My Thoughts On Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard

(No spoilers!)

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Sunset Boulevard on Broadway with my family, and it did not disappoint.

Sunset Boulevard was not my favorite Broadway show, at least out of the handful I’ve had the privilege of seeing, but in a way, it is by far the most visually unique. Live camera work and video productions are incorporated into the play, which gives it this grandiose, cinematic flair. It pays respects to the beauty of film, which is a huge topic within the play itself, as film is a way to bring people magic and hope. The visual effects were stunning and extremely memorable.

It’s not a very whimsical show. The play is very rooted in reality, with a lot of dialogue and several songs about the ongoing struggle to make enough money to survive. The dire yet dry comedic tone in which these issues are addressed by the characters, namely by the protagonist, is not subtle and is quite relatable, surely, to much of the audience watching. In Hollywood, even almost a hundred years ago where the story is set, following your dreams versus paying the bills is a constant tug-of-war for writers.

Sunset Boulevard is not a very flashy show, either. The costumes are simple black shirts, black shorts, black shoes. Norma Desmond, a central character in the show, wears nothing but a simple, elegant black dress with bare feet. There is nothing physically about the characters to detract from the emotion and the thematic elements of the play. It is, in many ways, very simple, stripped back to its bare, vulnerable layers.

At its best, the music has an absolutely exhilarating effect on the audience. With a dramatic flair akin to that of the music in Phantom of the Opera, it is gorgeous and loud and beautifully bold. Norma Desmond’s With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye hit particularly hard for me, as Nicole Scherzinger’s vocal performances exude such incredible, almost inhuman sensuality and power.

The character of Norma Desmond, our washed up star, is absolutely essential. In a way, she is the show. She is funny, wistful, beautiful, and broken. She commands attention and intrigue just by her presence alone. She insists upon finding new ways to dream, expressing her own deep-seated dreamlike view of her world around her as a movie.

Even after her stardom has faded away, even as she reminisces about the beauty and fame she had in her prime—even as delusion and depression have begun to sink their sharp claws into her, she is resilient, fierce, and so devastatingly, vulnerably human.

Nicole Scherzinger (of Pussycat Dolls fame—can you believe it?) breathed such beautiful life into her character with her gorgeous vocals, her impassioned, dramatic acting, and her pristine comedic timing. Her character was fascinating to watch.

As for the story itself, I had a bit of trouble following it as a first-time viewer. There’s a lot of dialogue in the show, even within the music, that can be difficult to make sense of. There’s also a lot of characters, though only about four or five of them really matter. There’s a twist at the end that is quite jarring and shocking that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Overall, I think the story is good, not great. It is very emotional and dramatic, with immense, staggering highs and no terrible lows—just a few numbers and scenes that can be seen as slow, or slightly dull, in comparison to its highlights. The first act of the show was more consistent and concise with more comedy, while the second act has more “boring” moments (not bad—just forgettable/duller than its highlights), a more serious tone, and also consists of the show’s very best moments; both were very solid.

I think for people like me who go to see the show with little to no background knowledge or expectations, it’s most interesting to observe it as a character study. The characters of Joe and Norma are more interesting than the actual plot at hand, which sees Joe being pulled into Norma Desmond’s wealthy, lonely post-stardom world to get her back on the big stage, lighting both their lives up with unexpected, intertwined dreams—Norma’s with glory and the spotlight back upon her once again, and Joe with fame and wealth for the very first time in his life.

It’s a decent premise, but the story, when stripped down and separated from the play, is not especially new or interesting, or even particularly significant; rather, it’s the way the characters interact with the world around them is what breathes life into the show. It is the characters, the music, and the underlying themes that really make Sunset Boulevard so amazing.

Sunset Boulevard explores the blurred line between delusion and reality through Desmond’s character. Norma becomes so disillusioned by her own harsh reality that she makes several extremely rash decisions as her lovely delusions begin to chip away piece by piece. Its thematic messaging is stark about wealth and money as well, showing the audience that love and respect are not things that can be bought. Even with these very evident themes throughout, the meaning of the show’s shocking ending can be left up for interpretation, which I deeply appreciated.

All in all, watching Sunset Boulevard on Broadway was an incredible experience. The entire cast was so gifted and incredible. I think Nicole’s talent alone makes this show worth seeing. You come away feeling both chilled and blessed for having witnessed it.

If you guys have seen the movie or the show, I’d love to hear your own thoughts and insights!