A History of Norma Desmond and the Women Who Have Played Her
The role has been played by true Broadway icons, including Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, and Betty Buckley.
By: Stephi Wild Oct. 27, 2024
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As Broadway welcomes Sunset Boulevard back to the stage, and the newest Norma Desmond, Nicole Scherzinger, BroadwayWorld is looking back on just some of the performers who have taken on the iconic role in the past. The role has been played by true Broadway icons, from Patti LuPone to Glenn Close, Betty Buckley, Elaine Paige, and more.
The new revival of Sunset Blvd. is now playing at the St. James Theatre.
Gloria Swanson
Before Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, and Christopher Hampton made it into a musical, Sunset Boulevard was an iconic 1950 film directed by Billy Wilder. In it, silent film star Gloria Swanson appropriately took on the role of Norma Desmond- a forgotten silent film star. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance.
Patti LuPone
Patti LuPone originated the role of Norma on stage, in the musical's original West End production. The production, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Bob Avian, with costumes from Anthony Powell, opened on 12 July 1993 at the Adelphi Theatre. Alongside LuPone starred Kevin Anderson as Joe Gillis, Meredith Braun as Betty Schaefer, and Daniel Benzali as Norma's ex-husband, Max. LuPone was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in 1994.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close infamously replaced LuPone, first appearing in the Los Angeles production of Sunset Boulevard, which preceded the musical's original Broadway run. The American premiere took place at the Shubert Theatre in Century City, Los Angeles, California, on 9 December 1993, with Close as Norma and Alan Campbell as Joe, with George Hearn as Max and Judy Kuhn as Betty.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre on 17 November 1994 with Close, Campbell, and Hearn recreating their roles, alongside Alice Ripley joining the cast as Betty. It closed on 22 March 1997. Close took home the 1995 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her role as Norma.
Glenn Close then went on to reprise her role in both the 2016 West End revival and 2017 Broadway revival of the musical. She was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2017, and won the Evening Standard Theatre Award.
Betty Buckley
Betty Buckley would play the beloved role not just on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre (1995-1996), but also in the West End at the Aldelphi Theatre (1994-1995). Her performance earned Betty her first Laurence Olivier Award for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’. Her renditions of Norma's iconic songs can be heard on the album ‘New Ways to Dream (Songs from Sunset Boulevard)’.
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige is yet another actress who played the role of Norma Desmond on both sides of the pond. Paige, who had filled in when Buckley was ill in 1994, took over the part in the West End in May 1995, before joining the Broadway production for the end of its run between 1996 and 1997. Paige also was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in 1996.
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno was notably the last actress to play Norma in London. She filled in for a vacationing Petula Clark in September and October 1996, before officially taking over the role until the show closed in April 1997.
Linda Balgord
Linda Balgord lead the First U.S. Tour of Sunset Boulevard, which launched in 1996. The tour unfortunately ended in early 1997 after only a few of its planned stops due to high costs involved in transporting the set.
Faith Brown
The first UK tour of Sunset Boulevard kicked off in August 2001, starring Faith Brown as Norma, with Earl Carpenter as Joe, and Michael Bauer reprising his West End performance as Max. This production featured a completely new set, which was simpler than the original London set. The tour wrapped up in late 2002 in Manchester.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn Evans took on the role of Norma for an eight-week engagement of a minimalist production, in which the actors used musical instruments, at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury in the summer of 2008. Directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, the cast also included Ben Goddard as Joe Gillis.
This production then transferred to the West End on 4 December 2008 at the Comedy Theatre, with Evans and Goddard reprising their roles, and Dave Willetts joining the cast as Max. Evans was nominated for the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance
Stephanie J. Block
Just last year, Stephanie J. Block led a production of the musical at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The production ran in February 2023, and also starred Derek Klena as Joe, Nathan Gunn as Max and Auli'i Cravalho as Betty. The show ran as a limited engagement as part of the Kennedy Center's Broadway Center Stage series.
Sarah Brightman
Most recently, Sarah Brightman appeared in a production of Sunset Boulevard in Australia. The production premiered in Melbourne on 21 May 2024, at the Princess Theatre, which was followed by an engagement at the Sydney Opera House beginning 28 August.
The cast also included Silvie Paladino sharing the role of Norma, with Tim Draxl as Joe and Robert Grubb as Max. The production will transfer to Singapore and open February 2025 at Singapore's Sands Theatre at the Marina Bay Sands.
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