Glenn Close Coming Back to Broadway
Rumors have been flying regarding Glenn Close, and we now know for certain that she is coming back to Broadway. She’s going to take the stage for “Sunset Boulevard,” which is returning to Broadway after its controversial appearance there years ago.
The score was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is perhaps the most famous theatre composer of all time, while Christopher Hampton and Don Black worked on the lyrics. It means Webber will have four shows happening at the same time, which ties the record with Rodgers and Hammerstein.
The play is based on the eponymous movie that came out in 1950. It got its start on the stage in 1993, showing up on the West End. At that time, it stared Patti LuPone and was directed by Trevor Nunn. It was well done and many could see that it would be a smash hit in time.
In 1994, Close took on the lead role and the play came to Broadway. This was highly controversial, and a settlement was eventually made out of court. That all paid off for Close, though, as the play picked up seven different Tony Awards. The highlight of the bunch was the award for Best Musical.
That pushed Close into stardom, and she has had roles in blockbuster movies like “Air Force One” and “Fatal Attraction.” She’s also been on the Simpsons and in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Most recently, she was filmed in the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” and in “The Girl with All the Gifts.”
This is a small sampling of the work that Close, who is now nearly 70 years old, has done over the years. She’s had a terrific career and it will be great to see her back on Broadway in the role that helped her gain exposure many years ago.
The play itself revolves around a silent-screen actress named Norma Desmond, who lives on Sunset Boulevard in a mansion. Her world is something of a fantasy. She meets up with Joe Gillis, a poor screen writer who has so much debt that he’s trying to run away from it all. He starts working with her on a new script. She is past her prime and wants to get back to the glory days with the new production, and she thinks it will happen with that script. He is drawn into her world, with its luxury and opulence, so different than his own, but he falls in love with another woman.
You still have some time to get tickets! The show won’t start until 2017, with the opening date set for Feb 2.
