Finally, a reason to see the show all the way through!

According to this article in Playbill:

Glenn Close and Ewan McGregor will star in a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Sunset Boulevard, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported.

Close who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Norma Desmond in the Broadway version of the show. McGregor is currently starring in the West End as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. He previously starred in another movie musical, "Moulin Rouge."

Austin Shaw, who is co-producing the film, told the Telegraph, "We are making the film with Paramount and it should be out in time for Christmas 2006."

The 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard," directed by Billy Wilder, concerned an out-of-work screenwriter named Joe Gillis who happens upon the home of former silent-screen star Norma Desmond. William Holden and Gloria Swanson starred in the film, which won three Academy Awards. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black's musical version debuted in London with Patti LuPone as Norma. Other Normas included Betty Buckley, Elaine Paige, Glenn Close, Diahann Carroll, Petula Clark, Helen Schneider, Linda Balgord and Debra Byrne.

Maybe if I had seen Sunset Boulevard in London with Patti Lupone I would have loved it. But I was so unimpressed with what I saw at the Toronto Centre For The Arts (then called the Ford Centre), that my husband and I left at intermission.

Actually, I don't remember much of that evening (all I know is that Diahann Carroll was sick that night) so perhaps it does deserve a second look. I like Ewan and Glenn a lot. I like the original movie with Gloria Swanson well enough. And I loved the Carol Burnett spoof. So why shouldn't I love the movie musical?

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