Glenn Close was the original actress to play Norma and when her contract ended so did the show. Patti is a phenom but this part was owned by Glenn, only one Betty, Patti and Glenn.
@Spces8472 I love glee and consider my self a true fan of theatre. I give a shit about it. How many people have you met who are like the vowels you described? I know zero like that.
@HouseOnSunset please, give me a break. I love this song, loved CATS, listen to the broadway radio station, always do pieces from musical theatre for my auditions. I love theatre, and I also love glee. Glee has brought so many teens into the world of musical theatre, and if they think phantom, cats, and wicked are the best musicals out there, so be it. Don't get all mean about it. And those shows are phenomenal.
It's a shame that Glenn Close had to sing the music of Weber in this part. You can feel her talent being restrained by his music. One can only imagine what would have happened if someone has written it who wasn't stuck in the early/mid 1980s and coasting through the rest of his creative career because of a couple audience-pleasing hits.
To everyone thinking Glee is making the world more educated: No one is giving a shit about REAL musical theatre. They hear a song, and maybe 2% of the audience goes looking for the original version, and then they stop fucking caring. It pisses me off when gleeks who think Phantom, Cats, RENT and Wicked are the best shows ever (and then the next level of Next to Normal or Spring Awakening fans who think they're knowledgeable) and compare themselves to true fans and theatre-goers.
Streisand is the ultimate version (for me). Patti LuPone is next. no disrespect to Glenn Close but this version just doesn't work for me. the song is very strong but with a bitter sweetness to it. Close sings/talks it with too much force. I know it's all a matter of personal taste and preference. thanks for posting this since never got a chance to actually see Close o broadway.
Patti Lupone should have been the one who opened the show in Broadway.. i like Glenn Close but its so bad that they brought the notes down for her to sing just because she's a movie actress and she's more famous than Patti..
I have seen other singers who may have had a better singing voice than Glen Close. But no one comes close to Ms. Close's performance of this song. She is a good singer and a great actress. Bravo! Bravo! Ms.Close you are awesome.
Well, I admire her for making the show a hit...but her vocal capacity isn't great. Look at the Betty Buckley clip to see how to conquer this song. Much more fluid and powerful.
@HollywoodHillsCookie For this role, it's not all about having a pretty voice. That's what Betty is for. The emotion in Glenn's performance is worth ten "lyrical" voices.
@ltbrooks I'm not sure I'd describe Betty Buckley's voice as "pretty"...it's kind of a reedy belt. Her acting in her clip is superb, as well. I like Glenn Close on "Damages" and "The Shield" and in about half her movies, but I don't love her in everything. And in this clip she mainly looks uncomfortable, as a performer.
@dann1299 THANK YOU! Actually, I'm not sure she made it a CRITICAL hit, either! I remember Close got a ton of praise in the press when she was doing the show. Tho I guess the average theatergoer didn't care that much? I lived in NYC then, and remember one review said the show was basically about John Napier's hydrolic set. I guess I mostly admire her throwing herself into a big Broadway musical when she's rather unsuited to the medium. (I'm not sure she got great reviews for "Barnum," either.)
@dann1299 Actually, it was was hit and could have run for years more, but RUG (Production Company) made terrible deals with the backers and it made it impossible to pay back. That' why it lost 20 million dollars.
@lumiere85 yeah that sucks..the excuse was that it cost too much to run the machinery to control the mansion...what a bunch of bullshit...Would LOVE to see a revival!!! :)
I don't know when it happened that the character of Norma became this psychotic crackpot. She's a terribly self-involved has-been, but that doesn't make her crazy. It makes her a cartoon character and you care less about her. Her character is grounded in reality because there are many people like this in Hollywood. Glenn is one of my top five best actresses but I never cared for this portrayal.
@sabrinafair2 She isn't overacting, shes acting bigger and with more energy which is necessary for the stage, especially one as big as the beacon theatre where the tonys are held. Only on camera does it appear as 'over-acting'. She is an astounding stage actress, probably better on the stage than film actually.
I would suggest you research a bit more into silent films. I can't say I've seen Patti perform, but I believe Glen captured the acting of the silent film era. Also being a fan of the original film and Gloria Swanson, I'd say she matches up quite well.
Patti was just a caricature of herself. Betty Buckley, Glenn Close and Elaine Paige were all vastly superior. Sorry to say Ms. Lupone has not done anything worthy since Evita. Her Rose in Gypsy was another over blown caricature of herself. Sad, too, because she had such promise. Her role as herself in Will and Grace says it all.
@BadRubberDuckie69 - So true...I was young once. I must admit that if somebody gave me a page of something then I'd go around telling everyone I read the whole book! It's a pity Glee lovers don't acknowledge where the 'amazing stuff' originally came from. Chris Colfer's version was "sweet" but it didn't have the original vulnarabilty and "magic" of a middle-aged fading star!
