an otherwise brilliant production and it could have been so much better had they gotten someone who can do the songs justice. I was even joking that Norma committed two murders that night, Joe Gillis and the score. |
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Post by ali973 on May 8, 2016 7:57:02 GMT
I wonder what Siobhan will be up to next. I saw her in Ghost and didn't love her in it, but was very impressed with her in Miss Saigon and now in Sunset. She sounds like a young Liz Callaway.
She'd be so wonderfully cast in Anastasia. I would love to hear her sing Journey to the Past.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 8, 2016 8:20:27 GMT
I wonder what Glenn is doing this morning.....
I imagine she slept in until 0730 (yes that's a lie in for Glenn) and was then kissed awake by some handsome suitor-come-houseboy who doesn't look unlike Mickey X.... A champagne breakfast follows, although she hardly drinks this is a special occasion after all! As she sips, she may flick through her fan mail, smiling wryly at the many different post codes from the four corners of the world. Mickey will interrupt to tell her that Paramount is on the phone again.
"Who at Paramount?" She demands, eyes flashing.
"Head of casting Madame" is Mickey's reply.
"No!" She hisses. "Only when HE calls! ONLY WHEN ITS HIM!!"
Mickey retreats and Glenn prepares herself for her bath. A turban fashioned from the finest Egyptian cotton and a full face of MAC (water has not touched this visage since 1970 despite a promising swimming career and losing out on the olympics only because of her devotion to her Art). Passing the mirror she looks at herself, framing her face with both hands she hums "all they needed was this face of mine" before lowering herself into the scented bubbles.
Mickey knocks...
"Ent-aaah!" She cries.
"His lordship has arrived Madame, and Mr Black. Zey have ze Broadway contract"
"I'm ready....." She whispers "I'm coming home at last!".....
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 8, 2016 8:21:22 GMT
Oh god I'm doing that thing where I get the actor mixed up with the character again. Must stop that!  |
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Post by Joseph Buquet on May 8, 2016 8:24:18 GMT
Oh, and Halle Barry was in the audience. That's nothing. Sandi Toksvig was there the night I went! |
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Post by mrpianoman on May 8, 2016 9:00:49 GMT
Lol put your flameproof jacket on Michael! I know, each to their own, but I do wonder how the very same performance can be received that differently and how extremely opinions can differ. When I saw Sunset last week, I was not only unimpressed by Ms Close's performance but also found it painful to listen to her trying to sing the songs. For me, she was the one weak point in an otherwise brilliant production and it could have been so much better had they gotten someone who can do the songs justice. I was even joking that Norma committed two murders that night, Joe Gillis and the score. Lol you being serious Michael. She was phenomenal!! Each to their own I guess ha ha :-) |
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Post by ptwest on May 8, 2016 9:12:50 GMT
Absolutely loved it last night - Glenn Close put in an extraordinary acting performance and thought her voice was in fine shape, "with One Look" in particular. Yes, I've heard Norma sung better, but I thought she was mesmerising.
Can't understand all the negativity towards Muchael Xavier - for a character that's both trapped and who can't believe his luck, thought he was superb.
And what an atmosphere - didn't think the curtain calls would stop!
