Sunset Blvd – New Cast Album: Nicole Scherzinger Redefines a Classic

I was fortunate enough to see Sunset Blvd during its original London production, including its very first preview with the legendary diva Patti LuPone back in 1993. While her performance was undoubtedly powerful, her notoriously poor diction made many of the lyrics difficult to understand.

I returned to see Betty Buckley take over after the production underwent revisions, following Glenn Close’s portrayal of Norma Desmond on Broadway. [The ignominious sacking of LuPone is a topic for another day!] Buckley was an absolute revelation. Not only was her diction far superior to LuPone’s—making the lyrics intelligible—but she also brought a vulnerability and frailty to Norma Desmond. Her revitalisation through her relationship with Joe Gillis made her eventual breakdown much more poignant compared to LuPone’s portrayal of a consistently strong character.

Glenn Close eventually played Norma Desmond in London in a concert staging at the London Coliseum in 2016. Although I was thrilled to see her, her performance veered towards the grotesque and caricatured, leaving me disappointed. Nonetheless, she won Best Musical Performance in the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

In 2023, the show saw its first major revival at the Savoy Theatre, directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring Nicole Scherzinger. This production marked a radical departure from the original: gone were the elaborate sets and iconic staircase, replaced by a minimalist black box, monochrome costumes, and an enormous video screen with live video projections.

The title was abbreviated from Boulevard to Blvd, and wisely so, as it eliminated two “comic” numbers, “The Lady’s Paying” and “Eternal Youth Is Worth a Little Suffering.” However, a minor lyric adjustment—changing “Let’s Have Lunch” to “Let’s Do Lunch”—felt unnecessary. Technically, the production was a tour de force, particularly during the title number, where cameras followed Tom Francis outside the theatre and back in through the foyer—all while singing! However, I did wonder if someone unfamiliar with the show might struggle to follow the plot.

Despite my reservations, the production had an incredibly successful run, with Scherzinger and Francis winning Best Actress and Best Actor respectively at the Olivier Awards, and Lloyd receiving Best Revival. Now on Broadway, it will be interesting to see if the production replicates its London success.

To coincide with this revival, we now have the new cast album—please don’t call it a soundtrack! (The term is reserved for films, as any theatre aficionado will insist.) Recorded live at the theatre rather than in a studio, the album offers an aural experience akin to being in the audience. This live format, including dialogue, lends the recording the feel of a radio play. Sound designer Adam Fisher deserves credit for ensuring audience reactions are included at key moments while maintaining superb vocal and orchestral quality.

What makes the Sunset Blvd album remarkable is the balance between live atmosphere and pristine musicality. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score has never sounded better, thanks to music supervisor and director Alan Williams. The orchestrations are exquisite, and the orchestra performs brilliantly.

Nicole Scherzinger’s portrayal of Norma Desmond is uniquely her own. Her powerhouse performance nods to her Pussycat Dolls past while delivering two breathtaking arias. She sings “With One Look” in its original key, without modulating the ending down as Glenn Close famously did. Her rendition of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” is a six-minute tour de force, with theatre sound engineers reportedly taking bets on how long she can sustain her notes!

My recommendation? Find a quiet place, put on a good pair of headphones, and let yourself be transported by those glorious voices “out there in the dark.”

Currently streaming – also available on CD & Vinyl – sunsetblvdalbum.com

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