One of single most memorable performances I ever had in a theater was Betty Buckley as Norma. She was chillingly realistic in her fantasy world that declined minute by minute. A phenomenal interpretation. And - i saw all the Broadway Norma's. Buckley just brought the right stuff to every nuance and her singing cannot be topped. She made those songs operatic arias. She is to musical theater what Callas was to opera.A brilliance like no other. !
WOW! I got CHILLS at the end of this! I'm glad whoever filmed zoomed in close to her face....she looks like an evil Disney Queen. And God, Betty Buckley's voice is unreal. I love the way she almost roars in this. That costume is epic too. As tragic as the ending is, every time I see Norma sing that final bit, there's something so amazingly immortal about it: I always feel what Max must have felt. It's the first and only time the audience sees the film start in her living glory.
I've never seen Norma's final monologue performed in such a strong, centered way. It seems as though most actresses take it to a more emotional place, but this REALLY works on Ms. Buckley.
They talk about copyright protection and I'm all for it but without gems of infringement likes this we the masses would never be aware of the beauty of shows like this
To those criticising the video shoot, this predates nice little compact phones with video facilities and would probably have been filmed with something the size of a brick. She is wonderful and this reminds me how much of a great musical this is. It really has it all, great musical, drama, stage sets, story. Why it didnt run as long as Les Mis escapes me.
Thanks so much for taking the risk and providing this piece of THEATRICAL EXCELLENCE!!! I saw Betty in London, Glenn in LA and Diahann in Toronto and Betty was the best.
@BrochtrupBean Give the guy a break! Remember he was sneaking this and when this was on Broadway, about '95-'96, no one had camera phones, so he was using a large device that was not ez to control amidst a crowd of 1200 while hiding it. Had he done it today, would be better, but I am sure he did best he could given the circumstances. Taping, recording, pictures will get u kicked out, so he took a risk, so now we can see it. Shows have been stopped for this. Thank you for posting.
That original run on Bway as incredible. Close and Buckley were absolutely fantastic, each with different strengths, but both at the top of their game.
Brilliance. I saw this four times in NYC, and she got a standing O every. Single. Time. after this song. I've seen 3 Normas, and Buckley is the best. She connected with the audience in a way that Glenn Close did not. Especially during this song, she seemed to be looking straight at you. One commenter below called this a "master class," and that is the truth.
Glenn Close in LA pre-Broadway was a fan…TASTIC…”Performance”..entire musical evening performance memorable..experience repeated six revisits from different seats..from orchestra to balcony…Glenn Close delivered every time..!
Elaine Paige would have been far better if she hadn't spent her energy in trying to impersonate Gloria Swanson... I really agree with you about Glenn Close; she put her own spin on the piece and made it amazing. Betty Buckley is still my favourite though. x
I unfortunately did not see it with Miss Buckley, but did see it, for the 1st time, in London with Patti Lupone, who did an amazing job and whose voice was incredible. I then saw it again in NY with Glenn Close, whose voice is not incredible, but she made up for with her acting. Like the saying 'actor who sings or singer that acts'....she was/is an actor who sings. Lupone, the other, but still a very good actress. Elaine fizzled! Know Faye Dunaway wanted NY, thank God that never happened.
Its so hard to remake this specially when one have seen the movie version. Lets not fool ourselves, Gloria Swanson did it. To reenact the role even in a musical version no one can fill her superb style as Norma Desmond
Well, the costume is sublime, only outshone BT the performance...but I am strangely nostalgic for Swanson's less ornate costume. Of the two however, Buckley is the superior actress.,
Betty Buckley was the very BEST Norma - followed by (perhaps surprisingly) Petula Clark. Hugh Jackman would be a fantastic Joe. Michael Bauer was a truly heartbreaking Max. Saw it over 25 times in the theatre - brilliant musical!
I really love betty buckley as norma, the only flaw for me personally in her last speach here as norma, is she is too controlled. Yes there are other who are over the top in this scene, but for me there is a lacking of mental collapse. But I know everyone handles things in their own interpration. Xxx love to all the sunset fans and thank you so much for posting xxx
No I think it captures the earnestness of it. It doesn't need the crazy eyes to portray how far she has fallen in to the depths. It's much more effective and touching in my opinion
In the film version Gloria Swanson plays it very much like this without a lot of hysterics. You don't have to give it that kind of effort to show the audience that she has suffered a mental break.
