“Even as the production drives home this grim warning, ‘Sunset Boulevard’ astonishes with its bracing poise, unforgettable tableaux, and stellar performances. Hands down, it is one of Lloyd’s most accomplished shows to date.”
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“As a piece of live theatre this is truly awesome stuff. Jamie Lloyd has been one of our best directors for a long time now, but for me this feels like a landmark for him, a perfect synthesis between the gleeful, gory showmanship of his earlier work and the more challenging artiness of his recent stuff. The pictures may have gotten small, but theatre has rarely felt so alive with possibility.”
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“The unrelentingly stark evening has its longueurs, but it’s hard not to salute Scherzinger’s unmistakable triumph or fall in love with Lloyd Webber’s satisfyingly sinister opus once again.”
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“Her voice is a wonder, both seductive and subtle, but big enough to raise the roof. It’s an extraordinary performance in a beautiful rethinking of one of Lloyd Webber’s greatest shows. A ‘Sunset Boulevard’ like no other, revealing its dark heart and deep grandeur.”
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“Nicole Scherzinger absolutely bloody smashes it as Hollywood diva Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1993 musical, dazzlingly reborn by director Jamie Lloyd. She brings not only an operatically powerful voice but shrewd comedy, harrowing pathos and a dancer’s physical precision to the washed-up silent star, besotted with young screenwriter Joe. It’s a physically and emotionally exposing performance”
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“ ‘Sunset Boulevard’ isn’t one of Lloyd Webber’s finest scores...but it sounds magnificent here, with Scherzinger bringing rich, unfussy, powerful depth to torch songs...It’s the kind of uncompromisingly brilliant performance that makes you want to use cliches like “tour de force”. And somehow, the fact that Scherzinger’s own star shines so brightly here adds poignancy to Norma’s desperation, as she scavenges for such approval on a stark, deserted stage.”
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“This audacious production from the enfant terrible Jamie Lloyd will no doubt pull in audiences purely on the strength of Scherzinger’s name. She looks fantastic, although that isn’t necessarily an advantage when you are portraying a star whose best days are far behind her. But in the end this is a show that exposes her limitations as an actress and a singer.”
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“Throughout, Lloyd walks a wavering tightrope between postmodern wit, in concert with the snarky, satirical book, and visceral emotion that makes Lloyd Webber’s gorgeous score, with modified orchestrations, soar afresh. This is a ‘Sunset Boulevard’ for a new generation.”
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