Civic unveils Lloyd Webber’s ‘Sunset Boulevard’
Rarely done, and making its Lehigh Valley premiere, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony-winning “Sunset Boulevard” opens at Civic’s 19th Street Theatre Friday.
Civic Theatre has been granted the rights to produce an all new production of the musical based on the Billy Wilder’s Academy Awardwinning 1950 classic that starred Gloria Swanson and William Holden.
The musical, which was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, features some of Lloyd Webber’s loveliest melodies including, “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.”
The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her return to the big screen.
film noir
Romance and tragedy follow.
Civic Theatre veteran performer Pat Birnbaum is returning to the Lehigh Valley to take on the iconic role of Desmond.
“It is truly wonderful to be back with my Civic family,” Birnbaum says. “To be back in the rehearsal room with [director Bill Sanders’] ‘magic in the making,’ feels like I’ve never left.”
The musical features book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, with music by Lloyd Webber.
Will Morris plays Joe Gillis, the ill-fated screenwriter who becomes entangled in Norma Desmond’s fantasy world. Todd Rizzuto plays Max, Norma’s faithful chauffeur and servant. Gianna Neal plays the young writer Betty Schaefer, and Doug Ace plays her fiancé and Joe’s friend Artie. Auteur film director Cecil B. DeMille is played by Frank Riscitti.
The rest of the cast includes Nina Ace, Gene Banko, Tracy Ceschin, Robert Coll, Susan Glover, Nate Kuhns, Deena Linn, Jesenia Matthews, Sean McFarland, Kathleen Oswalt, Anthony Rizzuto, Allie Sacher, Andrew Schaffer, John Sechler, and Kristen Stachina.
William Sanders, Civic artistic director, directs and choreographs the production, with Deena Linn as co-choreographer and JoAnn Wilchek Basist as assistant director. A 14-piece orchestra will be led by musical director Nick Conti.
7:30 p.m., Oct. 11-12, 17-19, 24-26; 2 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27, 19th Street Theatre, 527 N 19th St., Allentown, Tickets: $34; $32 students, seniors and military; $31; $29 students and seniors Thursday. 610-432-8943.www.civictheatre.com.
“Sunset Boulevard,”
Set on a Greek island on the eve of her wedding, Sophie invites three men from her mother’s past to try to discover the identity of her father. When the men return to the island they last visited 20 years ago, for Sophie’s wedding, hilarious situations ensue, all told through the energetic music