@kevhippo I think it was because the show itself was too expensive in terms of production, that it wasn't making enough money to pay it all off. Which will most likely be the fate of the Spiderman Musical. Though I bet if they let it run as long as Les Miserables, it might have paid off!
@007James66 Me too but I don't know who now could play Norma just as good. Glen Close might be too old now to play Normap, Michelle Phiefer is just about the only possibility(right age, great actress, and she looks like an aged Myrna Loy) but she'll shoot her voice out, and Catherine Zeta Jones is too young,and you know Helena Bonham Carter would do everything in her power to get cast as Norma Desmond like she did with Mrs. Lovett and Madame Thenardier (that's what scares me most)
Glenn Close gives the BEST performance in the last scene. Albeit exaggerated, she goes totally over the edge in her mental state. Betty Buckley, much as I love her, has no emotion, in this final scene.
Glenn Close set her stamp on Norma Desmond..none of the other ladies compare to her overall performance and characterization of the character..people dawg her for her singing but she's the only one imo that can convey both emotion vocally and through her acting..none of the other women can touch Glenn as an actress, sorry folks..my bff that has a Bachelors in Musical Theatre from Point Park even said she'd rather see a great actress that can sing in a role instead of a great singer who's a decent actress in the part..personally I think Glenn can sing her butt off..
The best was Diahann Carol. Petula Clark was good but she did it for laughs like Carol Burnett. Buckley's portrayal was complete Cra-Cra but rumor says that's not too far off from reality
One of single most memorable performances I ever had in a theater was Betty Buckley
as Norma. She was chillingly realistic in her fantasy world that declined minute by minute.
A phenomenal interpretation. And - i saw all the Broadway Norma's. Buckley just brought
the right stuff to every nuance and her singing cannot be topped. She made those songs operatic arias. She is to musical theater what Callas was to opera.A brilliance like no other. !
I feel the same, after all these years, I will never forget it! My all time favorite performance on Broadway!!
WOW! I got CHILLS at the end of this! I'm glad whoever filmed zoomed in close to her face....she looks like an evil Disney Queen. And God, Betty Buckley's voice is unreal. I love the way she almost roars in this. That costume is epic too. As tragic as the ending is, every time I see Norma sing that final bit, there's something so amazingly immortal about it: I always feel what Max must have felt. It's the first and only time the audience sees the film start in her living glory.
Y'all. That GROWL on "look" gives me chills every. damn. time. And the acting on that final note? This is easily my favorite Norma Finale
Wish I could turn back time and see this live again, she was wonderful, performance never forgotten
I've never seen Norma's final monologue performed in such a strong, centered way. It seems as though most actresses take it to a more emotional place, but this REALLY works on Ms. Buckley.
Betty Buckley blew me away with her performance and sparked my love affair with Musical Theatre ever since
Saw this so many times in the theatre. Betty Buckley was NEVER bettered as Norma. Thank you for sharing this. x
Except perhaps, by fabulous Glenn Close!
😉😉😉
I saw this london 1995 may was
Fanastic
@@olly-kai she was fantastic as well
the hairs just stood up on my arms....AAAHHHHH...FREAKIN BRILLIANT!!!!!!!
I CANNOT IMAGINE ANOTHER MUSICAL TALENT AS WONDERFUL IN HIS ROLE AS BETTY BUCKLEY. BRILLIANT !
Saw Betty with John Barrowman in London. Amazing to see this again after all these years. Just as thrilling as it was then!
Betty, so many accolades are here for you. They are amazing, as is your voice and your performances.
Thanks for breaking the Law. The whole show blew me away,and to watch the final scene is a real treat. You had great seats too!
I freaking love the growls on "look" and "me"
They talk about copyright protection and I'm all for it but without gems of infringement likes this we the masses would never be aware of the beauty of shows like this
To those criticising the video shoot, this predates nice little compact phones with video facilities and would probably have been filmed with something the size of a brick. She is wonderful and this reminds me how much of a great musical this is. It really has it all, great musical, drama, stage sets, story. Why it didnt run as long as Les Mis escapes me.
The absolute best Norma. She should do the movie version!! 🎵🎤
Unbelievably fantastic
saw this twice at the Minskoff Theater in NYC. STUNNING! AMAZING! Goosebumps! BRAVA BETTY!!! Oh how I wish it would be revived!!!!!
That growl at the end is fucking scary.
