‘Sunset Boulevard’ was one of the last of the big-budget Andrew Lloyd Webber ‘event’ musicals that came from Britain in the 1990’s, and as such its initial staging was overwhelmed by an incredible floating mansion set, as well as the behind-the-scenes fireworks of its casting. The latter is what any proper production of ‘Sunset’ depends upon, and having seen productions of this musical falter and fall completely apart when Norma Desmond is even the slightest bit mis-cast, it’s always a risky endeavor staging this show. After having the great fortune of seeing Glenn Close perform the show in both its original Broadway version and subsequent revival, as well as Betty Buckley during the original run, I’m admittedly spoiled when it comes to who dons Norma’s legendary turban.
While Ms. Desmond is indeed a showy part, it’s easily overdone, and demands more nuance and care than one might assume. It also requires some steely vocal chops, or the gift to act one’s way around them. Elizabeth Ward Land takes on the coveted role and she is gloriously up to the difficult task on all fronts. Her Norma is vixenish, vulnerable and vivaciously volatile. Even better, she has the vocal prowess to land the big arias without losing any complexity of character. After her entrance and the first act showstopper ‘With One Look’, fans of the musical can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this production is in beautiful voice and gorgeously-bejeweled hands.
The musical itself remains one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s darker and more challenging works – its cynically-dour use-or-be-used aspects offering little hope in the brutal wake of Hollywood’s movie-making ferocity. Its two leads leave little to be loved, and the success of any production relies upon both Norma and Joe finding some bit of heart and heat to brighten the dim corridors of such craven survival. (It’s also one of the more problematic musical works: the basic premise of the original movie was that this silent-screen star failed as soon as the ‘talkies’ arrived – it defeats itself when you turn something that basically decries the voice into a musical that extols it.)
What carried the original show was star power and a few of those famous arias – witness the grandiosity of Buckley’s’As If We Never Said Goodbye’ or the wounded viciousness of Close’s final mad scene. When lesser actors took on the role of Norma, the high-points of the show were muted, yet it often worked to the production’s advantage because it became more even. The Mac-Haydn version finds a happy middle-ground, managing to both raise the company as a whole while shining a well-deserved spotlight on Ms. Land’s impressive performance. Without the gimmick of a floating mansion or the might of a 40-piece orchestra, this production relies on the talents of each troupe member and musician.
The quartet of lead characters work almost flawlessly to deliver a powerful telling of the story, with the notable highlight of James Zannelli as Max Von Mayerling, who ends up revealing himself as the emotional, if warped, heart of the story. As Joe Gillis, Pat Moran veers a little too close to snarky territory, slightly missing the mark of the more moving aspects of the character, but his voice is a potent force, and he had no trouble navigating the tricky time signature of the title tune. Rachel Pantazis adds a few new layers to the ingenue role she so winningly portrayed in the Mac-Hadyn’s recent production of ‘Curtains’ and as Betty Schaefer she luminously glows in one of the few hopeful moments of the show.
With musical direction by David Marline, this production wisely focuses on the melodies at hand – the winsome ‘Perfect Year’ and catchy ‘The Lady’s Paying’ (along with its second act reprise ‘Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering’). Mr. Moran and Ms. Pantazis even manage to turn the weakest song in the show (‘Too Much in Love To Care’) into a palatable showstopper. In the end, though, this story belongs to Norma Desmond, which is entirely as it should be, and Ms. Land delivers a performance worthy of the legendary lady herself ~ diva-like, endearing, and deliciously diabolical.
{‘Sunset Boulevard’ runs through June 30 at the Mac-Haydn Theatre.}