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Post by Michael on May 8, 2016 9:15:52 GMT
Lol you being serious Michael. She was phenomenal!! Each to their own I guess ha ha :-) Serious is one of my many middle names. I saw the show Thursday last week and thought that Ms Close was terribly bad and shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near this show. |
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Post by crabtree on May 8, 2016 9:43:30 GMT
It's hard to compare Ms Staunton to Ms Close, but I think Ms Staunton would win as she brought something very new, and less obvious to the part. And I would hazard that Momma is a more demanding role as she is certainly stage for practically the whole evening, and it's a longer evening. Norma is threaded through other major stories, but certainly making the right impact when she is there
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2016 9:43:43 GMT
The final bars are still echoing down St Martins Lane, and already the Top Spot in the Musicals thread has been taken by that bleeding Wicked show!  |
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Post by Phantom of London on May 8, 2016 12:21:01 GMT
Yeap Andrew, Christopher Hampton and Don Black did the curtain call at the end. Interesting I bumped into Don Black in Caffe Nero next door with his lovely wife, who I chatted to, for about 20/30 minutes before the show, a great, spot on chap. The atmosphere could generate enough green energy to power the West End for a few days. People have been wrong when they have said this is the theatrical event of the year, it's the theatrical event of the decade. Now it is the last show and the ENO are having a tough time, they cannot seem to get a break from anywhere - they are being pushed under a bus very slowly, I hope that Sunset Boulevard is catalyst for something better for the company and they catch a break from now on. Phantom, was that you sat at the other end of his table? I was at the next table with three friends and we spoke to him not long after he'd sat down. He was really lovely, as was his wife who we saw again when we were leaving the Coliseum and she asked us if we'd enjoyed it. I don't think I've ever been in a theatre with an atmosphere quite like that before. A fabulous evening. Was that Don asking you about problems he is having with his IPhone? In that case yeap it was me. |
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Post by mosiemo on May 8, 2016 12:34:08 GMT
Phantom, was that you sat at the other end of his table? I was at the next table with three friends and we spoke to him not long after he'd sat down. He was really lovely, as was his wife who we saw again when we were leaving the Coliseum and she asked us if we'd enjoyed it. I don't think I've ever been in a theatre with an atmosphere quite like that before. A fabulous evening. Was that Don asking you about problems he is having with his IPhone? In that case yeap it was me. Yep, that was us, and I was the one with the verbal diarrhoea who kept telling him how much I loved Sunset. I'm sure you managed a much more eloquent conversation than I did! |
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Post by max on May 8, 2016 13:04:11 GMT
I was really looking forward to be blown away by this. Sadly I don't think Lonny Price is much of a director. 'Young Norma' did nothing for me, but I wouldn't have minded her presence if she hadn't upstaged such important moments. To have her draw focus from Max's first 'The Greatest Star Of All' and be floating past Norma during the fateful 'Phone Call To Betty was an extraordinary choice - just first-base wrong in my view. Glenn Close is clearly no "me, me, me" diva, but I wish she hadn't allowed it. Also, I was anticipating chills during Hogeye's spotlight moment, but why over the previous 60 seconds weren't the other lights cheated down a notch - I expected a distinct spotlight cutting through the semi-dark, with some haze to really show the light beam. The floating Joe looked daft in photos people had taken in the interval, but I imagined it would be bathed in watery light and back projection - but barely. I can't think how anyone who doesn't know the story would interpret it - certainly not 'body in swimming pool'.
If they do it again, I'd like to see the orchestra casually amble across the stage before the start of the show proper, with violin cases etc. Okay I know the Musician's Union wouldn't stand it (except for more pay) - but the idea of the orchestra striking up as a soundstage orchestra makes sense, and I think sometimes orchestras played 'to picture' in order to match when recording. That would work for overture and entr'acte with a suspended screen above.
I don't know - I feel disappointed that I'm disappointed. Really wanted to feel uplifted and in awe, but it felt like it needed more pre-production time on projections and concepts. I've often thought that a 'skeleton of a studio' could work for Sunset Boulevars' locations, but I think it would need to revolve to become truly exciting, with the staircase snaking round it.
I just wanted more.
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Post by londonmzfitz on May 8, 2016 18:03:01 GMT
I went for my third time last night. Thought Glenn Close was in better voice than the previous two visits, adored her performance, serious goosebumps. I'm a fan of Michael Xavier but thought he was so ott last night, playing for audience reaction, disappointing.
And yet a fecking gain someone and their bloody mobile phone pisses me off. Lights dim, and he's still tapping away. Projection curtain rises and he's still tapping away. Actors on stage and and - eventually he closes the cover.
Mid With One Look he flicks his phone on. Heads around swivel towards him and the light from his phone and he closes the cover.
Five minutes later, dialogue going on and the phone is lit up again and he starts tapping. He's two seats away, I lean over and hiss at him, he ignores me but shuts the cover. I get the woman next to him to nudge him and I said "don't turn it on again".
I feel utterly mortified at losing it like that. His companion sniggered at me when they walked past me at the interval but the didn't come back.
