Broadway Quiz: Normas, Joes, and a Betty or Two

This Sunday, the latest revival of Sunset Boulevard will close, and with it another chapter in its rich history. Over the decades a veritable who's who of stars played the principal roles of Norma Desmond, Joe Gillis and Betty Schaeffer. How well do you know them? Find out by taking this little quiz!

Broadway Quiz:

Normas, Joes and a Betty or Two

DIRECTIONS: Match the actors' names with the descriptions below. There can be more than one answer for each description.

A. Kevin Anderson    B. Linda Balgord    C. John Barrowman

D. Stephanie J. Block    E. Ron Bohmer    F. Caroline Bowman

G. Betty Buckley    H. Alan Campbell    I. Glenn Close

J. Auli'i Cravahlo    K. Siobhan Dillon    L. Tom Francis

M. Mandy Gonzalez    N. Sydney Jones    O. Derek Klena

P. Patti LuPone    Q. Pierre Marais    R. Jimin Moon    S. Elaine Paige

T. Alice Ripley    U. Diego Andres Rodriguez    V. Nicole Scherzinger

W. Rashidra Scott    X. Michael Xavier    Y. Grace Hodgett Young

1. Was in the original West End cast.

2. Was in the original pre-Broadway cast.

3. Was in the original Broadway cast.

4. Was in the original US National Tour cast

5. Was in the original 2017 Broadway revival cast.

6. Was in the Kennedy Center revival cast.

7. Was in the original 2024 Broadway revival cast.

8. Won a Tony Award for their performance in Sunset Boulevard.

9. Was a Norma Desmond stand-by.

10. Was a Norma Desmond replacement.

11. Has played Joe Gillis on Broadway.

12. Has played Betty Schaeffer on Broadway.

13. Has appeared in more than one Andrew Lloyd Webber production on Broadway or the West End.

14. Appeared in more than one Broadway production during the 2024-2025 season.

15. Made their Broadway debut in a production of Sunset Boulevard.

BONUS: Which of these actors have played more than one role in the same major production of Sunset Boulevard?

Friday 5: 5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

If I said, "rolling pin and chaste silver razor" or "a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold," you'd probably know right away what Broadway show to which I am referring. These props have become synonymous with their respective productions. 

Over the years there have been many. Heck, just looking over the shows currently playing there are several. The genie's lamp is so iconic it is part of Aladdin's logo. Hadestown goes even farther - that red flower is not only on the Playbill cover, it adorns the outside of the Walter Kerr Theater! Then there's the golden quill from & Juliet, the green elixir from Wicked, Eliza's letter from Hamilton, and Ponyboy's journal from The Outsiders. At least some of those have achieved Sweeney Todd levels of notoriety, right?

Each season, I am always curious to see what will become the latest additions to the "Broadway's Iconic Props" list. Here's what I think they might be from the season just ended:

5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

5. John Proctor is the Villain: Copies of The Crucible: Since Arthur Miller's classic figures so prominently in this play (and its title), it would seem odd not to have the scripts appear in the show. Every character in the play has a copy in their hands at least once. Very meta. 

4. Oh, Mary!: The Bucket: Ok, so it is gross, but completely necessary in this zany Tony-winning play. I won't go into details here, but if you know, you know!

3. Sunset Blvd.: The cameras: Everyone in the show had to be ready for their close-up! Given the way this revival is presented, this inclusion shouldn't be a surprise. I'll admit that before I saw it, I was prepared to be annoyed by them getting in the way. Now I can't imagine it without them. 

2. Death Becomes Her: The Potion Vail: This little purple vial is so important to this show, it not only appears in the show, and is part of the show logo, but it later shows up as a big set piece! Did the Wicked vial walk so this one could run?

1. Maybe Happy Ending: The Firefly Jar: That big jar starts out as a money holder, then transforms into a habitat for Claire's beloved fireflies. It is part of one of the most beautiful scenes of the entire season. I love that this is Claire's connection to nature, just as HwaBoon is Oliver's. Even Helperbots need life to make them feel whole.

