Sunset Boulevard Lyrics – All Songs from the Musical

"Sunset Boulevard (Original Broadway Cast, 1994)" Soundtrack Description

FAQ

• Is there an official 1994 Broadway cast album? Yes—the two-disc Original Broadway Cast Recording, headlined by Glenn Close, Alan Campbell, George Hearn, and Judy Kuhn.
• Who wrote the score and lyrics? Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.
• Which song plays when Norma returns to Paramount? “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” her show-stopping homecoming on the soundstage.
• What’s the title song’s moment? Joe opens Act II with “Sunset Boulevard,” a bitter, street-level walk through Hollywood’s machinery.
• Streaming or only on CD? It’s widely available on streaming services as well as the original CD release.

Notes & Trivia

• The OBCR clocks in at ~2 hours across two discs—lush, filmic, unapologetically big.
• Polydor released the album in 1994 under license from The Really Useful Group.
• Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber; the pit sound is a key part of the show’s “cinema by orchestra” feel.
• The Broadway production won 7 Tony Awards in 1995; the album itself was Grammy-nominated the same season.
• “As If We Never Said Goodbye” outlived the show—recorded by stars from Barbra Streisand to Elaine Paige.
• Multiple official cast recordings exist (London 1993, L.A. 1994); the 1994 Broadway set preserves the tightened U.S. version.
• Recent revivals (West End 2023, Broadway 2024/25) sparked fresh recordings, underscoring the score’s staying power.

Overview

Why does a noir story sing like a movie? Because this score shoots with strings. The 1994 Broadway cast album turns Paramount’s backlot into an orchestra pit, blending golden-age sweep with stage-musical storytelling. Across two discs, you hear Norma’s fantasy and Joe’s cynicism trading the mic. Brisk studio bustle collides with velvet torch songs; dance rhythms crash into grand, through-sung recitative. It’s a soundtrack that doesn’t just accompany scenes—it behaves like a camera, cutting, dissolving, and dollying straight through a doomed love story.

Genres & Themes

• Hollywood symphonic noir: brooding low strings, brass crescendos, and waxman-esque motifs signal danger, glamour, and decay.
• Through-sung melodrama: few “stops” between songs; musical paragraphs keep plot momentum taut.
• Studio bustle pastiche: patter and ensemble chatter paint sets, agents, and assistants in fast, kinetic strokes.
• Grand diva arias: Norma’s numbers (“With One Look,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye”) function like operatic monologues—nostalgia as oxygen.
• Dance-floor illusions: New Year waltz/tango textures wrap hard truths in party lights.

Key Tracks & Scenes

• “With One Look” — Norma
  Where it plays: Early Act I, in Norma’s mansion, after Joe stumbles into her world; a presentational vow to return, performed directly to Joe (semi-diegetic).
  Why it matters: Establishes the show’s central delusion and the score’s diva grammar—wide melody, cinematic modulation, and a star entrance that never ends.
• “Let’s Have Lunch” — Ensemble
  Where it plays: Act I, Paramount lot; a whirlwind of execs, gofers, and gossip (diegetic feel via overlapping chatter).
  Why it matters: A bustling Hollywood overture that frames Joe as small fish in a very loud tank.
• “New Ways to Dream” — Norma & Joe
  Where it plays: Act I, during script tinkering at Norma’s house; intimate, interior (non-diegetic reverie).
  Why it matters: Soft-focus harmony seduces Joe into collaboration—and dependency.
• “The Perfect Year” — Norma & Joe
  Where it plays: Act I’s New Year’s Eve party at the mansion; dance-time with a chill underneath (party-diegetic atmosphere, non-diegetic heart).
  Why it matters: The waltz masks power imbalance; Joe’s escape attempt detonates the evening.
• “Sunset Boulevard” — Joe
  Where it plays: Act II opener, Joe’s walk through Hollywood (often staged literally as a walk); non-diegetic commentary that feels documentary.
  Why it matters: Joe’s thesis statement: the city sells dreams wholesale—and repossesses them with interest.
• “As If We Never Said Goodbye” — Norma
  Where it plays: Act II, Norma sets foot on the Paramount soundstage again; inner monologue blooming into public spectacle.
  Why it matters: The score’s emotional apex—nostalgia weaponized. The orchestration swells like arc lights warming to full.
• “Too Much in Love to Care” — Joe & Betty
  Where it plays: Late Act II, clandestine meeting; private confession (non-diegetic).
  Why it matters: The one honest duet; their tenderness makes the ending hurt more.
• “The Final Scene” — Company
  Where it plays: Climax; reality slides off the rails in Norma’s foyer.
  Why it matters: Score and sirens fuse; the famous close-up line lands over chords that feel like flashbulbs.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Norma’s “With One Look” reframes Joe not as a writer but as an audience—her addiction isn’t love, it’s applause.
• Joe’s “Sunset Boulevard” widens the lens: his choices aren’t accidents; they’re systemic, scored to a relentless backbeat.
• When “The Perfect Year” curdles, the waltz turns into a trap. The party’s meter counts down to isolation.
• “New Ways to Dream” braids Norma’s fantasy with Joe’s pragmatism; the consonance is musical—and dangerously moral.
• “Too Much in Love to Care” plants a sincere counter-melody right before the tragedy’s reprise.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

