Mandy Gonzalez to Guest Star as 'Norma Desmond' at Select Performances of SUNSET BLVD.

Jamie Lloyd’s new Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Blvd. will guest star Drama Desk and OBIE Award winner Mandy Gonzalez as ‘Norma Desmond’ at select performances.

Gonzalez will play her first performance on Tuesday, October 22 and will normally perform one show per week with Olivier Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Nicole Scherzinger scheduled to play all other performances.

Gonzalez is a beloved actor on stage and screen. She first grabbed the attention of New York’s theater community and was honored with an OBIE Award in director Diane Paulus’ Eli’s Comin, based on the music and lyrics of renowned singer-songwriter Laura Nyro. She went on to originate the role of ‘Nina’ in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights for which received a Drama Desk Award as part of the show’s acclaimed ensemble. She has also starred in Hamilton, Wicked, and Aida. On screen, she has appeared in Julie Taymor’s Across The Universe, Man on a Ledge, “Only Murders in The Building, “Quantico,” and “Madam Secretary.”

Director Jamie Lloyd said in a statement, “It is such an honor to be working with the truly wonderful Mandy Gonzalez. Nicole Scherzinger and I are so thrilled that Mandy will be joining the Sunset Blvd. company. I can’t wait to collaborate with her.”

Gonzalez said, “In my 25 years playing leading ladies on Broadway, I’ve never been more excited for a show. The role of ‘Norma Desmond’ is iconic, Jamie Lloyd's direction is masterful, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score is sumptuous. To reinterpret a timeless story with such raw sophistication, especially as the first Latina to take this role on, is a dream come true.”

As previously announced, Sunset Blvd. will play Broadway’s St. James Theatre with preview performances beginning Saturday, September 28 ahead of a Sunday, October 20 opening night.

Joining Scherzinger and Gonzalez on Broadway will be co-stars of the London production, 2024 Olivier Award winner Tom Francis as ‘Joe Gillis,’ 2024 Olivier Award nominee Grace Hodgett-Young as ‘Betty Schaefer,’ and Olivier Award winner and 2024 Olivier nominee David Thaxton as ‘Max Von Mayerling.’

SUNSET BLVD: THE ALBUM recorded live at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End, is set for global release in October via The Other Songs. Featuring the powerhouse London cast, SUNSET BLVD: THE ALBUM captures the thrilling energy of this bold, new production.

Lloyd Webber’s thrillingly atmospheric Sunset Blvd. features an iconic score including the songs “With One Look,” “The Perfect Year,” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” Haunted by her memories and dreams, movie star Norma Desmond yearns to return to the big screen. A struggling screenwriter who can’t sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios may be her only hope, until their dangerous and compelling relationship leads to
disastrous circumstances. Drenched in champagne and cynicism, Sunset Blvd. scrutinizes the ambitions and frustrations of its characters and their intoxicating need for fame and adoration.

The creative team for Sunset Blvd. includes Soutra Gilmour (set and costume design), Fabian Aloise (choreography), Alan Williams (music supervisor and music director), Jack Knowles (lighting design), Adam Fisher (sound design), Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom (video design and cinematography), Cheryl Thomas (hair and makeup design), Jim Carnahan CSA and Jason Thinger CSA (U.S. casting director),
Stuart Burt CDG (U.K. casting director), and Johnny Milani (production stage manager). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the General Manager for Sunset Blvd. The creative team also includes Rupert Hands (U.K. associate director), Benita de Wit (U.S. associate director), Paris Green (U.K. associate choreographer), and Ashley Andrews (U.S. associate choreographer).