This is one of those performances that nobody, absolutely nobody could even come close to performing this as Glen Close does... she owns it, she took it home with her, and it's hers alone forever. The expressions the gestures with the hands, Oh,my lord, to the marrow of her bones does she perform this.... love it, love it, love it.
Glenn Close is one of my favorite actresses! She performs this song beautifully! I love her face when she sings "I can play any role"... I am unable to find a word that says completely what I think about her performance!
oh man, i still get the shivers when i see this clip. from the moment she went into the stage, the show was hers! there was sarah brightman between glenn close and boyzone, good for the boys really, they wouldn't want to be compared with this real actress.
Magnífica. No hay palabras. Sabía que ella cantaba, pero hasta ahora no había encontrado su caractarización como Norma Dsmonds. Fabulosa. Glenn sigue demostrando que es una de las mejores actrices que tiene el cine americano y desgraciadamente no saben aprovecharla. Pero espero que todos sus fans podamos seguir disfrutando de ella por mucho tiempo
Noone has or probably will ever top her in this role (not counting the movie). She truly understood the passion,acting,singing,emotion needed for this! BRAVO! Got to see her do this live in NY years ago!
How do you out-do all the superlative reviews? You have to be a great singer/performer to do this, but to out-do this performance, you have to BE Norma, and that's who Glenn is. I wipe tears from my eyes every time I see this.
one song/performance where everything clicks and correlates from its title to its lyrics and manner of singing. she just do not only sings but communicates as well. who could ask more than that.
i must admit, i was blown away. I too had no idea she could sing so well. I've always loved her as an actress, but WOW what brilliance in the role. Some may say her singing is up to the same level as the others like LuPone, Buckley or Page, but there's no denying that her interpertation and character acting is spot on. And whether or not the singing is in the same league doesn't change my opinion a bit, and I personally think her singing was wonderful.
@avesraggiana I totally agree!!! totally...we're not looking for technical singing perfection...we're looking for someone who can act like she's totally crazy, but doesn't realize it herself...Close is that actress....
Miss Close is perfect for the role… the melodramatic diva has been Norma Desmond is really alive in her performance… and being so over acting is a Broadway thing…. You need to do that so that people at the farthest end of the theatre would still feel the emotion. Miss Close is truly a great actress… both in theatre and film.
Yes, but it’s an interpretation that works very well because the character Norma Desmond is a has-been actress that Hollywood has long forgotten. Part of of Norma Desmond’s self-delusion is that she still believes herself to be a Hollywood star and her purchase on reality is so tenuous that she continues playing the part of a Hollywood Diva, whether anyone is watching or not. In this part, I prefer a strong actress over a strong singer. I saw Lupone in London. Hers was nothing like this.
Other Normas were far better singers and equally fine actresses. But none of them inhabited the role of Norma Desmond, as completely as Glenn Close did. And if one could still argue that point, none of the other Normas possessed what Glenn Close does: spellbinding charisma, and sheer, old-style Hollywood, megawatt starpower. You can't learn that, you have to born with it.
@lesmizfanatic90 If there is ONE part you can't overact it's Norma Desmond's! She supposed to make those faces and gestures! That's the way movies looked like back in the days!
Come on now, guys. She's much better than the majority of actors that claim to have a good singing voice. I do think her switches from head to chest voice and vise-versa are a bit dramatic, however. That could use some work, but she has a very nice, present, supported voice!
@standup22 I know what you mean. I found myself doing the same thing, Actually I think Glenn Close masterfully used her weak, scratchy and non-singer's voice to her advantage by using it to project Norma Desmond's borderline-crazed mind state.
@seleehwekim thank you seleehwekim! im sry but whoever says patti isn't a great actress just needs to watch evita, les miserables and gypsy. she's gives remarkable performances. true there are occasions when she gives horrendous performances but i choose to focus on those that are beyond fantastic.
Lupone is a better singer, no doubt about that. However, Glenn Close's voice and acting is much more appropriate for Norma Desmond. She got the movie star quality that Gloria Swanson evoked in the original film. Exaggerated facial expressions, big eyes, histrionics...that is what Norma Desmond is supposed to be and Close hit the nail on the head. Lupone was too restrained from what I've seen and doesn't really create the camera acting the way she should.
@lesmizfanatic90 I also prefer Patti Lupone's interpretation to Glenn Close's. Patti's Norma (on the London cast recording) sounds like a real person while Glenn's Norma (on the American premiere recording) sounds like an actor playing a "character."
patti lupone is far superior in voice and acting. close has to hit us over the head with the fact that she is insane especially with those over done eyeball enlargements. sry but this role belonged to patti
"I can play any role"
Truer words were never spoken, Glenn Close is an amazing talent.
