SHE'S READY FOR HER CLOSEUP…. for real!! Award winning stage and screen legend Glenn Close is planning to reprise her Tony Award winning performance of "Norma Desmond" in the upcoming film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard. While on the Red Carpet of the BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party, Close was interviewed and announced that filming is expecting to begin in 2019 with a possible 2020 release.
Close began her experience as "Norma Desmond" in the haunting musical back in December 1993 as part of the show's North American premiere in Los Angeles at the Shubert Theatre. Her performance earned her rave reviews and also had the minds changed of the critics (who initially gave the show's initial world premiere in London's West End negative reviews). In addition, the creative team decided to change things up for its road to Broadway with Close as the original Broadway "Norma" and they also fired its initial original leading lady from the show's world premiere in London's West End… Patti LuPone. SUNSET BOULEVARD officially arrived on Broadway in 1994 at the Minskoff Theatre earning rave reviews for both Close and the production. It went on to receive 7 Tony Awards in 1995 including Best Musical. Most importantly, Glenn Close (who also hosted the ceremony that same year) won as Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She departed the Broadway production in July 1995 to start working on more Film and TV roles including her portrayal of the wicked "Cruella de Vil" in Disney's live action reboot of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. She was replaced by fellow Tony winner and Broadway legend Betty Buckley.
23 years later since last playing the role, Glenn Close went on to reprise her performance of "Norma Desmond" in an acclaimed semi-staged revival of SUNSET BOULEVARD at the English National Opera in London. For a triumphant comeback to the role since her 1995 departure, critics raved Close's performance saying that she still has it. The ENO production was a huge success, it transferred to Broadway's Palace Theatre in the Winter of 2017 playing for a strictly limited engagement.
Who is excited to see Glenn COME HOME AT LAST to her signature role now done on the big screen?
Love our posts? Click here to follow us on Facebook!
Wanna Book a Tour? Click here!
