A Contemporary Theatre in Ridgefield, Connecticut, opened its 6th season with a polished production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard”. If you’re going to produce this mammoth musical, it’s good to have the money to help you achieve your goals. At ACT, they seem to have the budget to accommodate the challenging set, costumes, a cast of 20 and a terrific sounding orchestra under the direction of Bryan Perri.
With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and based on the classic 1950 film by Billy Wilder, “Sunset Boulevard” finds struggling Hollywood screenwriter Joe Gillis (Michael Burrell) newly hired by aging silent film star Norma Desmond (Pearl Sun). Norma is well past her prime living in the delusion that she is ready for a new film venture. She’s written a screenplay and hires Joe first as her editor and then as her lover. Joe’s ambivalence about their relationship and Norma’s unwillingness to let go leads to madness, violence and death.
In 1991, the musical was first and foremost designed as a showcase for a Broadway diva of a certain age (Elaine Page, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close) and it was the sheer force of the personality of that star that made “Sunset Boulevard” work. There are only two songs of any note in the show and both are sung by Norma: “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye”. The remaining score is bland even though Mr. Burrell can probably make a case for his strongly sung rendering of the title song at the top of act two. There’s still a question, though, of “why” with this show. Like many recent musicals derived from popular films (“Mrs. Doubtfire”, “Rocky” and “Pretty Woman” come to mind), there’s really no reason to tinker with Wilder’s film noir masterpiece. In all, this is my least favorite of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals.
Casting Ms. Sun in the leading role is a risk that almost pays off. Appearing at least a decade too young for the role, Sun has the vocal chops but lacks the poignancy of a woman struggling for relevance that would come with an older performer. She doesn’t look that much older than Burrell so the shame of him being a gigolo doesn’t register as strongly as it could. Burrell is fine as Joe without being special and his relationship with a potential fling, the younger Betty (Helen J. Shen), seems superficial. The plum supporting role of Max, Norma’s dedicated manservant, is played stiffly and far too melodramatically by George Xavier. The hard-working chorus, under Daniel C. Levine’s able direction, knock themselves out trying to make their lackluster songs register.
David Goldstein’s scenic design succeeds nicely although I wish Norma’s home looked less polished and projected more seedy glamour. Costumes by Kurt Alger, who also did the expert wig design here, are masterful draping Ms. Sun in a series of splendid outfits scene after scene. In all, while I find the show both too little and not enough, there are plenty who are bound to enjoy every minute of this musical.
“Sunset Boulevard” continues at ACT, 36 Old Quarry Road in Ridgefield through November 19. For further information, call: 475.215.5497 or visit: www.actofct.org.
Tom Holehan is one of the founders of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a frequent contributor to WPKN Radio’s “State of the Arts” program and the Stratford Crier and Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at: tholehan@yahoo.com. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.com.
