LEGENDS #13 GLENN CLOSE

The 2020 Broadway Cares Christmas ornament honors Glenn Close in her Tony winning performance as Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard."

Beginning as a movie (released in 1950) directed and co-written by Billy Wilder along with Charles Brackett who also co-wrote and produced, it starred Gloria Swanson in the role of Norma which garnered her an Oscar nomination.

In the passing years, many vied to turn it into a musical (with Swanson herself having a go at it),  Then, Steven Sondheim gave it a try by writing the opening scene with libbrettist, Burt Shevelove planning it as a vehicle to star Jeannette MacDonald.  But upon discussing the work with Wilder whom he met at a cocktail party, the director  maintained that it could never be a musical but instead should be an opera, and thus, Sondheim abandoned the work.  Later, the idea was kicked around by Hal Prince to do a musical movie with Angela Lansbury as a faded musical comedy performer rather that a silent screen (star but that, too never came to fruition.

Enter Andrew Lloyd Webber and the London production directed by Trevor Nunn.  It starred Patti LuPone and received mixed reviews.  So, after a brief run, it closed for three weeks and was reworked opening again with Betty Buckley in the lead role.

Next came a  run in Los Angeles with Ms. Close creating the new and improved Norma prior to her opening on Broadway.

Ironically, the musical lost money, mainly due to a law suit filed by Ms. LuPone who maintained she had been promised the Broadway run.  The suit was settled and Ms. LuPone became a million dollars richer.  And that, as they say, is "show business."

Below is Ms. Close in the role of Norma as well as the inspired Broadway Cares ornament.