Licensing Company: Concord Theatricals
Sunset Boulevard
PROGRAMMED INSTRUMENTS
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3
Keyboard 4
$275.00
Based on the Billy Wilder film, the musical version of Sunset Boulevard is a tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
This licensed version is based on the Original 1994 Broadway Production.
This version is orchestrated to most definitely be stick conducted from the podium. There are 4 keyboard books in this show to complement the huge orchestra of live musicians.
Keyboard 1 is the primary piano book but it also contains lots of orchestral padding to the live players. Some of the patches include strings, electric piano, clavinet, celeste, bass clarinet, english horn, harp, bells, trombones, saxes, and percussion to name a few. Although not as difficult as other Keyboard 1 musical theater books, this chair will need a very strong rhythmic player who can navigate the playing and the programming changes.
Keyboard 2 adds additional depth to the live orchestration. It shares many of the same sounds as Keyboard 1 and includes among others, harp, violins. trombones, flutes, piano, saxes, low reeds, percussion, vibes, and voice pad. This book can likely be managed by an advanced level high school player as it is not as technically difficult as Keyboard 1 or other Keyboard 2 musical theater parts.
Keyboard 3 is just more orchestral padding. The patches in this book include strings, brass, mallet percussion, woodwinds, low reeds, celeste, and electric piano and many more. This is the easiest book of all the keyboard parts and could be played by an advanced high school player.
Keyboard 4 is listed as an optional book and is essentially all strings although it does occasionally have percussion elements as well. If you have a smaller sized string section or no string section at all, this book would be necessary to obtain the intended sound of this show. Because it is a string reduction, it would be best to have an advanced player who can navigate all of the different string articulations in the part as well as the programming.
KEYBOARD PROGRAMMER
Keyboard Programming: Taylor Williams
ORIGINAL MUSIC TEAM
Music by: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Book by: Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Lyrics by: Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Based on the film by: Billy Wilder
Music orchestrated by: David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Original 1994 Broadway Orchestra (incomplete)
Musical Director: David Caddick and Paul Bogaev
Musical Supervisor: David Caddick
Conducted by: Paul Bogaev
Rehearsal Pianist: Beth Fremgen
Associate Musical Supervisor: Kristen Allen Blodgette
Music Preparation: JoAnne Kane Music Preparation
Music Preparation (NY): Chelsea Music Services, Inc.
1997 Broadway Revival Orchestra
Musical Director: Kristen Blodgette;
Musical Supervisor: Kristen Blodgette
Conducted by: Kristen Blodgette
Assistant Conductor: Michael Patrick Walker and Dale Rieling
Keyboard 1: Michael Patrick Walker
Keyboard 2: Dale Rieling
Concert Master: Kelly Hall-Tompkins
First Violin: Katherine Livolsi-Landau, Karl Kawahara, Victoria Paterson, Sebu Sirinian and Svetlana Tsoneva
Second Violin: Mineko Yajima, Elizabeth Nielsen, Louise Owen, Rena Isbin and Patricia Davis
Viola: David Creswell, Mark Holloway, Richard Brice and Jennifer Herman
Cello: Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Robert Burkhart and Emily Brausa
Bass/Electric Bass: Peter Donovan
Bass: Lisa Stokes
Flute/Alto Flute: Liz Mann
Flute/Piccolo: Kathleen Nester
Oboe/Cor Anglais: Julia DeRosa
Clarinet: Todd Palmer
Clarinet 2/Tenor Saxophone: Rob Jacoby
Bass Clarinet/Alto Saxophone 1: Andrew Sterman
Bassoon 1: Damian Primis
Bassoon 2: Cynde Iverson
Horn 1: Mike Atkinson
Horn 2: Will de Vos
Trumpet/Piccolo: John Chudoba
Trumpet 2: Alex Holton
Trombone: Mark Patterson
Bass Trombone: Jeremy Morrow
Harp: Grace Paradise
Guitar: Nate Brown
Drums: Michael Croiter
Percussion: Daniel Haskins
Music Copying: Emily Grishman Music Preparation and Adriana Grace
Musical Coordinator: David Lai
SHOW DESCRIPTION
In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded silent-screen goddess Norma Desmond lives in a fantasy world. Impoverished screenwriter Joe Gillis, on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive domain. Persuaded to work on Norma’s “masterpiece,” a film script that she believes will put her back in front of the cameras, Joe is seduced by her and her luxurious lifestyle. Joe becomes entrapped in a claustrophobic existence until his love for another woman leads him to try and break free with dramatic consequences.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning masterwork of dreams and desire in the land called Hollywood includes the lush, swelling standards “With One Look,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and “Perfect Year.”