Grade: A+
D.C.'s answer to New York's Encores! series is The Kennedy Center's Broadway Center Stage, an annual trio of musicals that are put together in a matter of days and performed for a week or so. The current offering is Sunset Boulevard which is much more than a "staged reading," and closer to a fully realized production.
For me, there were two big reasons to see this revival: it is my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber score, and I just had to see what Tony-winner Stephanie J. Block would do with the delicious role of Norma Desmond. Those two reasons were more than justified. The 21-piece orchestra under the skilled baton of Ben Cohn is glorious, bringing out the nuance of each motif and the broad ebb and flow of Webber's lush melodies. And Ms. Block simply does not disappoint with her epic star turn.
Nathan Gunn as Max is equal parts foreboding cipher and mysterious caretaker. His operatic, booming voice literally shook me in my seat during "The Greatest Star of All." Michael Maliakel charms as Artie Green, while Paul Schoeffler gives a strong, yet sweetly paternal performance as Cecil B. DeMille.
Perhaps the closest thing to a casting misstep here is Auli'i Cravalho, who seemed like a rather ingenue-by-numbers Betty Schaeffer. Compared to everyone else, she was pretty bland; acceptable, but not much more. Perhaps she just needs more time to settle in and grow. She struggled with the higher notes in "This Time Next Year." That said, there were glimmers of a fully fleshed out character, especially in Betty's scenes with Joe Gillis, where she was engaged, nuanced and very well sung - their duet, "Too Much in Love to Care," was second act vocal highlight.
In terms of design, Alejo Vietti's lavish costume design matches the glamour of the piece, and Cory Pattak's lighting is quite dramatic, alternately colorful and darkly moody. Kai Harada and Haley Parcher do a fine job with sound - the balance between the singers and the orchestra is very good. Only "Let's Have Lunch" muddled, which may have been more a result of the staging than the sound design. The one design element that was lacking - and again this may have more to do with the staging than anything else - is Paul Tate dePoo III's scenic design. Appropriately spare given the inherent limitations of the series, my qualms have nothing to do with any lack of sumptuous details. Rather, it is the set up itself, which has a far upstage playing space rendered largely un-viewable by at least one-third of the audience at any given moment, depending on where exactly the action is. Why can't it be seen? There are floor-to-ceiling staircases flanking the center stage orchestra that bend in at a severe angle downstage. They also leave only a small downstage space for the fair-sized cast to do Emily Maltby's athletic choreography amidst a variety of set pieces.
Much has been said about director Sammi Cannold's feminist take on the show, including a shift in the role of Joe as narrator to a shared narrator between Joe and Betty. As a man, maybe I missed it, but the only unusual thing Betty did was write everything she learned (from a man, mind you) in a journal. Turns out it was much ado about nothing, with a pretty much by-the-original-book show. Perhaps Cannold's time would have been better spent working out staging that the whole audience could see. Still, there are some clever moments. For example, Norma's return to Paramount Studios is staged here without a car, and she has provided a decent substitution by having Norma, Max and Joe arrive on foot at the gate.
Even with these shortcomings, Sunset Boulevard is a must-see ticket. The cast, the score and the orchestra make this a stellar event. If you have the chance to get down to the nation's capital between now and Wednesday, I'd highly recommend grabbing a ticket. It is absolutely fabulous!
📸: J. Kyler, M. Klein & J. Daniel
