One of Milwaukee’s newest theater companies, Bombshell, enters another phase with the company’s recent move to the intimate Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center. The small theater, home to Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and other local companies, is a big step up for Bombshell in terms of technical design and seating.
One wishes they had selected a simpler show for their downtown Milwaukee introduction. Not every show can be done with minimal staging, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical seems to prove the point. Do not be deterred, as this Sunset Boulevard has its moments of brilliance, wonder and pure artistic joy. It’s evident that a lot of love and care has gone into this staging about an aging movie star (from the days of silent films) who tries to recapture the popularity of her youth.
However, not all theater can be done with “two planks and a passion,” as the saying goes. By offering a two-step staircase instead of the grand, sweeping staircase that introduced Broadway’s Norma Desmond to the audience, this certainly diminishes the show’s overall impact. In place of lavish set design, a series of backstage projections and newsreel footage stand in for Norma’s grand mansion, the Paramount Pictures lot, and scenes along Sunset Boulevard.
The abundance of scene changes in Sunset Boulevard is not conducive to Bombshell’s new space. There’s no overhead fly space, or front curtain. Plus, there’s little room backstage to store the few necessary set pieces used here. It’s like trying to fit a giant peg into a small hole.
Moving from the technical side of the production to the artistic side, Eric Welch’s direction also seems lacking. Although Welch’s direction seemed fine for their past productions, such as last summer’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in a Wauwatosa park, as well as Funny Girl and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in Elm Grove, Sunset Boulevard didn’t seem to get the same attention.
Another issue is the show’s choreography. Most of the show’s big production numbers are in the first act, and choreography (by McKenzie Alosi and Celeste Dupuis) seems to be focused on just a few of these numbers.
For instance, “The Lady’s Paying,” one of the show’s most “traditional” musical numbers, gets a nice uplift from the store clerks and tailors who surround Joe Gillis with wardrobe possibilities.
Eventually, when Norma Desmond (a star turn by Kara Ernst-Schalk) returns to her old “home,” Paramount Studios, the ensemble basically stands and stares at her. One wishes for some silent stage business (such as makeup touch-ups, script consultation, lighting cue tests, etc.) to keep the movie set active while Norma sings.
The result of this hit-or-miss approach is a cross between a full-fledged musical and a concert version. It might have been wiser to stage it as the latter, since many of the solo numbers (especially in Act II) involve little movement.
The Bombshell set is by Katie Meylink. Lighting (by Mark Morris) creates the impression of follow spots without actually using any. The music direction (by Tracy Garon) uses canned music to accompany the singers.
Sunset Boulevard the musical has had a mixed history since its inception. Based on the 1950 film (of the same title), the musical starred Glenn Close in its original Broadway production. It took home eight 1995 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical. However, the show was beset by problems throughout its tenure. The original tour only attracted a few US theaters, due to the show’s high production costs. Even after Webber revamped the tour to lower these costs, Sunset Boulevard investors failed to regain their original investment.
Bombshell’s Sunset Boulevard has spent a great deal of money on costumes (by Mary Seigel). Norma’s outfits and hairpieces are simply divine (and plentiful), as are the outfits worn by her faithful butler, Max (Brant Allen), and boyfriend Joe (Eric Welch). Likewise, costumes for young screenwriter Betty (Rae Pare) and her husband, Artie (Nick Sweet), are also well-suited for the period.
As Norma and Joe, the two main characters, Ernst-Schalk and Welch excel in their roles. Ernst-Schalk is every inch a movie star, not to mention her outstanding voice. Broadway’s late Ethel Merman had nothing on Ernst-Schalk, who can belt out a song to rattle the rafters. She is matched by the handsome, athletically built Welch, who is very credible as the younger Joe Gillis. Welch handles the dramatic transformation of his character well. He moves from a man who initially pities the manipulative Norma, to one who later comes to loathe her. Gillis knows better than anyone he has “sold out” to Norma’s incessant demands, and he despises himself for his overly dependent relationship with Norma.
Some of the minor roles also sparkle, such as Brant Allen’s faithful Max and several roles played by Tim Albrechtson, Bombshell’s producer, and the ageless Karl Miller A brief but dazzling appearance by film producer/director Cecil B. DeMille (masterfully handled by Glenn Villa) is a show highlight.
Although this Sunset Boulevard never lives up to its potential, it delivers some wonderful Andrew Lloyd Webber songs. All of the musical score’s hits, such as “With One Look,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and “Perfect Year,” are executed skillfully. That is something for Lloyd Webber fans to look forward to.