Yikes! This is a powerful song and it deserves a powerful singer. Glen should stick to acting and leave musicals to people who can sing. Can't believe she won a Tony. Rebecca Luker, you got robbed.
@jkgottman45 Oh, please, if it was LuPone during that season, you guys would still be bitching it was a "token win" because only one other actress was nominated.
@Garmct You can't separate "acting" from musical theater. Musical theater isn't just about pretty voices. Glenn tells the story of the play really well with the voice that she does have, even though it's not particularly "beautiful." A Tony should go to someone who tells us a story and who moves us in the process, not someone who just sings well. I think Glenn did that will flying colors. (No disrespect to Luker, she's amazing!).
Saw this at the Hershey Theatre with Petula Clark...she nailed it! Love Glenn Close, but have always had a soft spot for Ptula Clark growing up, and to finally see her, doing this role, blew me away
I love glee, but that is one of the things i hate about it, they take amazing songs from amazing musicals that many people have not heard of until glee, and those people go off and think they know everything about it because of Glee.
whoever says Chris colfer did this better is an utter fool. Yes Chris did an amazing job. but he sang it in a microphone, and the crew fixed it and he would lip sync it and he probably messed up a few times and they had to run it again. Ms. Close here is belting out without the help of camera's or computers. She is doing a fabulous job. If she messed up, she couldn't start over, she would push through and still be fabulous. So just shut up.
@emlodik It isn't about that. It's about introducing the younger generation to great music like this. If only you mightier than thou asses could get those sticks out and realize that without Glee, some people might not even hear about this. It isn't about who performs it or on which medium it is performed. It's about the piece, which will always be wonderful. Be grateful of the fact that people actually loved the piece enough to look this instead of bitching about how they learned of it.
@sassyjurphy Oh, please, the younger generation doesn't give a shit! I remember those twats saying "OMG LYKE DA GLEE VERSHUN IS BETTA DEN DA LADYS FROM LONG AGO LULZ" in regards to the Supremes' hit "In the Name of Love."
@Spces8472 By the way, the twerps you dealt with knew what "Cats" was? I'm impressed. The ones I deal with think they know crap about musical theatre because they saw "Wicked" on tour, starred on in a community theatre production of "Rent" and routinely watch "Glee." Disgusting.
@HouseOnSunset Then let them have their opinion! Don't hate on someone just because they have an opinion that isn't similar to yours. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be called a twat for stating your opinion, would you? I happen to be both a fan of Glee and musical theatre. So what if they only like this one song? That's their business. Just listen to the music and stop caring about what other people think. It's such a waste of time.
@HouseOnSunset There are people like me and yourself who will always appreciate musical theatre for what it truly is but that doesn't mean you have to force that appreciation on someone else. That's obnoxious and selfish. If they like the song and then get into the show, then that's great. But if not, who gives a shit? Did you ever stop and realize that people like you and others who think you're better for liking certain things over others is the reason why people get turned off?
it;s nice that glee cast has done this song, but please so not compare it to this interpretation. I know that Kurt sings nicely, but this is not this class yet. Thumbs up for both, Kurt and his version and for gorgeous Glenn Close.
@emlodik if you think that this is better than chris colfer than you are the brain dead twat coz you have to be alive to actually have a good taste in music!! now shut up!
@EZYCHEESY Who doesn't use auto-tune these days? ;) I despise auto-tune. I like the show for what it is, but Rachel Berry gets on my last ever-lovin' nerve. As for poker face, I saw it as concealing hurt. I think the show's good at putting different spins on the songs.
Glen Close combines a wonderful voice with a great actress' skill in creating depth and passion as she sings. I know there are those that prefer other singers in this role, but I think her performance is in a class by itself. Truly spectacular. The entire album and cast is superb.
@portraitartistdamour I agree. I think she really embodies the essence of this character like no other actress has. She can pull you into this performance so that you feel it. It goes past the singing.
I didn't even know she sang, I just think of her as Cruella Dévile(dvile?) This was absolutely fabulous. I love Barbra's and Elaine Paige's versions of course, but this was phenomenal!
Got afew people talkin bout glen close's acting, comeon for one dont you think she knows wot she's doin and lastly don't critise one of the worlds greatest actresses!
I love Glenn. I don't think there will be another like her. And now, I learned she is an amazing singer. Is there anything she can't do? The answer is a big fat NO!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Ugly voice, ugly face, ugly everything. She overdoes everything because the drama should be in the voice but she simply can't act through her singing.
@edirne1972 Miss Desmond's character is supposed to overact. She wasn't a talkie film actress. She performed in silent films. And drama should be physical anyhow. Drama through the voice alone is boring and not proper acting. It is only with the voice and the body together that an actor can truly tap into character. You should look up a lesson with Uta Hagen or Stella Adler.