Feckers.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2016 18:08:01 GMT
I went for my third time last night. Thought Glenn Close was in better voice than the previous two visits, adored her performance, serious goosebumps. I'm a fan of Michael Xavier but thought he was so ott last night, playing for audience reaction, disappointing. And yet a fecking gain someone and their bloody mobile phone pisses me off. Lights dim, and he's still tapping away. Projection curtain rises and he's still tapping away. Actors on stage and and - eventually he closes the cover. Mid With One Look he flicks his phone on. Heads around swivel towards him and the light from his phone and he closes the cover. Five minutes later, dialogue going on and the phone is lit up again and he starts tapping. He's two seats away, I lean over and hiss at him, he ignores me but shuts the cover. I get the woman next to him to nudge him and I said "don't turn it on again". I feel utterly mortified at losing it like that. His companion sniggered at me when they walked past me at the interval but the didn't come back. Feckers. I applaud you, londonmzfitz. Don't feel mortified. I'd have done the same. And more... More of us should challenge these arrogant tossers. What an arsehole! |
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Post by danb on May 8, 2016 19:50:17 GMT
Sounds like admirable restraint to me! I used to be guilty of this but have learnt my lesson...so rude.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on May 8, 2016 20:26:38 GMT
I feel utterly mortified at losing it like that. His companion sniggered at me when they walked past me at the interval but the didn't come back. Feckers. Ignorant uncouth oiks. |
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Post by Phantom of London on May 8, 2016 21:08:08 GMT
Was that Don asking you about problems he is having with his IPhone? In that case yeap it was me. Yep, that was us, and I was the one with the verbal diarrhoea who kept telling him how much I loved Sunset. I'm sure you managed a much more eloquent conversation than I did! I don't think you were speaking 'verbal diarrhoea', you were great and enthusiastic. Think you were saying you were in Orlando at the time, when tickets went on sale. It was me who was speaking gibberish. I hope you enjoyed the final show as much as I did? |
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Post by mrbarnaby on May 9, 2016 1:40:21 GMT
Don't feel mortified at all. HE should be mortified. And his companion for sniggering. I always call people out for phones being used. It's unacceptable and doing it once is one time too many. It always depressed me that people can't leave their phones alone for the duration of a show. Sad twats. I went for my third time last night. Thought Glenn Close was in better voice than the previous two visits, adored her performance, serious goosebumps. I'm a fan of Michael Xavier but thought he was so ott last night, playing for audience reaction, disappointing. And yet a fecking gain someone and their bloody mobile phone pisses me off. Lights dim, and he's still tapping away. Projection curtain rises and he's still tapping away. Actors on stage and and - eventually he closes the cover. Mid With One Look he flicks his phone on. Heads around swivel towards him and the light from his phone and he closes the cover. Five minutes later, dialogue going on and the phone is lit up again and he starts tapping. He's two seats away, I lean over and hiss at him, he ignores me but shuts the cover. I get the woman next to him to nudge him and I said "don't turn it on again". I feel utterly mortified at losing it like that. His companion sniggered at me when they walked past me at the interval but the didn't come back. Feckers. |
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Post by londonmzfitz on May 9, 2016 8:25:50 GMT
But they weren't "oiks" of the youth variety, these were two men in, at a guess, 50's. I would/should have been more polite if I hadn't been so lost in the moment to be suddenly taken from the show to the laser like light of his mobile going on. And he kept the blooming thing in his hand all the way through the first act, juggling it from hand to hand.
The two people in between us were not enjoying the show, clearly - no applause at any time, faces like thunder, racing out at the end. Just me and the lovely man next to me, over from New York for a week of shows, whooping our appreciation at Glenn Close and Co at the end.
Phones - seriously, do you have the attention span of a three year old? I'm still smarting from the stand-up row I had with a guy at Miss Saigon over a year ago who checked his phone twice mid show - scrawling through facebook through the last heartfelt song of the first act. Politely I said "it's quite distracting" - - five minutes of him, king nob of nobness, ranting at me, while people around looked on in astonishment (including an usher).
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Post by mosiemo on May 9, 2016 9:04:15 GMT
Yep, that was us, and I was the one with the verbal diarrhoea who kept telling him how much I loved Sunset. I'm sure you managed a much more eloquent conversation than I did! I don't think you were speaking 'verbal diarrhoea', you were great and enthusiastic. Think you were saying you were in Orlando at the time, when tickets went on sale. It was me who was speaking gibberish. I hope you enjoyed the final show as much as I did? Not quite sure why I felt the need to tell him we got up at 4am to book tickets but there we are! I enjoyed it very much, thank you. The atmosphere was amazing and I'm going to miss hearing that score played by the fabulous orchestra. |
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Post by Phantom of London on May 9, 2016 11:45:33 GMT
All what's left now is memories, which are priceless.
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