Sunset Boulevard (musical)
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:30:34 PM Wikipedia source
Sunset Boulevard is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and libretto by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, based on the 1950 film. The plot follows Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent-screen era, living in her decaying mansion on Sunset Boulevard in 1949 Los Angeles. When young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees an opportunity to make her return to the big screen, with romance and tragedy to follow. Opening first in London in 1993, the musical has had several long runs internationally and enjoyed extensive tours. However, it has been the subject of several legal battles and ultimately lost money due to its extraordinary running costs. The 1994 Broadway production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning 7, including best musical. The 2023 West End revival was nominated for 11 Olivier Awards, winning 7, including best musical revival. The 2024 Broadway revival was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won 3, including Best Revival of a Musical.
Infobox
Music
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics
Don Black Christopher Hampton Additional lyrics by Amy Powers
Book
Don Black Christopher Hampton
Basis
Sunset Boulevard by Charles Brackett Billy Wilder D. M. Marshman Jr.
Premiere
12 July 1993: Adelphi Theatre, London
Productions
1991 Sydmonton Festival 1993 West End 1994 Broadway 1996 US tour 1998 US tour 2001 UK tour 2008 West End revival 2017 Broadway revival 2017 UK Tour 2023 West End revival 2024 Broadway revival
Awards
1995 Tony Awards for: Best Musical Best Score Best Book 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
Tables
· Casts
1993
1993
Character
1993
West End
1994
Los Angeles
1996
Broadway
2001
U . tour
2008
U . tour
2017
West End revival
2023
Broadway revival
2024
Norma Desmond
Norma Desmond
Character
Norma Desmond
West End
Patti LuPone
Los Angeles
Glenn Close
Broadway
Linda Balgord
U . tour
Faith Brown
U . tour
Kathryn Evans
West End revival
Glenn Close
Broadway revival
Nicole Scherzinger°
Joe Gillis
Joe Gillis
Character
Joe Gillis
West End
Kevin Anderson
Los Angeles
Alan Campbell
Broadway
Ron Bohmer
U . tour
Earl Carpenter
U . tour
Ben Goddard
West End revival
Michael Xavier
Broadway revival
Tom Francis
Max von Mayerling
Max von Mayerling
Character
Max von Mayerling
West End
Daniel Benzali
Los Angeles
George Hearn
Broadway
Ed Dixon
U . tour
Michael Bauer
U . tour
Dave Willetts
West End revival
Fred Johanson
Broadway revival
David Thaxton
Betty Schaefer
Betty Schaefer
Character
Betty Schaefer
West End
Meredith Braun
Los Angeles
Judy Kuhn
Broadway
Alice Ripley
U . tour
Lauren Kennedy
U . tour
Ceri Ann Gregory
West End revival
Laura Pitt-Pulford
Broadway revival
Siobhan Dillon
West End revival
Grace Hodgett Young
Artie Green
Artie Green
Character
Artie Green
West End
Gareth Snook
Los Angeles
Vincent Tumeo
Broadway
James Clow
U . tour
Jeremy Finch
U . tour
Tomm Coles
West End revival
Preston Truman Boyd
Broadway revival
Ahmed Hamad
West End revival
Diego Andres Rodriguez
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Character
Cecil B. DeMille
West End
Michael Bauer
Los Angeles
Alan Oppenheimer
Broadway
William Chapman
U . tour
Vincent Pirillo
U . tour
Craig Pinder
West End revival
Paul Schoeffler
Broadway revival
Jon Tsouras
West End revival
Shavey Brown
| Character | West End | Los Angeles | Broadway | U . tour | U . tour | West End revival | Broadway revival | West End revival | Broadway revival |
| 1993 | 1994 | 1996 | 2001 | 2008 | 2017 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Norma Desmond | Patti LuPone | Glenn Close | Linda Balgord | Faith Brown | Kathryn Evans | Glenn Close | Nicole Scherzinger° | ||
| Joe Gillis | Kevin Anderson | Alan Campbell | Ron Bohmer | Earl Carpenter | Ben Goddard | Michael Xavier | Tom Francis | ||
| Max von Mayerling | Daniel Benzali | George Hearn | Ed Dixon | Michael Bauer | Dave Willetts | Fred Johanson | David Thaxton | ||
| Betty Schaefer | Meredith Braun | Judy Kuhn | Alice Ripley | Lauren Kennedy | Ceri Ann Gregory | Laura Pitt-Pulford | Siobhan Dillon | Grace Hodgett Young | |
| Artie Green | Gareth Snook | Vincent Tumeo | James Clow | Jeremy Finch | Tomm Coles | Preston Truman Boyd | Ahmed Hamad | Diego Andres Rodriguez | |
| Cecil B. DeMille | Michael Bauer | Alan Oppenheimer | William Chapman | Vincent Pirillo | Craig Pinder | Paul Schoeffler | Jon Tsouras | Shavey Brown | |
· Awards and nominations › Original West End production
1994
1994
Year
1994
Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
Category
Best New Musical
Nominee
Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical
Best Actress in a Musical
Year
Best Actress in a Musical
Award
Patti LuPone
Category
Nominated
1995
1995
Year
1995
Award
Betty Buckley
Category
Nominated
1996
1996
Year
1996
Award
Elaine Paige
Category
Nominated
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1994 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Patti LuPone | Nominated | ||
| 1995 | Betty Buckley | Nominated | ||
| 1996 | Elaine Paige | Nominated | ||
· Awards and nominations › Original Broadway production
1995
1995
Year
1995
Award
Tony Awards
Category
Best Musical
Nominee
Won
Best Original Score
Best Original Score
Year
Best Original Score
Award
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Category
Won
Best Book of a Musical
Best Book of a Musical
Year
Best Book of a Musical
Award
Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Category
Won
Best Actor in a Musical
Best Actor in a Musical
Year
Best Actor in a Musical
Award
Alan Campbell
Category
Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical
Best Actress in a Musical
Year
Best Actress in a Musical
Award
Glenn Close
Category
Won
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Year
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Award
George Hearn
Category
Won
Best Direction of a Musical
