Sunset Boulevard is based on the 1950 film noir of the same title. The show centers around Norma Desmond, an aging silent film star who has been left behind with the invention of the "talkies." Norma lives in her mansion with her butler, Max Von Mayerling. Norma is planning a comeback as she believes she is still, the greatest star of all. Joe Gillis, an aspiring writer on the run from the repo men trying to repossess his car turns into the garage of the star. He recognizes her and she hires him to help her with her script that will once again launch her career. Joe gets sucked into this woman's dream and in a desperate attempt to get out finds himself in love with his best friend's fiancee. The show ends with Norma killing Joe and when the cameras arrive she goes dillusional. "I'm ready for my close-up Mr. Demille." This show was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and has starred such divas in the role of Norma Desmond as Betty Buckley, Glenn Close, and Dihann Carroll. I am told the show has also won numerous Tony Awards such as best Musical, and I remember seeing the house as the setting for one of the Tony Awards Show a few years ago. Another thing about the special effects was the housem it was huge, very cool. I loved the special effects in this show.

I went to see Sunset Boulevard in March of 1997. I had the CD and had listened to it for a while before I had gone to see the show. I have to say that I was, in a way, dissapointed. Let me explain, I mean the music is pretty good, and so were the sets, but the subject was quite boring, it was not fall asleep material, but I must admit it was not great. There were a couple of excellent numbers such as With One Look, Sunset Boulevard and As If We've Never Said Goodbye, and my personal favourite, The Lady's Paying. The show was not horrible, but I don't think I would go and see it again. It has some great solo songs as mentioned before and the show, I believe is catered to a certain type of people and that is people who knwo stuff about the movies, and what can happen. I must admit feeling a sadness for Norma though, at the end she is reduced to nothing, it feels real and although she has killed Joe, and we as the audience witnessed, you can't help but feel sorry for the frail, agin star. i really did enjoy the special effects in this show, for instance when the two thugs are chasing Joe, the screen thing that they do is one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time. I really thought the house was one of the coolest parts in the show, if you haven't seen it you'll hafta see it to understand what I mean.

Now, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the show, and I definiteley reccomend it. When I went the role of Norma was to be played by Dihann Carroll, but we got the understudy. I must say I head the Dihann Carroll recording and this woman, whose name escapes me right now, was much better. So good for her! I also have heard the Glenn Close CD and I believe that of all three Ms. Close did the best job, she rocks! I would like to hear Betty Buckley because I am told she does well too!