Streisand Wants Sunset Role
by Jewtastic Staff February 5th, 2008Filed in: Film, Celebrity
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Veteran actresses Glenn Close and Barbra Streisand are battling it out to land the lead role in the Sunset Boulevard remake, according to composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The theatre impresario - who wrote the music for his stage adaptation of the 1950 movie classic - has unveiled Close and Streisand as the front-runners to portray diva Norma Desmond, insisting they’re both desperate to win the part.
However, Lloyd Webber admits he’ll have little influence over the outcome of the contest.
He told WENN: “The remake of Sunset Boulevard is not really under my control. It’s really controlled by Paramount, because they own the original movie. I am just waiting to hear what Paramount in the end want to do about it. It is absolutely true that both Glenn Close and Barbra Streisand very much want to play the part. But I’m slightly with my hands tied behind my back about it.”
Previous reports suggested Meryl Streep and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were also in the race to play Nora Desmond.
Barbra StreisandTags: Barbra Streisand .
Hopefully someone from Paramount studios is reading this:
Glenn Close has to play the role of Norma Desmond. I am sure that I do not need to fill you in on the history of the musical, but as a Sunset Boulevard fan I must remind you that she not only played the role for 3 months in Los Angeles and won the Drama Logue Award for it, she then recreated the role for the Broadway premiere and performed Norma Desmond for 9 months, winning the Tony for her performance. This is Glenn’s chance to win an Oscar for a performance that the critics raved about and that she made her own after stepping into the enormous shoes of Gloria Swanson.
As amazing as Barbra Streisand is, we would constantly be reminded that we are watching Barbara Streisand, rather than seeing the character of Norma Desmond. Glenn is able to magnificently disappear inside her characters, whether it is Patty Hughes in Damages or the Marquise in Dangerous Liaisons or Sarah in The Big Chill. Many people have said that Barbra would sing the role better, Barbra’s last concert demonstrates that her voice is starting to show limitations as many of the songs were rearranged and keys had been lowered to accommodate her voice. Glenn’s performance at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 50th Birthday demonstrates that she can sing the songs with all of the passion and energy the songs require.
I hope the Producers learn from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s film of Phantom of the Opera and listen to the fans this time. There was huge petitions for Michael Crawford to play the role and it looks like fans may have to do the same thing. I do hope that other Glenn Close fans will speak out and even write to Paramount studios about this.
I also think Glenn Close would be a much better choice. Barbra has turned off half the American public with her political beliefs and therefore would alienate half the potential audience. Who says that Republicans don’t appreciate musicals?
My vote is for Glenn Close! Barbra plays just one role: herself!