I didn’t really know what I was going to write about the “Sunset Blvd.” revival on Broadway last night.
Then, following the curtain call, the St. James Theater got pretty wild when there was a live auction from the stage.
South African actor Pierre Marais proved to be a successful auctioneer, raising money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS. (All the theaters take up the cause this time of year.)
Marais was auctioning the bullhorn through which the show’s star, Nicole Scherzinger, sang when the electricity went out in the theater. It was one of those bravura moments in theater history. For the St. James, it was better than when Pearl Bailey stopped “Hello, Dolly!” mid-dance and grabbed an audience member’s camera with Instamatic flash.
Not only did stars Scherzinger and Tom Francis but also by two surprise guests: the show’s creator, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, and director Jamie Lloyd. During the show, ALW put in a cameo during live video projected in the house. More on that to come.
The couple in front of me, from Texas, joined in at around $6,000 after a young South African woman bid the stakes up to $5,000. (She shouted to Marais, “I’m only doing it because you’re South African!”)
The $6,000 couple loved the show. He kept jumping up all night and applauding.
But then Marais cooed, “Who goes to seven thousand dollars?” And up went hands and shrieks from behind me. A very pleasant looking couple, maybe 50 at most, went flush when they realized what they’d done.
They turned out to be Wall Street M&A guy Pim Kraaijeveld and his wife, vocal coach Aimée Steele. Dutch by birth, Pim — which is not short for Personal Investment Management — loves Broadway. Makes sense since Aimée was the vocal coach for Glenn Close when she won the Tony for “Sunset” a few years ago. (She looks a lot like Mimi Rogers.)
It was their first time seeing this production, they told me — as opposed to the two young people I met during intermission carrying a Chihuaha service dog with a hat and sweater. “This is our sixth time,” they said, including the dog.
Did the Kraaijevelds love the show? He did. She did, too, although she had an allegiance to Glenn Close, obviously.
And what is going on with “Sunset Blvd.”?
It’s not a standard Broadway musical. There are no sets. If you don’t know the show you have no idea what’s going on. All the actors are excellent. Scherzinger is a powerful singer who also happens to be beautiful. She tears through the material like Chita Rivera appearing on “American Idol.” The audience loves her. Tom Francis is the Paul Mescal of Broadway.
I missed having no sets. But this a concert, with spectacular dancing and a lot of smoke on stage. Jack Knowles’s lighting design is award winning, no doubt.
But “Sunset Blvd.” is the most video-driven show I’ve seen since the god awful Ivan von Hove “West Side Story.” There are huge screens reflecting camera people on the stage who are broadcasting the action. You can the actors’ pores, for better or worse. About half the show is a projection. You never the big Hollywood mansion, the movie studio, or the antique car which turns out to be the major plot point.
I’m sure the CD of this show is popular. For fans, the singing can’t be beat. I think that will bear fruit at the Tony Awards.
PS I didn’t remember how much of the “Sunset” score is borrowed from “Jesus Christ Superstar.” That was ok with me!
Here are the proud auction winners, courtesy of me:
