Director Jamie Lloyd’s minimalist rendition of Sunset Boulevard was one of the most anticipated Broadway openings this season. An explosive run on London’s West End garnered the musical 11 Olivier nominations—and 7 wins, including the awards for Best Musical Revival and Best Director. Two Columbia theatre-makers joined the directorial team on Broadway: Theatre alum Benita de Wit ’16 acts as the musical’s Associate Director, while Directing student Miles Sternfeld serves as directing intern.
Sunset Boulevard is based on an iconic Old Hollywood noir. The story follows an aspiring screenwriter as he ingratiates himself with a fallen star to disastrous consequence. Its perfectly tuned melodrama and timeless one liners (“And now Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close-up”) have captivated generations of audiences.
Each generation, too, has remade the musical in its image. Though Gloria Swanson and Stephen Sondheim each adapted the 1950 film into a musical, Jamie Lloyd revived Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rendition. The show features an Olivier-winning performance by Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Sherzinger as the deranged silent film diva Norma Desmond.
In one viral scene, Lloyd’s modern direction literally breaks the fourth wall. Cameras follow protagonist Joe Gillis as he exits the theater. His performance is live-streamed from nearby Shubert Alley.
Benita de Wit is an Australian director based in New York. Before Sunset Boulevard, they were the Resident Director for SIX and the Assistant Director for Straight Line Crazy at The Shed. They are faculty at Circle in the Square Theatre School.
Miles Sternfeld is the Founding Artistic Director of New City Music Theatre, a company that re-conceptualizes widely celebrated musicals. Sternfeld is a third year student at the School of the Arts, under the mentorship of Theatre Professor and Directing Concentration Head Anne Bogart and Theatre Chair and Professor of Professional Practice Brian Kulick.
Sunset Boulevard opened at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on October 20. Tickets are available here.
