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| Petula Clark stars as Norma Desmond and Lewis Cleale is Joe Gillis in SUNSET BLVD. playing at Sacramento's Community Center Theater through Oct. 3. Photo by Joan Marcus |
With beautiful melodies by Andrew Lloyd Webber, SUNSET BOULEVARD opens at the scene of a murder - we don't find out who the victim is though until the end of the show. SB tells the story of an aging silent film star - Norma Desmond (Petula Clark) - who yearns for a return to the screen - and a struggling screen writer - Joe Gillis (Lewis Cleale) - who can't come up with the hit he needs to make it big at Paramount Studios.
As Joe flees from a pair of thugs trying to reposses his car, he finds himself in front of Norma's Sunset Boulevard mansion and hides his car in her garage. Norma's butler Max (Allen Fitzpatrick) mistakenly thinks that Joe has arrived to perform a funeral service - for Norma's departed pet chimpanzee - but when Norma finds out Joe is a screenwriter, she invites him to look at a script she has written in preparation for her return to the screen.
Norma offers Joe the job of touching up the script and invites him to move into the house. Needing the money, he accepts. Norma showers him with gifts and Joe doesn't realize that she is falling in love with him. He's a virtual prisoner in the house, as Norma doesn't want him to leave. He does sneak out, however, to meet with his best friend's fiance Betty Schafer (Christeena Michelle Riggs). She is an aspiring writer and Joe has agreed to help her.
Betty and Joe begin spending more and more time together and with her fiance away in Louisiana, they begin to fall in love.
Meanwhile, a call from Paramount makes Norma think they have accepted her script and want her to return to pictures. She pays a visit to Cecil B. DeMille at the studio, reliving more glorious days, and comes away never realizing that her script has been rejected.
As Joe and Betty continue to meet, a jealous Norma finds out - with tragic consequences. SUNSET BOULEVARD keeps you guessing right until the end. And the ending and much of the show isn't what you'd first expect. There are a lot of surprises that keep SUNSET BOULEVARD interesting throughout despite its lengthy two and a half hour running time.
Petula Clark has been in show business for over 50
years and her voice still rings sweet as it did some 30 years ago when
she recorded pop hits like "Downtown." She, along with the rest of the
cast received a well-deserved and lengthy standing ovation at their curtain
call and for Clark, SUNSET BOULEVARD marks the return to the role she starred
in at the urging of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn from September
1995 to April 1997.
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| Joe Gillis - Lewis Cleale | Reporter - Ellen Hoffman* | Policeman - Avery Saltzman* |
| Artie Green - Michael Berry | Reporter - Michael J. Duran* | Policeman - Rick Qualls* |
| Cecil B. DeMille - George Merner | Reporter - John-Michael Flate* | Policeman - Michael Ricciardone* |
| Betty Schaefer - Christeena Riggs | Reporter - Mary Kate McGrath* | Katherine - Kimla Y. Beasley* |
| Max von Mayerling - Allen Fitzpatrick | Photographer - Amanda Paige* | Joanna - Alice Lynn* |
| Norma Desmond - Petula Clark | Photographer - Randy Bobish* | Mary - Emily Rozek* |
| Camera Operator - John Antony* | Photographer - Ali McLennan* | |
| Electrician - Erick Pinnick* | Police Captain - Michael Dantuono* | * Ensemble Cast - Played Several Roles |
SUNSET BOULEVARD performs at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L Street in Downtown Sacramento through Oct. 3. Tickets range in price from $10-$60. For ticket information call (916) 557-1999, (916) 264-5181 or (916) 766-BASS, or visit the Broadway Series box office at 1419 H Street.