My parents and I had bought tickets to thr Broadway show hoping to see Glenn Close and were disappointed when we got there to find out Betty Buckley had taken over....until we heard her sing. Decades later I still remember the chills I got when the audience burst into a standing ovation in the middle of this song and again at the end. Amazing!!
Disappointed that Buckley had taken over? I’d assert that most people would have been overjoyed. Glenn Close is a good singer, but she does not compare to Betty Buckley.
I saw this control of the audience with both Buckley and Close. It was the damndest thing I’ve ever seen on the stage. This was such a huge role, and only a very few could do it justice and pull it off.
I was fortunate enough to be at Betty Buckley's last performance as Norma Desmond. She was spectacular. I remember when she sang As If We Never Said Goodbye, to thank the cast, a person came on stage with a basket of roses, and Betty, while singing and in character, approached each cast member, took a rose from the basket and and gave it to the person. Everyone was crying.
I saw her 'opening night' performance, and when she sang that line, she got a sustained standing ovation, mid-song! Now that's something I'd never seen before, or since.
Absolutely. I saw all of them in the '90s - Paige, LuPone, Close... Betty was absolutely the best. Her acting and her control over every single note is extraordinary. And she's the nicest lady; she was always up for taking pictures and signing Playbills outside the Minskoff after the show.
powerhouse! Betty Buckley... I remember taking my son. to see this show. with her in it on nyc Broadway. he was about 13.or 14 yrs old.. he said to me mom.I will love her for all my life.... amazing she is love her!!!!
I love when they applaud mid song in this video. It feels like they're not only cheering Betty on, but they share Norma's ecstacy in being finally home.
@@xdajlo82 Absolutely. I don't know how she does it so well. I saw her on Broadway in "Edwin Drood". That voice can shake the rafters and has such wonderful resonance. The best voice I ever heard on stage.
I’ve always felt Ms. Buckley brought humanity to this role, a wounded girl surfing the reality of irrelevance, and insecurity, rather than a deep dive into madness as in previous renditions.
+Mandeley100 There's no vulnerability or fear in this performance though. 'I don't know why I'm frightened...' I don't know either because you look pretty settled and comfortable; more unfamiliar than frightened. That's what Glenn brought to the role.
Thank you SOOOOO much for posting this! I was unbelievably fortunate to get a front row, dead center seat to see Betty's "Norma". Even though this footage is zoomed in for the climax of the show, the perspective is what I saw from that front row seat. She came to the lip of the stage, standing just a few feet from me, and raised the roof (and every hair on my body) with her incredible vocals. In all my 27 yearly trips to Broadway, and after seeing 100's of shows, those few moments with Betty remain the most electric moments of my life, and the most time-stopping moments from any show I've seen!! This video took me back to that front row seat, and I cannot thank you enough for that!!!
There have really only been about three performances in my life that have given me the chills. This is one of them. She remains my favourite voice on the planet.
I saw Betty do this during her first preview performance in London, I remember the audience was not familiar with her and when she did "With One Look" the audience gave her a large ovation but when she sang this song, she stopped the show cold! I was sitting on the side box seats above the cast and could see Betty's reaction, you could tell she was estactic. Saw her a few more times in London and New York, this was definitely her signature song.
@@HughCorbyCruick I agree that Memory is her overall signature song but I was actually referencing SB. Lucky to see her do Cats - nothing short of thrilling!
Wow!! I have watched Glenn Close, Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige perform this. This is the performance to beat. She has not only the voice, but the acting chops. She is not a diva in drag, she IS Norma Desmond!
HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! Wow... Please step aside Glenn (who I adored at the Minskoff first row), Patti... please don't cry for.... and Elaine... well.... Brits can't do Hollywood.... BETTY AT HER BEST!
Every moment in this performance is exquisite. The best rendition ever, hands down. But one of my favorite moments is 8:25. The crowd has (justifiably) gone nuts but Betty brings them back into the performance and back into Norma's world with just a sharp look and her hands. It's masterful.
Was privileged to attend her opening night on Broadway in the role. When she belted "I've come home at last," a standing ovation ensued - midsong. And it went on for a good half minute. Only other time I saw a standing O during a number was Carol Channing's 1996 "Hello, Dolly" revival
@@beaellie9766 yes, you’re right, saw her in Hello Dolly not long ago, but she still has that magical presence that pulls her audience in. I didn’t see Sunset Blvd, but I sure would have loved to!
Betty Buckley brings to life the legend of magic of silent movies through her supreme command of the musical theatre. Here movements are exquisite and her emotion is magnified to epic levels. We are lucky to have this record of her Broadway performance.
NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, did that role (or song) justice, gave it/her the necessary TRUE weight, emphasis, interpretation, connoisseur clarity, accurate breath, expert phrasing, and maven storytelling like BETTY BUCKLEY did! End of story (the same with Grizabella and Edwin Drood)!!! ♥
Saw her in this as a kid and it was and will always be one of the very best moments in Broadway history. She OWNED it and no one can do that role justice the same way.
My wife and I saw her in Sunset Blvd. just after she replaced Glenn Close and Betty was awesome. My wife had no idea that Sunset Blvd. had been a movie, but she enjoyed it just the same. We had also seen her in CATS, again awesome, and after Sunset Blvd we saw her in a one-woman show in D.C. You would not believe how nice she is to her audience. She sang some songs she wanted to sing then just asked us all what we wanted to hear and sang requests. It was a wonderful evening.
I have seen clips of the big stars, but I've never experienced anyone else who put it all together like Betty Buckley - look, acting, presence, and of course, voice. Certainly greater than the sum of her parts. Bravissima!
This is one of the most stunning performances I have ever heard in my life, the power and control of the song is marvellous. It brings tears to my eyes, the vulnerability and grandeur are special, really special indeed. Amazing!!!!
I keep returning here over and over. Miss Betty is that powerful, mind-cleansing phenomenon in the theater that kicks your ass and changes whatever paltry thing you thought before.
Commanding and brilliant presence. I wish someone would bring it back - with Betty Buckley! She owned this role. I saw it several times with her. Long standing ovations after this song.
She really is fantastic! I saw Glenn Close in performance at the Shubert in L.A. prior to the show going to Broadway, and she was truly extraordinary, as well. Sitting in the front of the mezzanine when she hit that huge note toward the end, it was like she had control of the theater in much the way Buckley does here. Just sent shivers. Both are just superb; Buckley capturing the diva essence of the role; Close grabbing hold of the insecurity of Desmond, as well. They both made the role their own.
she owned the shit outta that song! and the audience agreed whole heartedly. what an ovation. she knew it! they knew it! what a great performance captured in time. thank you for the post.
I was lucky to see her doing this in her NYC run. I had previously seen the show with Elaine paige (fantastic actress and singer) and Patti Lupone (loud, bombastic and zero subtle, in my personal experience) in London. I had no idea what to expect. It blew me away. Her marvellous voice, her acting, her vulnerability, her class, her body language... To this day, and I have seen countless shows over all these years, that night remains the most memorable live theatre experience of my entire life. I believe she has been, together with Elaine paige, the finest performer in this role both vocally and dramatically. She was OUTSTANDING.
I saw Betty Buckley in Sunset Boulevard when it opened in London. She's so amazing her performance gives you goosebumps especially live. Just Fabulous,a real class act.
What a lovely voice with a great resonance and timbre. Its a little deeper and even richer than when she was in 'Cats' in the early 80's. But whatever she sings,she holds the listener's interest from beginning to end. She always conveys great emotion and has a wonderful stage presence. Brava Betty !
THE Voice of Broadway does it yet again. The tone, the power, her musicality - and of course, her emotion make this a magical performance and one which should endure... and endure for all time. Brava, Betty Buckley.
Myark, I was there that night too and you're exactly right - she had to hold her arms out, as I recall, to drop the wild standing ovation mid-song so that she could finish - a Broadway moment of a lifetime
She embodied this character so well. Then we saw THE Norma Desmond. The playing with her voice and her eyes were so beautiful and clear. Yet dramatic and mysterious, and most importantly Memorable. 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for this national treasure Betty Buckley
I saw her in CATS. Hated Cats, the show, but loved her. I saw it a second time because a few friends hadn't seen it, and I obliged to choosing Cats again, just for Betty. And there was the film Tender Mercies around that time. I never got to see Betty again until after I'd moved from NYC to Cleveland, and Betty starred in the Road Show of Broadway's Hello Dolly. I had 2nd Row, and she brought the house down, along with a most enjoyable and talented cast, many of whom had been in the Broadway production. One of Broadway's Dolly's, btw, had babysat me many years earlier - Donna Murphy.
I have seen several showings of Sunset with other Normas..Linda Balgord, Elaine Paige, Karen Mason…Each one brings a wonderful interpretation of the by-gone silent film star.
It is a shame that I only knew of this woman from the movie Split. Now that I've found out who she is and seen her performances in Sunset Blvd and Cats, I am absolutely in love with her! She has the stage presence, the voice . . . . . this is who every woman on Broadway should aspire to be like!