I love her.
This is one of those performances that nobody, absolutely nobody could even come close to
performing this as Glen Close does... she owns it, she took it home with her, and it's hers alone forever. The expressions the gestures with the hands, Oh,my lord, to the marrow of her bones does she perform this.... love it, love it, love it.
Glenn Close is one of my favorite actresses! She performs this song beautifully! I love her face when she sings "I can play any role"... I am unable to find a word that says completely what I think about her performance!
I see it and always find new nuances, look at her crazy look at the final. Glenn is simply perfect playing desperate Norma Desmond. What a pleasure !
Some artists are so magnetic on the stage, Glenn is one of them, those whose magnetism is very rare. BRAVISIMA
Glenn WAS Norma Desmond. Total power of art, thanks !
Glenn is such a treasure.
"I can play any role!"- totally true.
A phenomenal performance by Glenn Close! I always watch this over and over because it is a fantastic song and an incredibly powerful performance :D
Voice, expression, gesture, everything perfect, what a pleasuse to see it.
Come on...Both are wonderful. But in this one, indeed Glenn is pure magic...
HOLY CRAP! I never knew Glenn Close could sing so damn good!! SHE IS INCREDIBLE!!
Stunning performance. The best rendition of this song I have heard so far.
She is NORMAN DESMOND..Her performance is absolutely FANTASTIC..! BRAVO
She is phenomenally mesmerizing in this performance!
I went to see the show and I was astonished by Glen Close....and her breathtaking performance. She is so fine!!
this is beautiful~~ Thank you for your wonderful voice!
What a great actress!! AND singer!!!
MAGNIFICENT
Glenn is incomparable! this role was made for Her..... a sublime performance!
WOO! Glenn you just don't cease to amaze! :D
She is PERFECTION!!
PERFECT!!!! Absolutely PERFECT!!!!
Just one word to describe this performance-incredible.
Wow! I gain new appreciation for Glenn Close. She IS Norma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh man, i still get the shivers when i see this clip. from the moment she went into the stage, the show was hers!
there was sarah brightman between glenn close and boyzone, good for the boys really, they wouldn't want to be compared with this real actress.
Perfection!
MY ALLTIME FAVE NIGHT IN NYC THEATRE
MAGIC MAGIC MAGIC
THANK U GLENNNNNN
She is the most amazing actress !
I LOVE YOU GLENN!!!! YOU ARE MY STAR!!!
This song is amazing and I love the way Glenn Close sings it :)
Great pipes Glenn!!! Love it!
Bravo!
seen this at the theatre, she was brilliant.xx
I agree, Glen Close all the way xx
WOW! Thanks for posting. What a fabulous voice!
woww I didn't know she could sing!!! glenn! so talented
Magnífica. No hay palabras. Sabía que ella cantaba, pero hasta ahora no había encontrado su caractarización como Norma Dsmonds. Fabulosa. Glenn sigue demostrando que es una de las mejores actrices que tiene el cine americano y desgraciadamente no saben aprovecharla. Pero espero que todos sus fans podamos seguir disfrutando de ella por mucho tiempo
Noone has or probably will ever top her in this role (not counting the movie). She truly understood the passion,acting,singing,emotion needed for this! BRAVO! Got to see her do this live in NY years ago!
I ave this on vhs wud u believe-mst transfer it 2 dvd. Glenn stole the show! I loved it all actually!
I love her costume, she still looks like Cruella or a Disney witch, GREAT PERFORMANCE! Love her voice too.
Perfect
esta mujer es algo increible , cualquier cosa que personifique es un exito rotundo es una maestra del arte general
fabulosa
How do you out-do all the superlative reviews? You have to be a great singer/performer to do this, but to out-do this performance, you have to BE Norma, and that's who Glenn is. I wipe tears from my eyes every time I see this.
wow, i had no clue she could sing like that!
this is so beautiful :)
so honest and truthful ! x
one word wow! :)
one song/performance where everything clicks and correlates from its title to its lyrics and manner of singing. she just do not only sings but communicates as well. who could ask more than that.
i must admit, i was blown away. I too had no idea she could sing so well. I've always loved her as an actress, but WOW what brilliance in the role. Some may say her singing is up to the same level as the others like LuPone, Buckley or Page, but there's no denying that her interpertation and character acting is spot on. And whether or not the singing is in the same league doesn't change my opinion a bit, and I personally think her singing was wonderful.