A Special Note About HwaBoon: I'm betting many of you are thinking, "Jeff, how could you not pick the breakout prop of the year, HwaBoon?" Well, that's because he's come out as a character, NOT a prop. He even posted a pic from his dressing room with his script (left). You may have seen that he's also been getting around town, visiting Audrey II at Little Shop of Horrors, and as recently as last week, he visited the grasslands at The Lion King. I'd like to see Mrs. Lovett's rolling pin do that!

The 2025 JKTS Awards: Readers' Choice Winners

Readers' Choice Winners!

Even with a record-setting number of votes cast this year, several of the award categories were extremely close. And, interestingly, every nominee in every category received a substantial number of votes. In retrospect, that's not too surprising, though. After all, the quality of shows this season was of very high caliber.

And so, without further ado, here are your 2025 JKTS Readers' Choice Award winners!

Be sure to check out our Editor's Choice Awards, to be announced on June 11th!

At This Performance: Diego Rodriguez in Sunset Boulevard

 At This Performance

of

Sunset Boulevard - The role of Joe Gillis will be played by 

Diego Rodriguez

This time seeing Sunset Boulevard we knew ahead of time that we'd be seeing an understudy in the role of Joe Gillis, usually played by Tom Francis. Having seen the announcement of social media that he would be on vacation, we weren't taken by surprise when we found this white slip of paper in our Playbill:

Ever since he announced that he would be on, I was excited to see Diego Rodriguez in the male lead of one of my favorite shows. He was a true stand out as Artie the first time I saw the revival. At the time, I wrote of his performance: "Artie Green (the dashing Diego Andres Rodriguez, who delivers by far the most interesting version of the otherwise forgettable character I've seen) is seen crying when he realizes the betrayal of his fiance and of his best friend." Could he be just as amazing as Artie's best friend?

Within seconds of his first entrance (spoiler alert: he emerges center stage from a body bag) I had my answer. Yes. Here was a new, vibrant take on a role that until I saw Mr. Francis I felt lacked much depth. In Mr. Rodriguez's more than capable hands, Joe Gillis maintained that depth, and also found new intriguing facets.

Immediately, it is clear that he reads much younger than Francis, which at first allows his Joe to be youthfully cocky and arrogant as only a 20-something can be. From his dealings with his studio friends to the way he outruns the re-po men, he is both reckless and blasè. And yet, he endears. This perfectly sets up a new dynamic between Joe, Norma (Nicole Scherzinger) and Max (David Thaxton).

 

This Joe is not intimidated, Norma smells fresh meat easy to bend to her will, and Max sees someone that will be the next in a long line of husbands. With this much younger take, both Norma and Max underestimate Joe's skill at manipulation. Of course, the story doesn't change - Joe still gets sucked into Norma's drama, Max still runs interference. But there seems to be slightly more sexual tension and a sharper sense of desperation all around.

As the power in these relationships shifts, Rodriguez's performance evolves in wonderful ways. Even the way he sings evolves, with a more mature sound as the boy matures. In act two, it is immediately obvious that his Joe has grown up with his bold take on the title number. Later, his duet with Betty (the lovely Grace Hodgett-Young) works in ways that it never has for me before - it still is a problem for me in terms of tone and style - but here we see a young man growing up enough to be worthy of a contemporary. In turn, all of this heightens the stakes for how it all fleshes out. 

Whether intentional or not, watching him during the Act Two overture sequence, we see Diego, relishing his time in the lead. Yes, he goes through all the same moments as Tom, but I got the sense that there is a bigger difference between each of them and their respective Joes, and so he endears in a nice way - his smile (the only time we get to see it) is the wattage of the entirety of Times Square. But watching him snap into character the second the music starts for "Sunset Boulevard." What an exciting thing to witness.

He's a University of Michigan grad with a
BFA in Musical Theater and an award-winning playwright 

During his post-curtain BCEFA speech, David Thaxton referred to Mr. Rodriguez as "Broadway's hottest young corpse." He was joking, of course, but he wasn't wrong. As this is his professional debut, one hopes that this is the start of a long, successful career. What an absolute thrill to have been here for the beginning of it all. 

