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Title: Ignore the U.S. version
Review: Since Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorite films, I bought the London cast album long before the musical came to America. Patti LaPone is the ultimate Broadway star, having created the role of Evita. Her soaring versions of "As If We Never Said Goodbye", and "With One Look" are unmatched. Her power and vocal range soar! All of Norma's songs had to be drastically reduced in vocal range to accomodate Glen Close's lack of, (or nonexistent) singing ability. In fact, this DVD was unavailabe to the American market during the American run of the musical and was literally pulled from the shelves. Perhaps ALW didn't want the American audience to hear the masterwork of this production. Kevin Anderson, a brilliant actor, does not have the operatic quality of Alan Cambell in the U.S. cast, but he portrayed Joe Gillis with far more guts and passion. This is not for the lover's of Oklahoma of Showboat, but for lovers of more contemporary musicals, this one is perfect.
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