The time period from 1920-1960 is widely regarded as Hollywood's Golden Age. Filled with drama, decadence, and fabulousness from top to bottom, this time period stays true to its name. As ACT of Connecticut's producing director Erin Craig puts it, "The Motion Pictures of that time in Hollywood were big spectacles of costume and scenery and dance. It was such a vibrant time of bringing these great Hollywood movies and musicals to the world and they existed in such great capacity.”
The ACT Theater is cordially inviting us to live in that dominant era showcasing elegant outfits and sophisticated parties filled with champagne and big band music through its upcoming musical, Sunset Boulevard.
Sunset Boulevard is an infamous black and white film from the 1950s. Set in Hollywood, the main character, Norma Desmond, was the most famous silent movie star of her time who went from A-list celebrity to being unhireable, which sets her into a tailspin of depression and schizophrenia.
Artistic director Daniel Levine has dreamed about directing this play for several years. If you're familiar with his work, Levine is able to translate big musicals into unforgettable, theatrical experiences that feel more like films. "This is a story about faded stardom and aging in Hollywood and the human condition that begs the question, 'What will people do for their shot at stardom?'" he said.
“It is catchy beyond belief,” Craig commented. The musical weaves in themes of obsession, romance, and faded glory, showcasing newbies like struggling screenwriters trying to make it in Hollywood as well as the emotion and passion tied to a woman going on this inner turmoil of a journey during one of the most exciting times in Hollywood.
The show’s setting is split between the Hollywood lot and a mansion that Norma lives in. “We really bring the mansion to life through the scenery,” Craig says. "From costumes and wigs to makeup and design, we are really hitting that Hollywood Studios era."
"I'm certain audiences will come away with this show as another Broadway-caliber production," Levine promises. "For those seeing this for the first time, I think they are going to be fascinated and blown away by this performance. It's a show that stays with people for a long time because the psychological twists and turns that occur take a minute to process."
The musical is being shown at ACT of Connecticut's Theatre from October 26 to November 19. actofct.org