Broadway's new revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Blvd., directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring Nicole Scherzinger, officially opened October 20 at the St. James Theatre, and the reviews are in! Read below to see what critics are saying.
The production comes to Broadway following an Olivier-winning West End run in 2023. That production's four leads crossed the pond with the revival, including Scherzinger reprising her Olivier-winning performance as faded screen star Norma Desmond, Tom Francis reprising his Olivier-winning performance as ill-fated screenwriter Joe Gillis, Grace Hodgett-Young as aspiring writer Betty Schaefer, and David Thaxton as devoted butler Max Von Mayerling.
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Lloyd's minimalist production won seven Oliviers in all, including one for the director and the top prize of Best Musical Revival.
READ: To Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. Is the Perfect Musical for Her Broadway Debut
Read the reviews below.
Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)*
CitiTour NYC (Brian Scott Lipton)
Digital Journal (Markos Papadatos)
Entertainment Weekly (Kathryn Vandervalk)
The Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney)
Hollywood Soapbox (John Soltes)
New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)*
New York Post (Johnny Oleksinski)
New York Stage Review (David Finkle, Frank Scheck)
New York Theatre Guide (Joe Dziemianowicz)
The New York Times (Jesse Green)*
Talkin' Broadway (Howard Miller)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The Broadway company also includes Olivia Lacie Andrews as Nancy, Brandon Mel Borkowsky as John, Shavey Brown as DeMille/Stan/Finance Man, Hannah Yun Chamberlain as Young Norma/Patsy, Cydney Clark as Joanna/Guard, Raúl Contreras as Finance Man/Frank, Tyler Davis as Sheldrake, E.J. Hamilton as Lisa, Sydney Jones as Dorothy, Emma Lloyd as Mary/Heather, Pierre Marais as Sammy, Shayna McPherson as Camera Operator, Jimin Moon as Morino/Hog Eye, Justice Moore as Jean, Drew Redington as Myron/Jones/Camera Operator, and Diego Andres Rodriguez Artie. Swings are Giuseppe Bausilio (dance captain), Kristina Garvida Doucette (assistant dance captain), Brandon LaVar, Maggie Likcani, Abby Matsusaka, and Rixey Terry.
The Broadway staging also has set and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, choreography by Fabian Aloise, music supervision and musical direction by Alan Williams, lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design and cinematography by Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, hair and makeup design by Cheryl Thomas, intimacy coordination by Ann James, U.S. casting by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger and U.K. casting by Stuart Burt. Johnny Milani is the production stage manager, and 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the general manager.
Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton) is based on the 1950 Billy Wilder movie of the same name, which featured Gloria Swanson as the reclusive Norma Desmond who falls in love with an unlucky writer—Joe Gillis—who happens upon her home by accident. William Holden played Gillis in the film, which was directed by the late Billy Wilder. Swanson, Holden, and Wilder all received Academy Award nominations for their work.
Photos: Look Back on Past Productions of Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Blvd. is produced by The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, and Gavin Kalin Productions by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd and based on the Paramount Pictures film directed by Wilder.
Tom Francis and the company of Sunset Boulevard
David Thaxton and Tom Francis
Tom Francis and Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
The ensemble of Sunset Boulevard
The ensemble of Sunset Boulevard
Grace Hodgett Young in Sunset Blvd. on Broadway
Nicole Scherzinger and Hannah Yun Chamberlain
Tom Francis with Nicole Scherzinger and Hannah Yun Chamberlain (projected)
