[Sweeney Hyde]

I've been thinking about the potential that could have been Sondheim's adaptation of the film Sunset Boulevard, only for it to be abandonded because he was convinced it needed to be an opera and he didn't want to do an opera.

http://www.sondheim.com/features/stephen_sondheim.html

Now, we all know that Andrew Lloyd Webber made an adaptation of the film that was quite a success.

Please discuss all things Sondheim, Webber, and Sunset Boulevard.

Thanks to RainbowJude for bringing this article to my attention.

Also, if only the people that normally post on the Sondheim board would post on this thread that would be lovely, as I'm going to put up nearly the same thing in the Webber forum and compare the different reactions and what everyone has to say...if need be we'll combine the two threads at some point. Thanks!

[Dots Parasole]

Thank God Sondheim never touched this. I think Stephen knew that the original Billy Wilder film could not be touched.

Webbers was horrible.

[Barberous]

In case anybody was interested there's a concept recording of Boulevard!, yet another musical version of Sunset Boulevard.

http://www.amazon.com/Boulevard-Gloria-Swanson/dp/B001CCIO0I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1220435737&sr=1-2

It features Gloria Swanson, star of the original movie. I've never heard it.

Says Wikipedia:
"In 1957 Swanson initiated discussions with Paramount Studios to adapt Sunset Boulevard into a musical called Boulevard! In her version the romance between Gillis and Shaefer was allowed to blossom and rather than shoot Gillis at the end, Norma gave the couple her blessing, sending them on their way to live "happily ever after." Swanson employed Dickson Hughes and Richard Stapley to compose the score, which was completed and recorded, later appearing on LP; Swanson performed a fully-orchestrated selection on The Steve Allen Show. Paramount Studios, which owned the copyright, encouraged Swanson to continue but withdrew its consent in 1959, saying it would not permit an interpretation that would damage the existing and future reputation of the film. It allowed television productions for Lux Video Theatre with Miriam Hopkins, and Robert Montgomery Presents with Mary Astor and Darren McGavin, because the storyline remained faithful to the original script."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Boulevard_(1950_film)

[what_the_heck013]

[Sweeney Hyde]

I, too, love Webber's Sunset Boulevard as one of the few shows of his that I do actually like...the other two being Evita and PotO. I don't think it's perfect by any means, but I do like most of it. I think that the musical and the film are two different monsters of the same parent...not completely different but there are definately different feels to each.

I agree that if Sondheim would have done the show it probably would have had a similar style to that of ALNM. However, I think he probably would have played off of everyone, especially Norma's, insanity more...which I think would have resulted in an ending of chaos like that of Follies. But, hey, we'll never know.

[what_the_heck013]

^ I definitely see it. ALNM with a splash of Follies. Maybe Sondheim would have written a scene that would be a flashback of Norma in her better days done a la the opening of Follies.

[Sweeney Hyde]

Actually...now that I've thought about it...it kind of upsets me that he didn't do it...if he had done that it would have been infinitely better than Webbers...

[Dvarg]

I think you are all wrong, hahaha!

in my opinion, a Sondheim SB would have been much more like Gypsy. Norma Desmond is basically the same character as Madame Rose, with related motives and destinies. Perhaps Sondheim would have changed the film world of Sunset Boulevard to stage world so that Broadway songs commenting the themes would be appropriate.

The reason I don't like the ALW SB is that it's basicaly the movie set to music with rhyming words. The ideal way of transforming a movies into a musical, is to do what Sondheim did with ALNM. He made an interpretation of the material to pinpoint what he saw as the interesting aspects of the story. Thus, ALNM isn't just Smiles set to music, it is a distinctive piece of theatre that offers it's own set of thoughts and conclusions.

The ideal Sunset Boulevard musical would be one that more clearly discuss the inhuman conditions of a milleu that makes stars of persons, then offers no solution when they aren't young and beautiful any longer. I think the ALW show fails to do something out of this that the film hasn't already covered.

[IndigoMedusa]

[Dvarg]