Friday 5: 5 Broadway Boys For Spring 2025

Back in the day, we used to celebrate Broadway beefcake with "Broadway Heat" competitions. The good news was, without fail, every "winner" and "runner-up" was a lot more that just eye candy. Today, we sorta keep that tradition going with occasional "Stars-To-Be." This week's Friday 5 is a bit of a hybrid: these guys are all good looking, but we strongly suspect that they are going to be big names on the Great Bright Way. Mark our words!

5 Broadway Boys For Spring 2025

Jacob Dickey (Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends as Performer)

Of the 5, he has the most Broadway experience. This spring he is part of the big name ensemble for this tribute to the Master. It'll be great to see him in the spotlight.

Broadway Credits include:

• Aladdin as Aladdin
• Company as a New Yorker and understudy

National Tour Credits include:

• Company as Andy
• Aladdin as Aladdin

McGee Maddox (Smash - Ensemble)

This Canadian makes his Broadway debut here. He comes with a host of skills and credits, including as an accomplished ballet dancer and regional theater actor. Plus, I love his name!

National Tour Credits include:

• Cats as The Rum Tum Tugger
• An American in Paris as Jerry Mulligan

Zachary Noah Piser (Redwood as Spencer and others)

This guy has been the "one that got away" for me. Missed him in Dear Evan Hansen and Wicked, and he was out the day we saw KPOP. I've heard nothing but good things about his performances. Here's hoping he's there when we visit the Nederlander next month!

Broadway Credits include:

• Dear Evan Hansen as Evan Hansen
• Wicked as Boq

Colin Trudell (Floyd Collins as Ensemble)

Here's our second Broadway debutante, though we are happily able to testify to this young man's talent with first hand knowledge. He really bowled us over as the warmhearted Emmet Otter off-Broadway. And now he's coming to Broadway in a Lincoln Center production, no less. He's definitely on the way up!

Off-Broadway Credit:

• Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas as Emmet Otter

Wesley Wray (Buena Vista Social Club as Young Ibrahim)

Another of our Broadway newcomers, the young man is still in college - University of Michigan - going for his BFA in Musical Theater. He's also trained at the Alvin Ailey School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. With an already packed resume, he is ready to take Broadway by storm, and we are here for it.

At the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts:

• As You Like It as Amiens and Silvius (also music composer)

At University of Michigan:

• Guys and Dolls as Harry the Horse
• A Chorus Line as Mike Acosta
• Shaina Taub's Twelfth Night as Duke Orsino

BONUS: Diego Andres Rodriguez (Sunset Blvd. as Artie)

Because we've already seen him once this season, we can verify he's got the goods! Making his debut as Joe Gillis' best friend and making a meal out of that snack of a role. He also goes on for Tom Francis as Joe Gillis on occasion. And, following his run in Sunset, he has already got his next gig lined up!

Broadway Credit:

• Sunset Boulevard as Artie/Ensemble, Joe Gillis understudy

Upcoming National Tour:

• The Great Gatsby as Nick Carraway

Looking Forward to Spring: March - May 2025

Winter is starting to wind down, and spring will be here in full bloom before we know it! And as always, the Broadway theater scene is starting to heat up, too. We have more shows that we want to see than we have time or money for. (Like many of you, we bet!) 

As is tradition, before we look ahead we look back at what we've seen and how much we enjoyed ourselves. Over the past three months, we saw six shows: two we absolutely loved, Maybe Happy Ending (our second visit) and the amazing revival of Gypsy, three we had a great time at, a regional production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the hilarious Death Becomes Her, and the exciting Romeo + Juliet, and one show we were split on, Urinetown. What with great a new, original musical, riveting revivals and star turns in each show, this winter was pretty terrific. Here's hoping the spring is just as wonderful!

Looking Forward to Spring:

March - May 2025

Re-visit:

Sunset Boulevard (Broadway - St. James Theatre)

Up first is a second visit to this thrilling revival for me (a return, if you will), and a first time for Mike. I told him, whether he ends up liking it or not, the production is one that needs to be seen to believe.

