Nicole Scherzinger is more than ready for her close-up in this thrilling and electric revival, direct from an acclaimed West End transfer and opening on Broadway October 20th.

Spoilers below! This show is my top pick right now, so if you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend going asap without spoilers! But if you really don’t mind getting a peek behind the curtain, read on…

This revival of Sunset Blvd. is unlike anything I’ve seen on Broadway as of late. I saw this show in previews on a Tuesday night, fresh off a flight and feeling a bit blah, and I left absolutely exhilarated and surprised by how delighted I was – and I wasn’t alone. As I left the theatre, I had to push through a crowd of gasps, frantic praises of the show, and one person even dressed in a full bloody Norma Desmond costume.

Not quite what I expected from a revival musical based on a 1950s film noir piece.

The plot is essentially about Norma Desmond, a star past her prime desperately clinging onto her fame, and Joe Gillis, a young screenwriter she hires to help her make her comeback. The screenwriter thinks he can take advantage of her and further his career, but his relationship to her eventually spins out of his control, with a pretty grim outcome.

But even if you’re familiar with the movie or the musical (originally debuting on Broadway in 1994), don’t think you won’t be surprised by this production. Director Jamie Lloyd has completely reimagined it. He creates a cold, ghastly, and anxious world for the characters of Sunset Blvd. to inhabit. They often face the audience head-on to deliver their lines in a zombie-like state, detached from each other and from their surroundings, and reference non-existent set pieces and props on the barren stage. They move about the space in unified yet oddly impersonal masses, creating distorted shadows with the harsh lighting and angled set. But the character who I would argue steals the show, and is given the most attention, warmth, and closeness? Well, I guess it’s not a who, but a what: a manual on-stage live camera.

That’s right – a major part of the production is the use of a live camera carried around the stage, feeding black-and-white video to an enormous screen at different parts of the show. It’s used for comedic relief, for heightening dramatic elements, and for providing perspectives often hidden from the audience in a typical theatre: a facial expression of a actor with her back to the house, a walk down to the dressing rooms, and one of the most thrilling moments of the show – a trip outside the theatre itself. If done the wrong way something like this could feel gimmicky, but it’s far from that – it feels brilliant. And the cast was definitely encouraged to make their moments in the sun unique, with Scherzinger at one point mouthing a cheeky “period!” to the lens. A movie-like title screen is cast during the car chase sequence near the beginning of the first act (underscored by wild applause from the house) and credits are run at the end after bows.

All of this is to pay homage to the original genre of film noir and to help support the central themes of the show – both the pursuit of fame and fame itself are bizarre, isolating, and ultimately devastating experiences, and Hollywood exists to not only reward destructive behavior, but project it for an audience to consume (even we as the audience aren’t so innocent in Lloyd’s production!)

Scherzinger’s performance is killer. She flits around the stage barefoot with her long black hair ghoulishly floating behind her, and while she humanizes Norma Desmond as the eccentric faded star, she also turns her into a monster fit for a slasher film. Her performance is unsettling, oftentimes hilarious, and at the climax of the show – completely terrifying. Her extensive dance experience is on full display, not to mention her gorgeously thunderous voice which perfectly complements Andrew Lloyd Weber’s score. Tom Francis is also a breakout star as Joe Gillis, his subtle expressions perfectly capture the disturbing arc of his relationship with Norma, and his performance of Sunset Boulevard brought on a standing ovation. This revival demands innovation and creativity from its leads, and they more than rise to the occasion. They not only have to act for the stage, but the screen as well! They handle this balance expertly, and I predict Tony nominations for both of them.

So go pay Hollywood a visit at the St. James theatre this fall, and try to resist getting caught up in the gruesome glitz and glamour. Are you ready for your close-up?

Sunset Blvd. is currently in previews and opens on Broadway October 20th at the St. James Theatre. Grab your tickets here, or see some affordable ways to get tickets here.

Photo credit: Sunset Blvd. on Broadway. (Photo by Marc Brenner)