@nathanchrist324 There's a big difference between overacting and bad acting. And between screen acting and acting in your own life. Just as the drama in Shakespeare is in the language, so is the drama in a musical in the songs and the singing. Close always seems to be acting like she's doing an imitation of norma desmond. Carol Burnett did the same thing.
Sorry if you disagree but I think that Glen Close blows EVERYONE out of the water with this performance. She may not have the "Prettiest" voice but this song really isnt about a pretty voice, its about the emotions of a woman dealing with her past and future.
Patti LuPone & Betty Buckley will always be my favorite Normas, but there is something about Glenn Close's performance which stands out. Watching her sing this makes me feel like this role was created specifically for her. It's the same kind of feeling I get whenever I revisit performances by Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Patti LuPone (Eva Peron), Angela Lanbury (Mrs. Lovett), Glynnis Johns (Desiree), etc... I agree with JJAFMA1970, its not all about singing. Its the way one makes a role their own.
I think it's a fantastic performance, and I think people sometimes forget that for a play or show to be at it's best, it can't be all about how well someone sings the song. An expert singer in the role does nothing for the role if they can't act. Glen sings well and brings in her acting so that you truly believe that her character has gone mad. That to me is what makes a brilliant performance.
Hum, where do these critics get off??? Perhaps they should shimmy on up and try to compete...Beautiful job Glenn Close and one great actress. Thank you.
I saw Close in LA before the NY run and by the time she got to NY the performance got too big. People always make excuses for a specific performance but she was also a host of this Tony ceremony which I think does account for a crappier than usual vocal. But she was certainly the weakest singer of the Broadway Normas.
Glenn Close is the best actress ever!! We want her back in the movies please!!! What happen with the producers that doesn´t call her. She may be the best.
@vizdi14 So few parts in movies for any woman over 40 for many years. It's pretty crazy isn't it? So many great actresses over 40 we don't get to see in great roles.
@phmike69 - I adore Glenn. I met her in NY at Joe Alan's in NY and she was just wonderful. My friends and I were eating dinner before we went to go see "Young Frankenstien". Glenn was in the line to go ...... well to the little girls room ... and me being from LA and used to seeing celbs, smiled and waved at her ... she smiled and motioned to me to come over and put her arms out and huged me. My friends at my table just about DIED!!!
The problem with the Norma role is that people tend to expect her to be this crazy lunatic and she's NOT. It makes her a charicature and not a real person. She's still a REAL person and most people forget that. They almost expect her to have this Charles Manson quality and that's not who she is. It's too easy to go over the top with this role. I LOVE Glen, but she doesn't work for me in this role. I also don't know how her sang this 8 times a week. Her voice has this hollow quality.
@lcowles This is based on the moive Sunset Boulevard which is classic Flim Noir--exaggerated characters, over the top drama. The point is that the character was a woman at the edge of her sanity living in a world that forgot her. Glen Close came the closest to the character by making her slightly too big for her surroundings, just like Gloria Swanson did in the film.
@lcowles I agree that Close's voice doesn't do justice to the role but Desmond is mentally ill. In fact, when I got my masters degree, for my psychopathology thesis I chose Desmond as my final project.
Que video tan impresionante, Gleen es realmente maravillosa, la naturaleza expresiava y la encanación del personaje se fusionan a la perfeccíón con esta bella música del maestro Andrew Loid Weber, es algo único.
What I always found rather bittersweet about this scene was Hog-eye, who worked with Norma, is still on the lot working,staying in what Norma loves where she shut herself away, thinking the progress in "Talkies" was "shattering all the idols" of the silent movies.
Glenn Close brings so much to this role, she is the definitive Norma Desmond. A supreme actress she truly captures both the diva and the vulnerabilty of Norma. No her voice isnt the greatest in the world but that suits the character of an ageing star very well as she isnt able able to perform as she used to in her younger, glory days. And besides, Glenn's 'greatest in the world' acting more than makes up for it. Wonder, well-earned Tony Award winning performance.
Please! Glenn turned in a singing performance worlds apart from Petula. I think she should be recognized as a great singing actress for her creation of Norma Desmond, not just as an actress who sings a little. Her characterization is some of the best work ever done by anyone on the theatre stage!
Every woman who plays this role will bring something different to the part. If you don't like Glenn Close in this role, then deal with it.
Moonstar2193 2 days ago
Probably one of the greatest performances OF ALL TIME!
thestar13 6 days ago
Glenn Close was the original actress to play Norma and when her contract ended so did the show. Patti is a phenom but this part was owned by Glenn, only one Betty, Patti and Glenn.
randigrogan 1 month ago
LuPone is far, far superior
SullyB711 1 month ago
4:26 All you need to know about this character. In one "Yes!" You hear the anticipation, hope, and fear this character embodies. Wonderful.