Have the Tickets Already:

Dead Outlaw (Broadway - Longacre Theatre)

This one intrigues me as a show that is right in my sweet zone: it is boundary pushing, an unlikely subject, and a creative team I have high expectations for. Then there's the cast, headed by one of my favorite current generation actors, Andrew Durand. I hear he's pretty amazing, even when he's just standing there.

Floyd Collins (Broadway - Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center)

This may be the show I am most looking forward to. I've never seen it, but I adore the original cast recording; I've memorized each word, echo and yodel! Imagining what happens and how it'll look has taken up a lot of space in my theater-loving brain. And now, to see it with this amazing cast (Jeremy Jordan, Jessica Molaskey, Sean Allan Krill and Taylor Trensch, et al.) should be very, very satisfying.

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends (Broadway - Samuel Friedman Theatre)

Any chance to see master performers performing the works of the master is an opportunity I just can't miss. Of course, I'm looking forward to seeing Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga and Beth Leavel, but I'm really excited to see some West End stars like Bonnie Langford and Joanna Riding, too. Then there's the gentlemen to be just as excited to see - Gavin Lee, Kyle Selig and Jacob Dickey. This one should be a great evening on Broadway.

Redwood (Broadway - Nederlander Theatre)

The cavalcade of divas continues with the always magnetic Idina Menzel and a giant tree holding court at the Nederlander. Her supporting cast is pretty dazzling, too. Looking forward to seeing Zachary Noah Piser, who I missed in KPOP. I really don't know much about this one, so I'm hoping to discover a new show with no pre-conceived notions! 

Hope to See Before the Tony Awards:

Boop! (Broadway - Broadhurst Theatre)

I don't know that much about the details of the Betty Boop comics, probably as much as I knew about Annie before her musical came out! But I do love a splashy, old fashioned musical comedy - especially when it is directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, co-stars the always fabulous Faith Prince, and features a potentially star-in-the-making debut performance from Jasmine Amy Rogers.

Buena Vista Social Club (Broadway - Schoenfeld Theatre)

As Mike pointed out, we have a great track record with shows based on music albums (American Idiot, Jagged Little Pill, etc.), so why not take a chance on this one? Cuban beats and electrifying dancing sound like a great combination to take the chill of this pretty cold winter.

Operation Mincemeat (Broadway - Golden Theatre)

The very mixed reviews of first audiences aside, I want to see this. I love all things Britain, and a great true WWII story is always a passion for me. I'll admit I'm not as excited about this as I once was, but it is bound to be an awards contender, so I'll need to get to the Golden.

Smash (Broadway - Imperial Theatre)

Faults, plot holes and inaccuracies and all, we enjoyed every minute of the TV series, so our hopes are pretty high for this one. If the stage version is as sharp and witty as the advertising, it should be fantastic. Susan Stroman is due for a big hit, and she is a master at the extravaganza. Add to that a score by Shaiman and Wittman and a cast chock full of Broadway greats, and it seems like a no-brainer. We will let her be a star if we can snag some reasonably priced seats!

See you at the show!

 

Star-To-Be: Jimin Moon

It seems by design in Jamie Lloyd's Sunset Boulevard, that the ensemble is impactful but nondescript. After all, it's Norma's movie, and no one stands out. Except that the reality is that each member is a remarkable stand out. Such is the case with Jimin Moon, who plays the beloved light guy at Paramount, Hog Eye. He stands out for all the right reasons - the attitude, the movement...the charisma. He also, on occasion, makes his mark stepping into the role of Joe Gillis, when Tom Francis is out. This is not the first time I noticed Moon - he caught my eye in the ensemble of Lempicka. All told, just watching him, you just know he is a Star-To-Be.

🌟Star-to-Be🌟

Sunset Boulevard's Jimin Moon

  

 

Sunset Boulevard is actually his third Broadway show, following Lempicka and his debut in Aladdin. Jimin was also featured in the 2024 Broadway Bares show, Hit the Strip. A lot has happened for him since he graduated from Penn State with honors and a BFA in Musical Theater, including regional work in such shows as Newsies, Something Rotten! and Kinky Boots. Moon also has a black belt in Taekwondo and apparently makes one hell of an apple pie.