• Score team: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music); Don Black & Christopher Hampton (book/lyrics).
• Broadway music leadership: Musical supervision by David Caddick; conducted by Paul Bogaev; orchestrations by David Cullen & Andrew Lloyd Webber.
• Album & release: The Original Broadway Cast Recording was issued by Polydor in 1994 under license from The Really Useful Group.
• Version notes: U.S. productions tightened the book/score after London; the Broadway album captures that streamlined, more hard-edged structure.
• Other recordings: Notable companions include the 1993 London world-premiere set and the 1994 Los Angeles “American Premiere” recording; recent revival albums also exist.

Reception & Quotes

“All eyes … focused on [Norma] … fierce, full-throated …” — Jonathan Mandell

“An act of raw artistry and astounding bravery.” — Glenn Close on a recent revival performance

“Ersatz opera of the outsized and mostly overwrought kind.” — New York Theater

Technical Info

• Title: Sunset Boulevard (Original Broadway Cast)
• Year: 1994
• Type: The Musical
• Composers/Lyricists: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music); Don Black & Christopher Hampton (book/lyrics)
• Principal Cast on album: Glenn Close (Norma), Alan Campbell (Joe), George Hearn (Max), Judy Kuhn (Betty)
• Music supervision & direction: David Caddick (supervision); Paul Bogaev (conductor)
• Orchestrations: David Cullen & Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Label / Catalog: Polydor / ASIN B000BSM29I (2×CD)
• Running time: ~2h02m (32 tracks)
• Release context: Opened on Broadway November 17, 1994 (Minskoff Theatre)
• Awards notes: Show won 7 Tony Awards (1995); the OBCR was Grammy-nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (1995)
• Availability: Original CD and major streaming platforms
• Selected notable placements (onstage moments): Joe’s Act II opener “Sunset Boulevard”; Norma’s Paramount return “As If We Never Said Goodbye”; New Year’s “The Perfect Year”; clandestine duet “Too Much in Love to Care”; climactic “The Final Scene.”

Original production, directed by T. Nunn, was staged in the West End in the summer of 1993 starring: P. LuPone, K. Anderson, M. Braun & D. Benzali. Critics’ opinions were mixed. Some observers noticed in the musical a sort of cynicism, and suggested that it is unlikely to become very popular. In early 1994, it became clear that musical no longer triggers the excitement, and in April 1994, management decided to close it. But exactly one year later, the musical has experienced a revival. The main roles went to B. Buckley & J. Barrowman. Scenery was also changed and now critics have been much softer about this re-born brainchild. They all concluded that a new play was at times better than the previous one. In 1993, the musical was staged in the Shubert Theatre (in Los Angeles), and in 1994 – in New York’s Minskoff Theatre. The first version has experienced more than 350 productions, and the second one – more than 900. Tickets were sold with an explosion speed and the pre-opening night of the show in New York even won the first place of the number of tickets sold in the pre-opening night of the Broadway show.