BillF1967 2 months ago
26 LuPone fanqeers saw this video.
emlodik 2 months ago
I love Andrew Loyd Weber! One of the most brilliant musical composers.
alika207 2 months ago
I knew this song before glee, but I still think Chris did a fantastic job. I'm currently singing this for my drama competition :)
BatgirlNightwing16 3 months ago 2
Glenn Close incarnated and was Norma Desmond, perfection ! Greetings from Brasil.
paulo39667 3 months ago
she was just amazing in that role!
oofahman 4 months ago
she was just amazing in that role!!
oofahman 4 months ago
i've got goosebumps from just the first ten seconds of glenn singing!
paulfrank167 4 months ago 2
@Spces8472 I love glee and consider my self a true fan of theatre. I give a shit about it. How many people have you met who are like the vowels you described? I know zero like that.
SpyinGirly 4 months ago
@HouseOnSunset please, give me a break. I love this song, loved CATS, listen to the broadway radio station, always do pieces from musical theatre for my auditions. I love theatre, and I also love glee. Glee has brought so many teens into the world of musical theatre, and if they think phantom, cats, and wicked are the best musicals out there, so be it. Don't get all mean about it. And those shows are phenomenal.
SpyinGirly 4 months ago
It's a shame that Glenn Close had to sing the music of Weber in this part. You can feel her talent being restrained by his music. One can only imagine what would have happened if someone has written it who wasn't stuck in the early/mid 1980s and coasting through the rest of his creative career because of a couple audience-pleasing hits.
bnm73me 4 months ago
@bnm73me Shut your mouth, you stupid bitch.
emlodik 4 months ago
@emlodik Well aren't we testy?
bnm73me 4 months ago
I don't really care what brings the next generation in, as long as it keeps musical theatre alive. ;-)
biancanrobinson 4 months ago in playlist Broadway-Tony Performances 4
Glenn Close was the perfect Norma !
paulo39667 4 months ago
Freaking incredible.
DorisDayFanatic 4 months ago
To everyone thinking Glee is making the world more educated: No one is giving a shit about REAL musical theatre. They hear a song, and maybe 2% of the audience goes looking for the original version, and then they stop fucking caring. It pisses me off when gleeks who think Phantom, Cats, RENT and Wicked are the best shows ever (and then the next level of Next to Normal or Spring Awakening fans who think they're knowledgeable) and compare themselves to true fans and theatre-goers.
Spces8472 4 months ago
Comment removed
HouseOnSunset 4 months ago
@Spces8472 THANK YOU.
HouseOnSunset 4 months ago
Streisand is the ultimate version (for me). Patti LuPone is next. no disrespect to Glenn Close but this version just doesn't work for me. the song is very strong but with a bitter sweetness to it. Close sings/talks it with too much force. I know it's all a matter of personal taste and preference. thanks for posting this since never got a chance to actually see Close o broadway.
elcabrone 5 months ago
cruela davell lol awesome
sarahleighton 5 months ago
I saw this show on Broadway with Glenn Close - she was different to the two performances I saw in London with Patti LuPhone and Petula Clark.
All three that I saw play Norma Desmond were so so different!
iancv 5 months ago
This is amazing <3 I love Glenn's version of Norma Desmond.
RosesNightengales 5 months ago
Patti Lupone should have been the one who opened the show in Broadway.. i like Glenn Close but its so bad that they brought the notes down for her to sing just because she's a movie actress and she's more famous than Patti..
NeuwirthFan 5 months ago
omg...Glenn frickin' ROCKS THE HOUSE!!!!!
oofahman 5 months ago
I have seen other singers who may have had a better singing voice than Glen Close. But no one comes close to Ms. Close's performance of this song. She is a good singer and a great actress. Bravo! Bravo! Ms.Close you are awesome.
waynegreer72 6 months ago
honestly, who cares if glee brought people here, it's the same song regardless of who sang it or where they did
seansational524 6 months ago
Well, I admire her for making the show a hit...but her vocal capacity isn't great. Look at the Betty Buckley clip to see how to conquer this song. Much more fluid and powerful.
It's number iLea3E6LTFw
HollywoodHillsCookie 6 months ago
@HollywoodHillsCookie For this role, it's not all about having a pretty voice. That's what Betty is for. The emotion in Glenn's performance is worth ten "lyrical" voices.
ltbrooks 6 months ago
@ltbrooks I'm not sure I'd describe Betty Buckley's voice as "pretty"...it's kind of a reedy belt. Her acting in her clip is superb, as well. I like Glenn Close on "Damages" and "The Shield" and in about half her movies, but I don't love her in everything. And in this clip she mainly looks uncomfortable, as a performer.
