5 Takeaways From the New “Sunset Boulevard” on Broadway

The musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s famed 1950 black comedy noir film Sunset Boulevard—with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and libretto by Don Black and Christopher Hampton—has returned to the Great White Way for the third time. It first hit Broadway in 1994, then returned in 2017, both times starring Glenn Close. Director Jamie Lloyd’s new revival offers a radically different interpretation. Unlike the purposely ostentatious set design of the previous revival several years ago, this new incarnation starring Nicole Scherzinger is done in a black box format. It only has black walls and backdrops and a couple of chairs for props. Additionally, the costumes are monochromatic, and the show mostly uses lighting and black and white video projections to create the atmosphere.

This latest incarnation of Sunset Boulevard has generated a lot of buzz for Scherzinger’s harrowing performance, the raw, stripped-down presentation that focuses on character and dialogue, and an unorthodox second act opener that has probably never been done on Broadway before. More on that below.

A quick recap of the story: When his car breaks down, young, struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (played by Tom Francis) winds up at the home of faded movie star Norma Desmond (Scherzinger) who lives with her strange manservant Max von Mayerling (David Thaxton). Joe and Norma strike up a friendship—she is seeking to make a comeback, he is seeking to make his name. Their working partnership twists into a strange romantic relationship, one that threatens his writing work with a young female screenwriter who is equally as amibitious as him. The emotional disintegration that follows is part of what makes the show so captivating.

Here are 5 takeaways from the new Sunset Boulevard.

Scherzinger Delivers a Powerful Performance

Many people will recall Nicole Scherzinger as the main singer of the pop group The Pussycat Dolls (originally from 2003 to 2010), then as a solo artist, X Factor judge, movie voice actor (Moana), and from other artistic endeavors. She has appeared onstage in Rent and Cats, but this is the first time she’s appearing in a Broadway production. Her singing is robust, and she really cloaks herself in the tragic figure of Norma Desmond. She won an Olivier Award this year for Best Actress In A Musical for her performance. Francis and Thaxton also put on strong performances.

The Two Acts Are a Study in Major Contrast

Given the use of large video projections behind the cast, many of their expressions are a bit exaggerated; purposely, in the case of Norma and Max. Scherzinger camps it up in the right way throughout the first act, but when it comes to the second act the absurd comedy devolves into a far more tragic and emotionally tumultuous portrayal. The satirical aspects have always been there, but in this version the second act really changes gears. And it works.

The Second Act Opener Literally Takes the Show Outside

As was done in the West End production prior to the show’s arrival on Broadway, Joe begins the second act in a very meta way. The use of cameras already suggests that some of the characters think they’re in a movie about a woman trying to get back into the movies. But during the overture actor Tom Francis hops down four flights of stairs, passing cast and crew, beginning the title song while leaving the theater. He actually prowls in song along West 44th Street into Shubert Alley, followed by a flank of performers from the show, before doubling back to come through the audience side doors of the St. James Theatre. It’s evidently done live every night and it certainly surprised the audience, in a good way.

There Is a Pop Music Easter Egg

In that same Act Two opening number, Joe pops in to see Max sitting at his mirror gazing upon a picture of a troupe of sexy pop singers. Scherzinger fans will immediately recognize that as her former group The Pussycat Dolls. Those in the know will get the joke.

You May be Seated Next to a Big Scherzinger Fan

The audience for this show is a mixture of Andrew Lloyd Webber followers, musical theater fans, and Nicole Scherzinger devotees. It’s this latter group that have the potential to get noisy. Two people seated near me were more than rather excited during specific scenes. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself seated next to a Scherzinger fan who is being more than a little expressive in their adoration for her. It night have just been the usual first-week excitement that comes with a new show, but who knows?

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Photo by Jeanette D. Moses/Variety via Getty Images