Elaine Paige: ‘I want to do ‘Sunset Boulevard’ movie’
By Ben Kelly
Elaine Paige has revealed she wants to take the lead in a film version of Sunset Boulevard – and says that doing a movie musical would be “a dream come true”.
Sunset Boulevard – originally a 1950 film noir – was made into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1993.
Although Paige was already a well-established West End star at this point, it was her turn as eccentric, faded actress Norma Desmond that finally took her to Broadway. She played the role off and on between 1994 and 1997.
Lloyd Webber has said that Paige’s interpretation of As If We Never Said Goodbye – the show’s 11 o’clock number – is “as good, if not the best, of anything I’ve ever heard”.
Chatting in an exclusive interview with Attitude, Paige praised Rob Marshall – director of movie musicals Chicago, Nine and the upcoming Into The Woods.
“I think Rob Marshall changed the way musicals were viewed in the movies. I’m a great admirer of his work. I keep waiting for the man to cast me in something!” she said.
Asked which role she has her eye on, Paige replied: “I’m holding out for Sunset Boulevard. I think there are rights issues. That’s what Andrew says anyway. Do we believe him?”
Lloyd Webber has claimed the existence of the original movie, which is owned by Paramount Pictures, has complicated plans for a film of his “most complete musical”.
The role of Norma Desmond was also played on stage by Patti LuPone, Glenn Close and Petula Clark, and when the possibility of a film was last touted in 2007, big names like Meryl Streep, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand were said to be in the running.
In a 2011 documentary, Lloyd Webber said he would like Madonna to star in the film, but claimed she wasn’t taking his calls.
Read the full exclusive interview with Elaine Paige in the new issue of Attitude (pictured left), which is available digitally now and in shops from next Wednesday (April 30) – including, once again, at WHSmiths.
> Click here to download the digital version for your iPad or tablet
> Click here to have a physical copy delivered to your door
Watch Elaine performing As If We Never Said Goodbye in a newly released music video below.
[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlk-gj5Ukes#t=244[/youtube]