HollywoodHillsCookie 6 months ago
@HollywoodHillsCookie The show wasn't a hit. It lost a ton of money.
dann1299 5 months ago
@dann1299 THANK YOU! Actually, I'm not sure she made it a CRITICAL hit, either! I remember Close got a ton of praise in the press when she was doing the show. Tho I guess the average theatergoer didn't care that much? I lived in NYC then, and remember one review said the show was basically about John Napier's hydrolic set. I guess I mostly admire her throwing herself into a big Broadway musical when she's rather unsuited to the medium. (I'm not sure she got great reviews for "Barnum," either.)
HollywoodHillsCookie 5 months ago
@dann1299 Actually, it was was hit and could have run for years more, but RUG (Production Company) made terrible deals with the backers and it made it impossible to pay back. That' why it lost 20 million dollars.
lumiere85 5 months ago
@lumiere85 yeah that sucks..the excuse was that it cost too much to run the machinery to control the mansion...what a bunch of bullshit...Would LOVE to see a revival!!! :)
oofahman 5 months ago
24 people have heard Patti LuPone's version. Or Patti LuPone has logged in 24 times to dislike this. Probably the latter.
ramblingdaniel 6 months ago
I don't know when it happened that the character of Norma became this psychotic crackpot. She's a terribly self-involved has-been, but that doesn't make her crazy. It makes her a cartoon character and you care less about her. Her character is grounded in reality because there are many people like this in Hollywood. Glenn is one of my top five best actresses but I never cared for this portrayal.
lcowles 6 months ago
Nice over-acting Close....Patti owned this part.
Oh and thumbs up if you liked Sunset Boulevard before Glee was even on TV.
sabrinafair2 6 months ago 23
@sabrinafair2 Glenn wipes the floor with Patti.
HouseOnSunset 6 months ago 16
@sabrinafair2 I gotta say... I do think Close did a fantastic job. I think her voice suits it more. Though I love LuPone.
KitanaiBaishunfu 2 months ago
@sabrinafair2 Patti and her fans can go and have sex with themselves :)
emlodik 2 months ago
@emlodik hush. :)
TrollinLikeaG 2 months ago
@sabrinafair2 It's hard to think that this is the same person who plays Patty Hewes lol
nickwilliams5697 2 months ago
@sabrinafair2 She isn't overacting, shes acting bigger and with more energy which is necessary for the stage, especially one as big as the beacon theatre where the tonys are held. Only on camera does it appear as 'over-acting'. She is an astounding stage actress, probably better on the stage than film actually.
Teezer44 1 month ago
@sabrinafair2 Over-acting? Pfft. How would you expect a silent movie star to act?!
dolce1287 1 month ago 2
@sabrinafair2 norma desmond is supposed to be fucking nuts. glenn is fantastic at playing psychopaths. have you seen fatal attraction?
BirdsAteMyFace621 1 month ago
@sabrinafair2
I would suggest you research a bit more into silent films. I can't say I've seen Patti perform, but I believe Glen captured the acting of the silent film era. Also being a fan of the original film and Gloria Swanson, I'd say she matches up quite well.
Mapley 1 month ago 2
@sabrinafair2
Patti was just a caricature of herself. Betty Buckley, Glenn Close and Elaine Paige were all vastly superior. Sorry to say Ms. Lupone has not done anything worthy since Evita. Her Rose in Gypsy was another over blown caricature of herself. Sad, too, because she had such promise. Her role as herself in Will and Grace says it all.
greg1lewin 1 month ago
@BadRubberDuckie69 - So true...I was young once. I must admit that if somebody gave me a page of something then I'd go around telling everyone I read the whole book! It's a pity Glee lovers don't acknowledge where the 'amazing stuff' originally came from. Chris Colfer's version was "sweet" but it didn't have the original vulnarabilty and "magic" of a middle-aged fading star!
samud30 6 months ago
Don't be so sensitive, Glenn !
Garmct 6 months ago
Yikes! This is a powerful song and it deserves a powerful singer. Glen should stick to acting and leave musicals to people who can sing. Can't believe she won a Tony. Rebecca Luker, you got robbed.
Garmct 6 months ago
@Garmct Shut your mouth, you stupid bitch.
HouseOnSunset 6 months ago
@Garmct Patti LuPone was robbed.
jkgottman45 6 months ago
@jkgottman45 Oh, please, if it was LuPone during that season, you guys would still be bitching it was a "token win" because only one other actress was nominated.
HouseOnSunset 6 months ago
@Garmct You can't separate "acting" from musical theater. Musical theater isn't just about pretty voices. Glenn tells the story of the play really well with the voice that she does have, even though it's not particularly "beautiful." A Tony should go to someone who tells us a story and who moves us in the process, not someone who just sings well. I think Glenn did that will flying colors. (No disrespect to Luker, she's amazing!).
dathanfinch 6 months ago 2
She's no Patti LuPone.
ramblingdaniel 6 months ago
@ramblingdaniel Thank God.
emlodik 6 months ago
Saw this at the Hershey Theatre with Petula Clark...she nailed it! Love Glenn Close, but have always had a soft spot for Ptula Clark growing up, and to finally see her, doing this role, blew me away
Jim382 6 months ago
Go Glenn, man I had no idea she could sing like this. Is there no end to her talent?
