Sunset Boulevard's come hooooommmmmeeeeee at last. After making headlines in the West End, the Olivier-winning revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical begins performances September 28, and will open October 20. It promises to be a visually new take on the musical, which has become something of a modern classic. But like Norma Desmond's tumultuous return to the silver screen, the original 1994 Broadway production was not without its hiccups (and lawsuits).

Sunset Boulevard features music by Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. It is based on the 1950s Billy Wilder-directed film of the same name, which starred Gloria Swanson as faded silent screen star Norma Desmond, who hires a young screenwriter (played by William Holden) to help her make a comeback to Hollywood. 

The tragedy was catnip for musical theatre composers. Swanson wanted a musical version of the film, which she developed with Richard Stapley and pianist Dickson Hughes, but rights holder Paramount Pictures wouldn't allow the project to proceed. Then in the '80s, Stephen Sondheim wanted to adapt Sunset Boulevard—reportedly for Angela Lansbury—but Wilder discouraged the idea, saying, "You can't write a musical about Sunset Boulevard. It has to be an opera. After all, it's about a dethroned queen."

In 1991, Lloyd Webber began work on his version. He'd loved the film since he first saw it in the 1970s. Lloyd Webber premiered an invitation-only workshop version of Sunset at his Sydmonton Festival in 1992, which starred Patti LuPone. LuPone went on to play the role in the West End in 1993. Although the show would go on to be known for its soaring melodies and powerful performances, what first made headlines was the set. John Napier designed the stunning scenery—Norma Desmond's mansion entered the stage not from the back, but from above, coming down from the rafters, mammoth staircase and all. That did cause multiple technical snafus. 

Before onstage rehearsals began in London, it was discovered that cellphone signals interfered with the lifts system, making the sets move onstage at odd times. Correcting this problem delayed the official opening (originally set for June 29) until July 12.

That wasn't all. LuPone had been contractually promised that she would star in the show when it went to Broadway. But that promise was put into question after, despite positive reviews from London critics, the New York Times wrote a negative one of her performance.

At the same time as the West End production, Glenn Close was playing Norma Desmond in a Los Angeles production, which also contained some revisions (including a new song, "Every Movie's a Circus"). Those revisions were later incorporated into the West End production when it reopened with Tony winner Betty Buckley. After some press speculation on who would end up playing Norma on Broadway, Sunset Boulevard began performances on November 1, 1994, with Close as Norma. This change of leading ladies led to LuPone suing Lloyd Webber and Really Useful Group for breach of contract. LuPone received $1 million, which she used to buy her home in Kent, Connecticut—which had a swimming pool that she named the “Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool.”

Despite the backstage drama, Sunset Boulevard was popular with audiences on Broadway. It won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and one for Close's performance. The show also starred Alan Campbell as Joe Gillis and Alice Ripley as Betty Schaefer (Ripley would go on to play Norma in a 2019 regional production). 

The original Broadway production of Sunset ran for over two years for a total of 994 performances. Close departed the show after a year, to be replaced by Buckley, who had been Olivier-nominated for her London work. Then in 1996, West End star Elaine Paige, also Olivier-nominated, made her much-belated Broadway debut as Norma Desmond. She took relative anonymity in the States with good humor, as she told Playbill at the time: "It's rather funny you know," Paige laughs, "because I am completely anonymous at the moment, and I haven't known that for years in England. . .and I [recently] thought to myself, 'If there's anything really bad I want to do, I'd better do it in the next few weeks.'"

Though the show closed in 1997, it, like Norma, didn't go gently into the good night. There was an ensuing national tour, three West End revivals (including this recent one), a 2017 Broadway revival with Close reprising her role, and this newest 2024 revival.

Over the years, a who's who of musical theatre divas have taken on the role of Desmond in various productions. Among them: Petula Clark (London's final Norma, later on tour in the States), Rita Moreno (playing a brief vacation stint in the original London production), Helen Schneider (in Germany), Debra Byrne (opposite Hugh Jackman in Australia), Diahann Carroll (in Canada), Linda Balgord (the first U.S. national tour), Florence Lacey (at Virginia's Signature), Stephanie J. Block (at the Kennedy Center), and Sarah Brightman (currently in Australia). 

As Nicole Scherzinger becomes the latest skilled vocalist to take on the role, look below to see the various major productions of Sunset Boulevard (and the great women who have played Norma Desmond).

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Look Back At Sunset Boulevard On Stage

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