I love how Betty plays broken/unhinged characters with so much dignity. It's incredible to see.
Thanks so much for taking the risk and providing this piece of THEATRICAL EXCELLENCE!!! I saw Betty in London, Glenn in LA and Diahann in Toronto and Betty was the best.
M
A diva with heart .
The reaction at the end was thrilling!
I got to see this live, so thrilling to see again, Betty is awesome, thanks for posting!
WHENEVER i need cheering up, I COME HERE. X
I saw Betty perform this role in the London production decades ago. Such a classy performer and a wonderful interpretation.
9:18 til the end, that 👏 applause 💕 So Much Love
thank you so much for uploading this! she is wonderful
Thanks so much for uploading this!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for uploadin this!!!!!!!!!!!
So good representative !
In every notes her voice is so free, natural and real, there’s no moment of “acting”
Brillient! I hope I can watch this live.
My very first Broadway musical was seeing Ms Buckley in this role.
@BrochtrupBean Give the guy a break! Remember he was sneaking this and when this was on Broadway, about '95-'96, no one had camera phones, so he was using a large device that was not ez to control amidst a crowd of 1200 while hiding it. Had he done it today, would be better, but I am sure he did best he could given the circumstances. Taping, recording, pictures will get u kicked out, so he took a risk, so now we can see it. Shows have been stopped for this. Thank you for posting.
Astounding.
I see Lady Gaga doing this when she's older
jumpforjoy6 YES!!!!
Oh my gawd that wpuld be everything.
Catherine's Zeta-Jones should do it now
for some reason I think Cate Blanchett would do well in this role. She got the acting chop down, she needs some work in vocal department though lol
@@coonalisa230 She would act it amazingly...better than close I'd say. If she can sing this is a no brainer. Has the face for it too
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!
That original run on Bway as incredible. Close and Buckley were absolutely fantastic, each with different strengths, but both at the top of their game.
This maybe the musical. theatrical triumph of my lifetime...
STUPENDA! SUPERBA!
When the goddess descends the staircase I burst into tears.
Brilliance. I saw this four times in NYC, and she got a standing O every. Single. Time. after this song. I've seen 3 Normas, and Buckley is the best. She connected with the audience in a way that Glenn Close did not. Especially during this song, she seemed to be looking straight at you. One commenter below called this a "master class," and that is the truth.
Glenn Close in LA pre-Broadway was a fan…TASTIC…”Performance”..entire musical evening performance memorable..experience repeated six revisits from different seats..from orchestra to balcony…Glenn Close delivered every time..!
I remember when Betty Buckley came, blew the roof off, and the memory of Glen Close out in the the stage door ally.
This deserved a longer run!!!
The incomparable Betty Buckley!!!
Elaine Paige would have been far better if she hadn't spent her energy in trying to impersonate Gloria Swanson... I really agree with you about Glenn Close; she put her own spin on the piece and made it amazing. Betty Buckley is still my favourite though. x
I unfortunately did not see it with Miss Buckley, but did see it, for the 1st time, in London with Patti Lupone, who did an amazing job and whose voice was incredible. I then saw it again in NY with Glenn Close, whose voice is not incredible, but she made up for with her acting. Like the saying 'actor who sings or singer that acts'....she was/is an actor who sings. Lupone, the other, but still a very good actress. Elaine fizzled! Know Faye Dunaway wanted NY, thank God that never happened.
Can you post the entire play?
There is another way to see the full show, now?
Its so hard to remake this specially when one have seen the movie version. Lets not fool ourselves, Gloria Swanson did it. To reenact the role even in a musical version no one can fill her superb style as Norma Desmond
How about we all agree they were all great....I saw Betty, Patti, Glen and Petula. All great
And don't forget elaine. ...she out performed them all by a mile.....
Well, the costume is sublime, only outshone BT the performance...but I am strangely nostalgic for Swanson's less ornate costume. Of the two however, Buckley is the superior actress.,
@007James66
And too bad Annette Bening can't sing, because if she could, she would be a phenomenal Norma hands down
Brava!
MrPoto00
Oh my god, I love hearing the audience freak out when Joe is shot! Perfect!
Oh, you're *right* ! You can hear them draw their breath with suspended gasps -- perfect!
3:08
Betty Buckley was the very BEST Norma - followed by (perhaps surprisingly) Petula Clark. Hugh Jackman would be a fantastic Joe. Michael Bauer was a truly heartbreaking Max. Saw it over 25 times in the theatre - brilliant musical!