Magnifico, brava!
brunobaritono 7 months ago 2
@Sophardd No he doesn't and you're a brain dead idiot.
emlodik 7 months ago
Magical. The spotlight hits her; she feels it, she misses it, and she's driven to song. Happens to the best of us! I love you Glenn Close!
rd959 7 months ago
Patti all the way.
ezekielg444 7 months ago
Yes, Glee brought me here. And I loooooove Chris's version. But this made me cry. So much emotion in the delivery!
TheLogicalGod 7 months ago
SHE IS AMAZING!!!! This is what Theatre IS.......
superstar19ize 7 months ago
No Alfie Boe brought me here
SJoynson 7 months ago
I watch Glee, but I grew up dancing to show tunes around my living room.
HappinessGuano 7 months ago
I love glee, but that is one of the things i hate about it, they take amazing songs from amazing musicals that many people have not heard of until glee, and those people go off and think they know everything about it because of Glee.
BadRubberDuckie69 7 months ago 12
@BadRubberDuckie69 What? you hate ? This is awesome, That culture never dies. Because o Glee people still knowing music and aprecciating.
guimaraes71 2 months ago
whoever says Chris colfer did this better is an utter fool. Yes Chris did an amazing job. but he sang it in a microphone, and the crew fixed it and he would lip sync it and he probably messed up a few times and they had to run it again. Ms. Close here is belting out without the help of camera's or computers. She is doing a fabulous job. If she messed up, she couldn't start over, she would push through and still be fabulous. So just shut up.
BadRubberDuckie69 7 months ago
Thumbs up if you hate the fact that "Glee" turned this song into part of tweeny bopper pop culture hell.
emlodik 7 months ago 3
@emlodik Glee is turning kids to Broadway musicals...that's something that should be celebrated.
TornWings09 7 months ago 6
@emlodik It isn't about that. It's about introducing the younger generation to great music like this. If only you mightier than thou asses could get those sticks out and realize that without Glee, some people might not even hear about this. It isn't about who performs it or on which medium it is performed. It's about the piece, which will always be wonderful. Be grateful of the fact that people actually loved the piece enough to look this instead of bitching about how they learned of it.
sassyjurphy 5 months ago 2
@sassyjurphy Oh, please, the younger generation doesn't give a shit! I remember those twats saying "OMG LYKE DA GLEE VERSHUN IS BETTA DEN DA LADYS FROM LONG AGO LULZ" in regards to the Supremes' hit "In the Name of Love."
HouseOnSunset 4 months ago
@HouseOnSunset Exactly. Jesus, those kids make me want to kick something. Or vomit on them.
Spces8472 4 months ago
@Spces8472 By the way, the twerps you dealt with knew what "Cats" was? I'm impressed. The ones I deal with think they know crap about musical theatre because they saw "Wicked" on tour, starred on in a community theatre production of "Rent" and routinely watch "Glee." Disgusting.
HouseOnSunset 4 months ago
@HouseOnSunset Then let them have their opinion! Don't hate on someone just because they have an opinion that isn't similar to yours. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be called a twat for stating your opinion, would you? I happen to be both a fan of Glee and musical theatre. So what if they only like this one song? That's their business. Just listen to the music and stop caring about what other people think. It's such a waste of time.
sassyjurphy 4 months ago
@HouseOnSunset There are people like me and yourself who will always appreciate musical theatre for what it truly is but that doesn't mean you have to force that appreciation on someone else. That's obnoxious and selfish. If they like the song and then get into the show, then that's great. But if not, who gives a shit? Did you ever stop and realize that people like you and others who think you're better for liking certain things over others is the reason why people get turned off?
sassyjurphy 4 months ago
@sassyjurphy Amen!
Fitzwilliamdarcy1000 4 months ago
Glenn Close wipes the floor with Chris Colfer!
emlodik 7 months ago
Thumbs up if Glee DIDN'T bring you here
VanillaSnowdrop 7 months ago 89
@VanillaSnowdrop but Barbra Streisand took me here.
Salitpong 3 months ago 2
thumbs up if you knew this song before Glee did it. :)
kiowapacer60 7 months ago 47
@kiowapacer60 actually I just found out Glee did do it. Glenn won her third tony for this.
