Sunset Boulevard – Concert Musical – Review – Showtunes Theatre Company

@showsiveseen @Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard" concert musical at Cornish Playhouse by Showtunes Theatre Company. Powerful excentric #diva portrayal from @billieville. Rich tenor from @Matthew Kacergis. #Epic songs followed by long applauses. #Glorious string section/score. Tragically beautiful story. I'm downloading the soundtrack! Review: showsiveseen.com/7875 Director: @kitchenskelly Music Director: Nathan Young Stage Manager: Aaron Alonso #sunsetBoulevard #showsiveseen #theatre #NormaDesmond #hollywood #AndrewLloydWebber ♬ original sound – The Kennedy Center

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Sunset Boulevard concert musical at Cornish Playhouse by Showtunes Theatre Company. Powerful excentric diva portrayal from Billie Wildrick. Rich tenor from Matthew Kacergis. Epic songs followed by long applauses. Glorious string section/score. Tragically beautiful story. I’m downloading the soundtrack!

Recommendation
See it, especially if you enjoy musicals performed as concerts.


Synopsis from the Theatre: The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her return to the big screen, with romance and tragedy to follow.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 2/3/24 – Keep your eyes peeled for my preview posts if you want earlier notification of shows I’ve seen. Get your tickets now since this show’s entire run is only 4 performances!

Type: Musical performed as a concert

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set? N/A – There was no set since this was a musical performed as a concert.

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably enjoy this more if you’ve either seen original the film or seen the full non-concert production of the original musical. However, I haven’t seen either and I still enjoyed this production. It just required a little more imagination than usual.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, a 25-person orchestra

Equity Actors: 5

Total Number of Actors: 23

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Was there an intermission? Yes

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Absolutely!

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

  • Favorite Lines:
    • Something like “If I lose my car, it’s like having my legs cut off.” What a poignant testament to American life especially in LA!
    • “There’s nothing tragic about being 50, not unless you try to be 25.”
  • Epic Songs: This musical was filled with epically-performed songs. I’m definitely downloading the soundtrack! The audience went wild with long applause and some standing ovation after the following memorable songs.
    • “New Ways to Dream”
    • “With One Look” – What a hook!
    • “Sunset Boulevard”
    • “As If We Never Said Goodbye”
  • Score and Strings: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score allowed the orchestra string section to shine. The glorious overture reminded me of the high-quality orchestras that 5th Avenue Theatre is known for.
  • Norma Desmond: It was a joy to watch Billie Wildrick dramatically portray the excentric melancholic diva Norma Desmond, clinging to sanity and delusional fantasy.
  • Costumes: Despite this show being a concert version of a musical, Norma Desmond was still decked in glamourous statement pieces.
  • Universal Themes: This beautifully tragic story was filled with several relatable themes. Norma Desmond painfully, desperately grasped for her youth and the glory of her past life. In an effort to preserve her sanity, she desperately clung to lies from others or lies from herself. Joe Gillis (played by Matthew Kacergis) struggled with the allure of riches and selling out. This show was a painfully alluring depiction of the human experience.

Rant(s)

  • Microphones: Sometimes, the microphones turned on a couple milliseconds too late. Additionally, I think some of the cast was also not mic’ed. I’m not sure if it was because of sound board operation or because they didn’t have the budget for more microphones.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Career Continuity: Let this show be a cautionary tale to those temporarily taking a career sabbatical! When you come back, the workforce won’t welcome you with open arms.
  • Memory Play: Norma Desmond’s introduction scene exhibited a fantastical element that reminded me of the memory play genre.
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber: I try to attend shows with a blank slate knowing as little about the premise as possible. In fact, I typically only read the synopsis immediately before publishing my review. Throughout this musical, I kept thinking how it reminded me of The Phantom of the Opera like with the vibrato. Everything clicked when I discovered Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Sunset Boulevard. Speaking of The Phantom of the Opera, I definitely prefer Sunset Boulevard more. It doesn’t help that Phantom strikes me pumpkin-spiced basic.
  • Showtunes Theatre Company Production Runs: It’s such a shame that Showtunes Theatre Company performances are typically only 1-2 weekends. But I it makes sense since musicals in concert format aren’t very mainstream.

Theatre Company: Showtunes Theatre Company

Venue: Cornish Playhouse

Venue Physical Address: 201 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109

Price: Cheap to Medium

Tickets: https://www.showtunestheatre.org/sunsetboulevard

Dates: February 3 to February 11, 2024

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: There are paid lots and paid street parking. I usually park on Mercer to the West of 1st Ave. There’s usually also plentiful street parking around Safeway. If there’s an event in Seattle Center or Climate Pledge Arena, street parking is usually limited and much more expensive.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Preview Post – Sunset Boulevard – Concert Musical – Showtunes Theatre Company

Sunset Boulevard concert musical opening night by Showtunes Theatre Company at the Cornish Playhouse. Don’t wait for my full review to buy tickets. There’re only 3 more performances left ending on 2/11/24! #sunsetBoulevard #showsiveseen #theatre #NormaDesmond #diva #hollywood

Final Full Review (Posted 02/10/24): https://www.showsiveseen.com/7875

Tickets: https://www.showtunestheatre.org/sunsetboulevard

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:

Preview Post – Cindy of Arc – Comedy Rock Concert Show – Intiman Theatre

Cindy of Arc comedy rock concert show (from NYC) w/ Intiman Theatre at Erickson Theatre Off Broadway. Don’t wait for my full review if you want to buy tickets since there’s only 4 more performances left.