@avesraggiana I totally agree!!! totally...we're not looking for technical singing perfection...we're looking for someone who can act like she's totally crazy, but doesn't realize it herself...Close is that actress....
I saw both Glenn and Betty Buckley and its so close for me as to whom i like the best... either way what a great song!
Bravo.
Awesomesauce!!!!
Glen was fabulous on "DAMAGES" now I have 2 wait until DVD for the new season, I don't have DIRECTV.
Never knew Glenn could sing!!
Miss Close is perfect for the role… the melodramatic diva has been Norma Desmond is really alive in her performance… and being so over acting is a Broadway thing…. You need to do that so that people at the farthest end of the theatre would still feel the emotion. Miss Close is truly a great actress… both in theatre and film.
@01BroadwayMagic
And Patti doesn't have the emotion in her acting that Glenn does! She OWNS this!!
Patti Lupone is the true Norma and no one does the role justice like she does. She deserved better.
@lesmizfanatic90 I think the expressions Close makes adds to it. She plays the desperate, manic "diva" very well. Both versions work, IMO.
GLENN CLOSE IS THE BEST!!! JT.
WOW, when I heard they passed up Lupone for her I was woah she must be excellent. I was fairly surprised that she was as good as she was. Props!
Yes, but it’s an interpretation that works very well because the character Norma Desmond is a has-been actress that Hollywood has long forgotten. Part of of Norma Desmond’s self-delusion is that she still believes herself to be a Hollywood star and her purchase on reality is so tenuous that she continues playing the part of a Hollywood Diva, whether anyone is watching or not. In this part, I prefer a strong actress over a strong singer. I saw Lupone in London. Hers was nothing like this.
Other Normas were far better singers and equally fine actresses. But none of them inhabited the role of Norma Desmond, as completely as Glenn Close did. And if one could still argue that point, none of the other Normas possessed what Glenn Close does: spellbinding charisma, and sheer, old-style Hollywood, megawatt starpower. You can't learn that, you have to born with it.
three words: andrew lloyd webber.
i like Glenns interpratation much better than Elaine Page. great actress!
What key is this in plz?
@lesmizfanatic90
If there is ONE part you can't overact it's Norma Desmond's! She supposed to make those faces and gestures! That's the way movies looked like back in the days!
the eeerie thing is that glenn close looks just like Norma Sheerer looked in 1922... wow
South Pacific didn't let Glenn use a tenth of the talent she really has.
Come on now, guys. She's much better than the majority of actors that claim to have a good singing voice. I do think her switches from head to chest voice and vise-versa are a bit dramatic, however. That could use some work, but she has a very nice, present, supported voice!
@loggats This is also theatre, and poor Patti Lupone and Betty Buckley don’t act very well.
I have always been rather cynical about a musical version of this story, watching Glen C
@standup22 I know what you mean. I found myself doing the same thing, Actually I think Glenn Close masterfully used her weak, scratchy and non-singer's voice to her advantage by using it to project Norma Desmond's borderline-crazed mind state.
Could you imagine performing this song dressed as Cruella? LOL That would be HOT! Hell, I might do that! Hehe
they lowered the key for Glenn, but she is still great!
@seleehwekim thank you seleehwekim! im sry but whoever says patti isn't a great actress just needs to watch evita, les miserables and gypsy. she's gives remarkable performances. true there are occasions when she gives horrendous performances but i choose to focus on those that are beyond fantastic.
Lose here I have changed my mice
Lupone is a better singer, no doubt about that. However, Glenn Close's voice and acting is much more appropriate for Norma Desmond. She got the movie star quality that Gloria Swanson evoked in the original film. Exaggerated facial expressions, big eyes, histrionics...that is what Norma Desmond is supposed to be and Close hit the nail on the head. Lupone was too restrained from what I've seen and doesn't really create the camera acting the way she should.
@lesmizfanatic90 I also prefer Patti Lupone's interpretation to Glenn Close's. Patti's Norma (on the London cast recording) sounds like a real person while Glenn's Norma (on the American premiere recording) sounds like an actor playing a "character."
Wow she is NOTHING to compared to Patti LuPone!!! So Glenn not even close.
patti lupone is far superior in voice and acting. close has to hit us over the head with the fact that she is insane especially with those over done eyeball enlargements. sry but this role belonged to patti
She is a good actress, but she doesn't have the emotion in her singing that Patti does.
she's way overacting this song. patti kept it controlled and believable