AdamEfimoff 3 months ago
it;s nice that glee cast has done this song, but please so not compare it to this interpretation. I know that Kurt sings nicely, but this is not this class yet. Thumbs up for both, Kurt and his version and for gorgeous Glenn Close.
madhukara79 8 months ago 4
Kurt's version is better!!
tyetanick 8 months ago 2
@tyetanick kurt was singing... but i think no one can beat this performance. yes, glenn was brilliantly performing.
womad 8 months ago
@tyetanick You're an idiot. Your mother should've aborted you with a rusty wire hanger from the get go.
emlodik 7 months ago
@emlodik yours did that to u?
tyetanick 7 months ago
Patti LuPone was the best. This should have been her. <3
lorkell 8 months ago 3
@EZYCHEESY true the problem is that lea has being on broadway and needs the stage. Glenn sings well and acts beautifully
AdamEfimoff 8 months ago
excellent i love it ...........super glen close...
luis9917 8 months ago
chris colfer was better by far!!!!
iheartheathluck 8 months ago
@iheartheathluck I hope you die of bone cancer, then be brought back to life and then die of blood cancer.
emlodik 7 months ago
@emlodik your nice(!) right back at ya!
iheartheathluck 7 months ago
@iheartheathluck It's "you're," you brain dead twat.
emlodik 7 months ago
@emlodik if you think that this is better than chris colfer than you are the brain dead twat coz you have to be alive to actually have a good taste in music!! now shut up!
iheartheathluck 7 months ago
@iheartheathluck What a waste of carbon based life form... Typical "Glee" fan. Moron.
emlodik 7 months ago 3
Betty Buckley was better.
kage1987 8 months ago 2
20 people don't have early morning madness or magic in the making.
bbSouthstreet 8 months ago 3
@bbSouthstreet Poor creatures, they don't know what they are missing.
josesantos41 8 months ago
@EZYCHEESY Who doesn't use auto-tune these days? ;) I despise auto-tune. I like the show for what it is, but Rachel Berry gets on my last ever-lovin' nerve. As for poker face, I saw it as concealing hurt. I think the show's good at putting different spins on the songs.
kamwrites 8 months ago
@EZYCHEESY Eh, it doesn't ruin it at all.
kamwrites 8 months ago
Holy Cow! Thank you Glee, for bringing me here! What a feeling, watching her perform this song! Wow! I love both renditions, Glenn's and Chris's! :D
MizunoSenshi 8 months ago
@EZYCHEESY ...how did you know..... it was good but this is soooooooo much better
rhylmark 8 months ago
Damn...
IntenselyMorbid 8 months ago
Sunset Boulevard has such a brilliant score
seffage 8 months ago
i adore her
Saakraaa 8 months ago
Glen Close combines a wonderful voice with a great actress' skill in creating depth and passion as she sings. I know there are those that prefer other singers in this role, but I think her performance is in a class by itself. Truly spectacular. The entire album and cast is superb.
portraitartistdamour 8 months ago
@portraitartistdamour I agree. I think she really embodies the essence of this character like no other actress has. She can pull you into this performance so that you feel it. It goes past the singing.
kamwrites 8 months ago
breath taking performance
keeny571 8 months ago
I didn't even know she sang, I just think of her as Cruella Dévile(dvile?) This was absolutely fabulous. I love Barbra's and Elaine Paige's versions of course, but this was phenomenal!
vengaboi691 8 months ago
Comment removed
vengaboi691 8 months ago
her voice is full of emotion
gleelady 8 months ago
Got afew people talkin bout glen close's acting, comeon for one dont you think she knows wot she's doin and lastly don't critise one of the worlds greatest actresses!
singerman2008 9 months ago
ITS PEPPER FROM MODERN FAMILY!!
tennisplaya8888 9 months ago
(O.o) Such emotion....Wow.
Admistad09 9 months ago
So happy Glee is doing this song!! Best song ever by Glenn Close!!
autowil 9 months ago 25
Patty LuPone has a beautiful voice but she lacks the emotional depth that Glenn Close gave to this piece. Bravo to Glenn Close !!!
fritzterrific 9 months ago
I love Glenn. I don't think there will be another like her. And now, I learned she is an amazing singer. Is there anything she can't do? The answer is a big fat NO!
VidWatcher45673 9 months ago
Thumbs up if Glee brought you here :)
BevXerly 9 months ago 143
@BevXerly I am so glad that Glee is bringing a whole new audience to fabulous musicals!
ClassicMovieClub 7 months ago
@ClassicMovieClub And destroying them in the process.
emlodik 7 months ago
@BevXerly What is a Glee?
JonesChaplin91203 5 months ago in playlist Broadway 3
Aaaaaaahhfreekinmazing.
MoulinRouge6Love 9 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Ugly voice, ugly face, ugly everything. She overdoes everything because the drama should be in the voice but she simply can't act through her singing.
edirne1972 9 months ago
@edirne1972 Miss Desmond's character is supposed to overact. She wasn't a talkie film actress. She performed in silent films. And drama should be physical anyhow. Drama through the voice alone is boring and not proper acting. It is only with the voice and the body together that an actor can truly tap into character. You should look up a lesson with Uta Hagen or Stella Adler.
nathanchrist324 9 months ago 2
@nathanchrist324 There's a big difference between overacting and bad acting. And between screen acting and acting in your own life. Just as the drama in Shakespeare is in the language, so is the drama in a musical in the songs and the singing. Close always seems to be acting like she's doing an imitation of norma desmond. Carol Burnett did the same thing.
edirne1972 9 months ago
@edirne1972 She won the Tony for this role.