Tickets: https://www.intiman.org/cindy/

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Threads

Preview Post – Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic – Seattle Symphony

Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic by Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall. Don’t wait for my full review to buy tickets since there’s only one more performance left on 10/29/23!

Tickets: https://www.seattlesymphony.org/en/concerttickets/calendar/2023-2024/23pops1

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Preview Posts About this Show:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Threads

A Night of Broadway Hits – Concert – Non-stop Seattle Band

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): “A Night of Broadway Hits” concert by Non-Stop Seattle band at Benaroya Hall featuring Bethanie/Madison Willis, Nalica Hennings (my favorite!), Po Leapai, & Charles Simmons. Been meaning to see this band for a while! Proud to have known all songs in their large repertoire except one. #musicals #musicalTheatre

Synopsis from the Theatre: Don’t throw away your shot to see Non-Stop at Benaroya Hall this summer! This musical group performs songs from hit Broadway shows including Wicked, Rent, Hamilton, Little Shop of Horrors, In the Heights, Spamalot, Waitress, The Little Mermaid and many others! Non-Stop’s band members have performed at Washington’s favorite musical theater houses, such as The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Opera and Taproot Theatre! With five top vocalists and a large band, Non-Stop is sure to make you want to dance and sing along to some of your favorite Broadway and Disney tunes. If you see it once, we promise you’ll be back!

Reviewed Performance: 7/29/23

Type: Concert

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be familiar with popular mainstream modern musicals like Wicked, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, In the Heights, Spamalot, Waitress, The Little Mermaid and ESPECIALLY Hamilton.

Live Band/Orchestra: Violin, Drums, Guitar, and Piano

Recommendation: See it if you like modern Broadway musicals especially those written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes, if they have a new song list

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.5 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2 hours

Intermission Included: Yes, which I thought was strange for a concert but fitting for a concert of musical theatre songs. I wish more non-Broadway concerts contain an intermission.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • “Choral-ography”: Most of the performers were not stiff and incorporated fun “background singer moves” … in a good way!

Rant(s)

  • Transitions: There were no transitional spiels between songs. Like small talk, song transitions offer no substance but are so important to avoid awkward pauses.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Set List: The repertoire contained too much Lin-Manuel Miranda (especially Hamilton). Some may argue there can never be too much Hamilton, but it’s honestly not one of my top 10 musicals … blasphemy I know! Other than the Hamilton songs, the rest of the set list was diverse and well-selected. In future Broadway-themed concerts, I suggest they only perform 1-2 songs max from a single musical. Maybe replace a couple Hamilton songs with portions of The Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Hairspray, and Dreamgirls. Maybe throw in a classic musical like The Wiz.
    SongMusicalComments
    Zero to Hero
    Disney’s Hercules Movie
    Wait for ItHamilton
    When You’re HomeIn the HeightsFun Choral-ography
    My Strongest SuitAidaGreat lead by Nalica Hennings
    Make Them Hear You(?)Ragtime(?)
    Suddenly Seymor Little Shop of Horrors
    My ShotHamilton
    SatisfiedHamilton
    Bend and SnapLegally Blonde
    Seasons of LoveRent
    You’ll Be BackHamiltonTransitioned to intermission
    Opening UpWaitress
    Mama Will ProvideOnce on This Island
    Wait for MeHadestown
    Take Me or Leave MeRent
    Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)HamiltonNice violin solo
    The Song That Goes Like ThisSpamalot
    Part of Your WorldDisney’s The Little Mermaid
    Guns and ShipsHamilton
    Defying GravityWicked
    Waving Through A WindowDear Evan Hansen
    96,000In the Heights
    Schuyler SistersHamiltonEncore

Theatre Company: Non-stop Seattle Band

Venue: Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall

Venue Physical Address: 200 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

Price: Cheap to Medium

Dates: July 29, 2023 – There was only one show, but they frequently perform various places in Puget Sound.

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: I usually walk or transit here especially since the light rail station is directly underneath Benaroya Hall. Other than that, there’s obviously paid garage/street parking since this venue is in downtown. I think the cheapest garage lot is generally the Russell Investments Center garage (1301 2nd Ave #1950, Seattle, WA 98101). I don’t recommend parking in the Benaroya Hall garage since it’s really expensive and I imagine it takes a long time to exit after a performance.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Threads

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Band: See after video below

@showsiveseen "A Night of #Broadway Hits" #concert by @Non-Stop Seattle Band at @Seattle Symphony #Benaroya Hall featuring Bethanie/Samantha Willis, Nalica Hennings (my favorite!), Po Leapai, & Charles Simmons. Been meaning to see this band for a while! Proud to have known all songs in their large repertoire except one. Review: showsiveseen.com/6275 #musicals #musicalTheatre #theatre #showsiveseen ♬ Give My Regards to Broadway – Judy Garland
RoleName
SingersBethanie Willis
Madison Willis
Nalica Hennings
Po Leapai
Charles Simmons
ViolinistAlicia Rinehart
DrummerJamael Anthony Nance
GuitaristQuinn Knobbe​
Pianist and ConductorAimee Hong