She was the best
Fabulous and wonderful Betty Buckley!! ♥️Xxxooo
yeah, that's why Live theatre is best LIVE. The eye can catch everything.... oh well...
london
Y'all seem to have forgotten Patti, right? Easily the singingest, psychoticist heartbreakingest Norma ever.
Wouldn’t she have been a triumph if she had gotten to originate this role on Broadway instead of Glenn Close. Betty is the best Norma ever!
I really love betty buckley as norma, the only flaw for me personally in her last speach here as norma, is she is too controlled. Yes there are other who are over the top in this scene, but for me there is a lacking of mental collapse. But I know everyone handles things in their own interpration. Xxx love to all the sunset fans and thank you so much for posting xxx
No I think it captures the earnestness of it. It doesn't need the crazy eyes to portray how far she has fallen in to the depths. It's much more effective and touching in my opinion
I think she comes off as really delusional, almost like she's living in a different reality, which is definitely a symptom of madness.
In the film version Gloria Swanson plays it very much like this without a lot of hysterics. You don't have to give it that kind of effort to show the audience that she has suffered a mental break.
Still the best. x
Who's playing Max in this?
I was fortunate enough to have seen her twice in this role. She was incredible as Norma Desmond
From the audience, I mean.
at 10:12, you can see Alice Ripley to the far left :-)
Correction: This is actually her FIRST Broadway performance and not final.
finale means the end of the play. learn the play.
@kevhippo I think it was because the show itself was too expensive in terms of production, that it wasn't making enough money to pay it all off. Which will most likely be the fate of the Spiderman Musical. Though I bet if they let it run as long as Les Miserables, it might have paid off!
so much for the big head at the end...
@LovettSweeney Debbie Downer.. she did how many performances? Where is your broadway show?? Oh yeah you do not have one.
She seems pretty mad to me! I thought it was perfect! She’s amazing!!
@007James66
Me too but I don't know who now could play Norma just as good. Glen Close might be too old now to play Normap, Michelle Phiefer is just about the only possibility(right age, great actress, and she looks like an aged Myrna Loy) but she'll shoot her voice out, and Catherine Zeta Jones is too young,and you know Helena Bonham Carter would do everything in her power to get cast as Norma Desmond like she did with Mrs. Lovett and Madame Thenardier (that's what scares me most)
Amature hour
Your spelling?
Glenn Close gives the BEST performance in the last scene. Albeit exaggerated, she goes totally over the edge in her mental state. Betty Buckley, much as I love her, has no emotion, in this final scene.
Yes, Glen Close is the best Norma ever, totally thrilling, from the beginning till the last scene!
Glenn Close set her stamp on Norma Desmond..none of the other ladies compare to her overall performance and characterization of the character..people dawg her for her singing but she's the only one imo that can convey both emotion vocally and through her acting..none of the other women can touch Glenn as an actress, sorry folks..my bff that has a Bachelors in Musical Theatre from Point Park even said she'd rather see a great actress that can sing in a role instead of a great singer who's a decent actress in the part..personally I think Glenn can sing her butt off..
Lupone was short but the best for this role
YAAAASSSS PREACH!
Lupone can't act.
Totally agree, no one can beat Glen Close in this role, she is stunning, she lives the role with all her soul and every inch of her body!!!
Im off KEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! 9:21
The best was Diahann Carol. Petula Clark was good but she did it for laughs like Carol Burnett. Buckley's portrayal was complete Cra-Cra but rumor says that's not too far off from reality
Not even close to glenn close. No pun intended.
Best Norma ever. Her and Petula Clark...
Ruth-Elizabeth Page really ?!?!?!? I question your taste
Diahann Carroll and Glen Close are the best Norma Desmond's ever!!!! While great Buckley is very drag queen like in her performance of this role.
Nope. She doesn't get it....
no, i'm afraid you do not "get it"
The direction for this show is the absolute worst. Just awful.
This is a disgrace to Betty....poor quality, absurd. Take I away
Glenn Close was way better in this role.
for those who don't appreciate soul or nuance
Glenn Close was much much much much much better
Thank you
Dianhaan Carroll hit this finally out of the park for me, her growl at the end is demented and sensational. Ms. Carroll was Norma Desmond!!
for plebs, maybe
I know singers develop their little idiosyncrasies, but, my, her vowels sound strange.