Review: SUNSET BOULEVARD at The Larry Keeton Theatre

There is an iconic scene in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of Sunset Boulevard - based on the memorable film by Billy Wilder - in which Norma Desmond returns triumphantly (in Norma's myopic view of life since the talkies spelled an end to silent pictures, in which she made her fortune with her expressive face and kohl-lined eyes) to Paramount studios for an impromptu meeting with Cecil B. DeMille on the set of Samson and Delilah. Impressively played by Ginger Newman in the Nashville debut of Sunset Boulevard at The Larry Keeton Theatre, Norma is beautifully clad in haute couture, generating star power and unaware that she has slipped into obscurity for the most part, her legions of fans decimated by time and the general vagaries of life.

When Norma is recognized by Hogeye, a light operator on set, who implores her to stand so that he may bathe her in a bright spotlight of remembrance and adoration and as she does as she is directed, the chattering classes of crew members and extras, technicians and artists fall silent, enraptured by the presence of the quintessential diva, caught up in the decades-long fascination with the lady in question who was so much more than just an actress in the eyes of those aforementioned fans. Norma Desmond, the star, has come back home to claim her rightful place in the firmament of Hollywood legends and stars.

The scene serves as mere prelude to Newman's magnificent rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye," Norma's anthem of enduring celebrity that speaks to a simpler time when our stars were bigger than the industry that begat them. Without question, it is the most stirring and absolutely stunning scene in Sunset Boulevard, directed by Clay Hillwig. Costumed by Tanis Westbrook, Newman's Norma has never looked more elegant or more beautiful. Ginger Newman - much like the character she plays - is every inch the star and it is her performance that should provide theater audiences reason enough to buy a ticket to The Keeton's production of Sunset Boulevard.

Newman not so much impersonates a fictional legend of the silver screen, rather she becomes her, infusing Norma Desmond with great heart, vivid life and remarkable intensity. Clearly, it's the role of a lifetime and we have no doubt that had Webber met Newman during the casting process, she might well have saved him from the controversy that arose when Patti LuPone was replaced by Glenn Close in the months leading up to the show's Broadway premiere, Faye Dunaway had to be fired because her performance wasn't panning out as hoped for, Glenn Close won the Tony Award with competition from only one other actress in a less-than-stellar year for musicals on the Great White Way,and controversy fueled reams of press coverage that ultimately resulted in a spate of mixed reviews.

Despite efforts by others to create a musical from the original film starring Gloria Swanson, including Swanson herself (that version was called Starring Norma Desmond, ultimately to be known as Boulevard!, an effort that was upended when Paramount execs put the kibosh on it) and Stephen Sondheim, who famously was warned off the project by Billy Wilder himself who told him he couldn't possibly write a musical about Norma Desmond; rather, Wilder contended, only an opera could do justice to the noirish aspects, grand themes and larger-than-life characters of the piece.

Webber's score - and perhaps most importantly, the libretto by Don Black and Christopher Hampton - takes a decidedly operatic approach to the material and the show is almost completely sung-through with only a smattering of spoken dialogue throughout the two-plus hours of Sunset Boulevard. While Webber's score includes the haunting "With One Look," the anthemic "As If We Never Said Goodbye" and the act two opener "Sunset Boulevard," the rest of the music is largely forgettable, thanks in large part to the fact that the music tends to me more specific to the musical and unlikely to take on a life outside the confines of the stage script.

The Keeton's version of Sunset Boulevard had a change in directors less than a month before its opening and Hillwig took over direction of the musical behemoth just three-and-a-half weeks prior to the show's first night, which might explain the problems which plague the production despite Newman's thoroughly on-point performance. Particularly troublesome is the use of video from the original film to help set certain moments in the show and scene transitions that are clumsily realized and burdensome to the show's flow. And the production's sound design is less than stellar.

Newman is Norma from the very first moment she descends the staircase of her Hollywood mansion, dripping disdain upon her inferiors, those she considers less important - and less intentional to the continued success of the film capital - than herself and she enacts the challenging role of the living legend with confidence and commitment throughout. That she does double duty for the production - she's The Larry Keeton Theatre's resident musical director - is awe-inspiring and her talents as a musical director are evident in large set pieces in which the ensemble is given full voice. Ginger Newman is nothing less than a force of nature.

Cast as Max Von Mayerling, Norma's attentive and adoring major domo (whom we discover toward the end of the show was also her first director - and her first husband!), Randal Cooper gives a wonderfully understated performance while creating an altogether memorable character that will become etched in the collective mind of his audience. While Cooper could easily have steered Max over-the-top, he remains disciplined and reserved. Thus, Cooper's Max is one of the play's most believable and self-possessed characters.

Tonya Pewitt, playing the young and hopeful wannabe screenwriter Betty Schaefer, is ideally cast, her bright eyes and vivacious smile giving audiences a Betty who is accessible and engaging, despite the fact that her character is not given enough to do. In fact, we long for Betty's return to the action of the musical when she is offstage. There is perhaps no actress to be found locally who can more easily take on the mantle of a period character with such ease and grace.

Justin Boyd, playing the other man in Norma Desmond's life - down-on-his-heels writer Joe Gillis, whose attempt to steer clear of repo men sent by a finance company to retrieve his car, leads him straight into the clutches of Norma - fares far less successfully than the other principal cast members. Boyd plays Joe with such a heightened sense of theatricality that he seems better suited to a Jeanette McDonald (who once was rumored to be in consideration to play Norma Desmond in one of those "other" Sunset Boulevard musicals we mentioned) and Nelson Eddy operetta of the silver screen: his movements are far too stylized and much too expressive for the more natural actions seen in Pewitt's performance, rendering their scenes together uncomfortable to watch. Even Norma's histrionics and wild-eyed exhortations pale in comparison to Boyd's over-the-top portrayal.

Among the ensemble, Brian Best plays Mr. DeMille with a certain deftness, obviously respecting the character; the gloriously talented Tyler Samuel is under-utilized, although her stage presence makes even her briefest moments onstage entertaining and effective; Timothy Finch is terrific as Myron, Manfred and a host of other small parts; and Earl Landree plays finance man #1 with relative ease. They and the rest of the ensemble seem mostly focused and committed throughout the show, and as previously mentioned, they sound terrific in large-scale group numbers, most especially the New Year's Eve party at Betty and Artie's (played by William Riley Bolton) place.

• Sunset Boulevard. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Based on the film by Billy Wilder. Directed by Clay Hillwig. Musical direction by Ginger Newman. Choreographed by Cary Street. Presented by The Larry Keeton Theatre, Donelson. Running through March 5. For more information, go to www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (with one ten-minute intermission).

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