Sunset Boulevard at Hanover High School

Hanover High School will bring old Hollywood to the stage with the production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Sunset Boulevard April 10-12. The spring musical will take the audience on a roller coaster of emotion during a visit 1949 Hollywood.

Director Rene Staub and a talented group of Hanover students will tell the story of Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era. Based on the 1950 Billy Wilder movie of the same name, Sunset Boulevard won seven Tony Awards in 1995 including Best Musical and Best Leading Actress for Glenn Close’s performance as Desmond.

The Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 shows begin at 7 p.m. The Sunday, April 12 matinee is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $8 for adults in advance or $9 for students and $10 for adults at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Hanover High School office from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All shows take place in the Hanover High School auditorium.

Amalea Williams leads the cast in the role of Desmond. Isaac Silver will play struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis while Bailey Kenworthy will play Desmond’s loyal butler and chauffeur Max. Madison Maloney plays Joe’s girlfriend Betty and Garrett Reichart rounds out the leading cast as famous director Cecil B. Demille.

More than two dozen students will fill ensemble roles in the lavish production. Deb Smith is the Music Director, Jessica Staub is Assistant Director and Dave Markle is Technical Director. Sarah Flynn is Choreographer, and Charles Sunday and Ben Warfield are Lighting Designers.

Living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street, Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by tinsel town with the advent of “talkies.” Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When she meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, she sees in him the opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. Their relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.

The show features the beautiful songs “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” The music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The book and music also won Tony Awards in 1995.

Authors

• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Billy Wilder
• Christopher Hampton
• Don Black

Tony Awards and Nominations for Sunset Boulevard