Best Direction of a Musical
Year
Best Direction of a Musical
Award
Trevor Nunn
Category
Nominated
Best Choreography
Best Choreography
Year
Best Choreography
Award
Bob Avian
Category
Nominated
Best Scenic Design
Best Scenic Design
Year
Best Scenic Design
Award
John Napier
Category
Won
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Year
Best Costume Design
Award
Anthony Powell
Category
Nominated
Best Lighting Design
Best Lighting Design
Year
Best Lighting Design
Award
Andrew Bridge
Category
Won
Drama Desk Awards
Drama Desk Awards
Year
Drama Desk Awards
Award
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Category
Glenn Close
Nominee
Won
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1995 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Won | |
| Best Original Score | Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton | Won | ||
| Best Book of a Musical | Don Black and Christopher Hampton | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Alan Campbell | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Glenn Close | Won | ||
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | George Hearn | Won | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Trevor Nunn | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Bob Avian | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design | John Napier | Won | ||
| Best Costume Design | Anthony Powell | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Andrew Bridge | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Glenn Close | Won | |
· Awards and nominations › 2008 West End revival
2009
2009
Year
2009
Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
Category
Best Actress in a Musical
Nominee
Kathryn Evans
Result
Nominated
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Year
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Award
Dave Willetts
Category
Nominated
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2009 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Actress in a Musical | Kathryn Evans | Nominated |
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Dave Willetts | Nominated |
· Awards and nominations › 2016 London revival
2016
2016
Year
2016
Award
Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Category
Best Musical
Nominee
Nominated
Best Musical Performance
Best Musical Performance
Year
Best Musical Performance
Award
Glenn Close
Category
Won
2017
2017
Year
2017
Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
Category
Best Musical Revival
Nominee
Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical
Best Actress in a Musical
Year
Best Actress in a Musical
Award
Glenn Close
Category
Nominated
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2016 | Evening Standard Theatre Awards | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Musical Performance | Glenn Close | Won | ||
| 2017 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Musical Revival | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Glenn Close | Nominated | ||
References
- Based on liner notes to Boulevard! CD release by Richard Stapley, Tim J. Hutton, and Steven M. Warner
- The Bad and the Beautiful: Hollywood in the Fifties by Sam Kashner and Jennifer MacNair, W . Norton & Company, Inc., 200
- On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder by Ed Sikov, Hyperion, New York, New York, 1998, pp. 467–468, IS
- ".. by Sunset Boulevard" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine from Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group websihttp://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/shows/sunset/inspiration.htm
- Lloyd Webber in Accord For Buyback of Company, a February 1990 article from The New York Timeshttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DC113DF93BA35751C0A966958260
- The Times
- Goodspeed Musicals's Show Music magazinehttp://www.squareone.org/stoddard/sunset.html
- Ansdell, Caroline. "20 Questions With... Ria Jones (Ria Jones speaking to Caroline Ansdell)" Archived 10 April 2011 at thttp://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8821172860514/20+Questions+With...+Ria+Jones.html
- Snelson, John. Andrew Lloyd Webber Archived 19 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine Andrew Lloyd Webber, Yale University Prhttps://books.google.com/books?id=RRFx7fFsi0AC&dq=Sydmonton++%22Sunset+Boulevard%22+Webber&pg=PA16
- "Tim Rice – Cricket" Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine timricehttp://www.timrice.co.uk/cricket2.html
- Sunset Boulevardhttps://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rachel-Tucker-Joins-Andrew-Lloyd-Webbers-SUNSET-BOULEVARD-20230811
- Gans, Andrew."Mandy Gonzalez Reveals Final Performance Dates as Norma Desmond in Broadway's Sunset Blvd.", Playbill, 7 Ahttps://playbill.com/article/mandy-gonzalez-reveals-final-performance-dates-as-norma-desmond-in-broadways-sunset-blvd
- "Sunset Boulevard", playbillhttps://playbill.com/production/sunset-boulevard-minskoff-theatre-vault-0000002334
- Rich, Frank. "Upstaging a New Lloyd Webber Musical" Archived 15 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times,https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/14/theater/critic-s-notebook-upstaging-a-new-lloyd-webber-musical.html
- On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder, p. 589
- Wolf, Matt. "Sunset Boulevard Has Mixed Reviews, But Billy Wilder's Impressed", Associated Press, 13 July 1993, Internat
- Lister, David. "(Second) First Night / Hope dawns for Sunset Boulevard: Sunset Boulevard; Adelphi Theatre" Archived 25 Shttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/second-first-night--hope-dawns-for-sunset-boulevard-sunset-boulevard-adelphi-theatre-1371162.html
- De Jongh, Nicholas. "Elaine finds new ways to brighten up the Boulevard; Sunset Boulevard, The Adelphi", Evening Standar
- Stringer, Robin. "At 62, Petula Succeeds to Sunset Throne", Evening Standard (London), 8 December 1995, p
- Wolf, Matt. "As \'Sunsets\' fade, Rug's new era dawns", Variety, 7 April 1997 – 13 April 1997, p. 175