Glenn Close Triumphs In “Sunset Boulevard”
The first Norma Desmond I saw, in the “Sunset Boulevard” musical, was Patti LuPone. It was in London, and, though I didn’t (and don’t) much care for the show’s score, LuPone held my interest. The Andrew Lloyd Webber piece has returned to London, in a semi-staged production starring Glenn “I’m from Greenwich” Close, who did it on Broadway. The London critics are seduced. In a five-star review, one of them writes: ‘What a star. I came to the Coliseum for this “Sunset Boulevard” as a sceptic. It has been 21 years since Glenn Close won a Tony for playing Norma Desmond in this melodramatic…musical on Broadway. She is now 69. Could she still do it? Could she hit the notes? Wasn’t she an ageing movie star playing, er, an ageing movie star?’ By the way, Glennie had better watch out. 69-year-old stars are dropping like used-up starlets this year: Bowie, Rickman, Patty Duke.
