| I respectfully disagree. (Spoilers with response to Ann as well) | |
| Posted by: DanielVincent 05:32 pm EST 12/26/24 | |
| In reply to: re: I really wanted the production to work without Scherzinger. - Delvino 02:05 pm EST 12/26/24 | |
|
|
|
| I think the entire production asks us to consider Scherzinger’s celebrity as someone who has struggled to (1) remain as relevant as she was ~20 years ago and (2) capitalize on her early potential. It strikes me as a highly intentional blurring of the lines between actress and character, but I can of course understand how this aspect of the revival would not land for someone who’s unfamiliar with her work or story. Even more generally, though, I think we’re supposed to read the way she plays to the camera, especially in her first scene, as analogous to the way stars engage with social media, especially older stars (like, I’m sorry to say, Madonna) whose posts often smack of desperation as they try to mimic what younger public figures are doing on TikTok, Instagram, etc. At the same time, there ARE specific meta moments outside of the act two opening. For example, when Joe and Betty’s screenplay is projected, the text is that of the Sunset Blvd.’s final scene. There’s also the ongoing—and, I thought, very powerful—device of characters removing their ear pieces when they leave the action of the story. However, the most significant meta moment that is connected to Scherzinger comes when she literally does old Pussycat Dolls choreography during “Salome.” Even though it gets laughs, I found this to be one of the most thought-provoking (and, with Gonzales, ineffective) choices in the revival. Scherzinger is still gorgeous, and she executes her dance moves of yesteryear flawlessly…but there’s also something grotesque about watching her do overtly and crudely sexual choreography that we associate with her younger self. So, why is it grotesque on her now? Just because of her age? Because of the context? I’ve been chewing on this since the first preview and I really appreciate how the choice has made me examine my own unconscious bias around age. Finally, when it comes to separating the art from the artist, I usually come down on the side of “what they do offstage or offscreen shouldn’t affect my opinion of their work onstage or onscreen.” However, because this production encourages us to see Norma through the lens of Nicole Scherzinger’s persona and biography, and to see contemporary celebrity (as represented by Scherzinger) through the lens of Norma’s story, I’m inclined to allow myself to resist the power of her performance following the post-Election Day debacle. I still feel conflicted about it, but if I’m supposed to see Nicole the person as I watch Norma the character, then I *think* I feel entitled to bring my objections about Nicole the person to Sunset the production. |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | re: I really wanted the production to work without Scherzinger. - Delvino 02:05 pm EST 12/26/24 |
| Next: | re: I respectfully disagree. (Spoilers with response to Ann as well) - TheOtherOne 06:56 pm EST 12/26/24 |
| Thread: |
|
Time to render: 0.288119 seconds.