Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) [Import, Cast Recording]

Christopher Hampton, Walter Charles, Rex Smith, Don Black, Sunset Boulevard (Related Recordings), Diahann Carroll, Andrew Lloyd Webber | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 1996)
• Original Release Date: June 7, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Cast Recording
• Label: Universal/Polygram
• ASIN: B000007603
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,834 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Overture/I Guess It Was 5 A.M.

2. Let's Have Lunch

3. Car Chase

4. Surrender

5. With One Look

6. The Greatest Star of All

7. Every Movie's a Circus

8. Girl Meets Boy

9. New Ways to Dream

10. The Lady's Paying

11. The Perfect Year

12. This Time Next Year

13. New Year's Eve (Back at the House on Sunset)

14. Sunset Boulevard

15. As If We Never Said Goodbye

16. Eternal Youth Is Worth a Little Suffering

17. Too Much in Love to Care

18. New Ways to Dream (Reprise)

19. The Final Score

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great star plays a great star !, October 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

A beautiful highlights recording of the record breaking Canadiasn production. Here is LLyod Webber's best score yet. The range of tunes is phenomenal - from the lush symphonics of the overture, to the nostalgic 'With One Look', with the jazzy 'Lets Have lunch' inbetween - it's a tour de force ! Here, oscar nominated actress Diahann Carroll sings the role of a lifetime as Norma Desmond -'silent star of yesteryear.' Her voice is beautiful, husky and full of the history of the movies. The way she begins 'With one Look' in particular demands comment. She almost struggles to sing the first line, thus showing the courage the fragile Norma has to overcome to make her return. It is perfect evidence of Diahann's profound understanding of the role, which permeates this recording. The other two ballads - 'New ways to Dream' and 'As if we never said goodbye' are sung with the same vulnerability - an aspect of the character few other actresses have demonstrated to this degree. Above everything else, Carrolls vocals present us with a real, believable woman - determined, insane and manipulative yes, but also lovable, utterly understandable and achingly vulnerable. Rex Smith makes an angry Joe Gillis, his renditions showing his rage at having sold out to Norma and her crazy dreams. Anita Louise Coombe reprises the role she played in London and brings a sweet, yet powerful voice to Betty Schaefer. Perhaps Walter Charles as Max is the weeakest point here. He tends to droan a little, excuse the expression, in 'The greatest star of them all,' but redeems himself at the end with his marvelously strong direction of Norma's salome. The power with which he brings Norma to her senses in speaking the line 'Madame, the cameras have arrived,' really makes you understand just how horrific a story Sunset Boulevard is

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite fantastic, May 27, 2004

By 

R. K. Storey "rkstorey" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

I purchased this version of the musical because it WASN'T the Patti Lupone or Glenn Close cast. . . and boy, am I glad I bought it. Rex Smith's fantastic voice and perfectly cynical delivery are a pleasure. His is the best rendition of "Sunset Boulevard" that I have heard yet.

Diahann Carroll seems an odd choice, not so much because of her voice, but really because of who starred in silent movies back in the day. But since this is theater and not real life, it's really an inspired choice. Her voice may not be quite as strong as it used to be but she displays passion and vulnerability where appropriate. I also have a recording of the German version and have to say this one is preferrable. The German actress who plays Norma Desmond is much shriller than Ms. Carroll. The net effect is that she seems to be purely a lunatic, so you have a hard time believing that Joe Gillis likes her at all. Ms. Carroll, on the other hand, plays Norma as a lonely eccentric. As a result, her final scene is much more tragic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rex Smith shines as Joe Gillis, February 19, 2005

By 

Jellicle Cat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) (Audio CD)

I had the pleasure and the privilege of seeing the Toronto cast perform Sunset Boulevard in Toronto at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts. We had front row seats and immensely enjoyed the musical. I was amazing to see and hear Rex Smith in person. The orchestrations were beautiful!

I was lucky to have recently purchased the CD. I was absolutely blown away! The music quality is superb and the voices are crystal clear. I also enjoy the London cast album, but Rex Smith makes this album stand out. His voice is expressive and magical. I personally prefer Patti LuPone as Norma Desmond. Diahann Carroll gives Norma Desmond a wonderfully dramatic quality. I only wish the full album had been recorded. The music is haunting, touching, and an absolute pleasure to listen to.