12bmills 9 months ago 5
@12bmills There was only one other nominee that year.
edirne1972 7 months ago
Glenn is a genius - time to get her that Oscar she so sorely deserves.
lucas27 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
fantastic . alextsalacopoulos@hotmail.com
alexromeo2539 9 months ago
fantastic
alexromeo2539 9 months ago
Glenn did a great job with this. Awesome actress.
marcosvalenca 9 months ago
Sorry if you disagree but I think that Glen Close blows EVERYONE out of the water with this performance. She may not have the "Prettiest" voice but this song really isnt about a pretty voice, its about the emotions of a woman dealing with her past and future.
thestar13 10 months ago 6
How lucky for this generation to get a glimpse at perfection!-Thanks! and Thanks again!
FRANKHODGES39 10 months ago
They took the key down for Glenn. Patti Sang it in the Original Keys.
jacksonmattek 10 months ago 2
Wow I had no idea she could sing as well. Great!
esan4001 10 months ago
Hey, Awakening127, YOU ROCK for having saved this and reposting! Thank you!
TheCatholicFaithfu 10 months ago
Gregory Hines, R.I.P.
BillF1967 11 months ago
Patti LuPone & Betty Buckley will always be my favorite Normas, but there is something about Glenn Close's performance which stands out. Watching her sing this makes me feel like this role was created specifically for her. It's the same kind of feeling I get whenever I revisit performances by Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Patti LuPone (Eva Peron), Angela Lanbury (Mrs. Lovett), Glynnis Johns (Desiree), etc... I agree with JJAFMA1970, its not all about singing. Its the way one makes a role their own.
KateBushDepot 11 months ago 3
I think it's a fantastic performance, and I think people sometimes forget that for a play or show to be at it's best, it can't be all about how well someone sings the song. An expert singer in the role does nothing for the role if they can't act. Glen sings well and brings in her acting so that you truly believe that her character has gone mad. That to me is what makes a brilliant performance.
JJAFMA1970 11 months ago
4:07-4:11 I LOVE GLENN!
officialfilmweb 11 months ago
Hum, where do these critics get off??? Perhaps they should shimmy on up and try to compete...Beautiful job Glenn Close and one great actress. Thank you.
HankBenton 1 year ago
emotional!!! like it so much!
IAMLEGEND0006 1 year ago
Who'd imagine when she was terrifying Michael Douglas & Anne Archer and boiling the bunny, Glenn Close had this type of singing talent? LOL
Cavillier1970 1 year ago 2
Love the "yeeees" she whispered at the end.
ilmatawtam 1 year ago
a true artist.
ribbaable 1 year ago
Magnificent!
Witless544 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
lOVE lOVE lOVE
jer18x 1 year ago
She sounded a lot better at the ALW birthday bash.
thewanksta36 1 year ago
I wonder if Andrew Lloyd Webber will make a musical version of Casablanca.
TsWade2 1 year ago
I saw Close in LA before the NY run and by the time she got to NY the performance got too big. People always make excuses for a specific performance but she was also a host of this Tony ceremony which I think does account for a crappier than usual vocal. But she was certainly the weakest singer of the Broadway Normas.
pudgeuncle 1 year ago
This is sheer perfection, I absolutley adore Glenn Close ~
And this is exactly why!!! :'-) What an amazing woman!!!
mikeride101 1 year ago
Glenn Close is the best actress ever!! We want her back in the movies please!!! What happen with the producers that doesn´t call her. She may be the best.
vizdi14 1 year ago
@vizdi14 So few parts in movies for any woman over 40 for many years. It's pretty crazy isn't it? So many great actresses over 40 we don't get to see in great roles.
keagleman21 1 year ago
@phmike69 - I adore Glenn. I met her in NY at Joe Alan's in NY and she was just wonderful. My friends and I were eating dinner before we went to go see "Young Frankenstien". Glenn was in the line to go ...... well to the little girls room ... and me being from LA and used to seeing celbs, smiled and waved at her ... she smiled and motioned to me to come over and put her arms out and huged me. My friends at my table just about DIED!!!
ronnykmarshall 1 year ago
Glenn plays Norma like a cartoon character. Patti and Betty Buckley were the best Norma's, in my opinion.
Joseebus 1 year ago
@Joseebus The character of Norma Desmond WAS a cartoon character--see the original movie with Gloria Swanson
vanessafabulay 1 year ago
Once in a lifetime. Sorry, Patti.
Susan8115 1 year ago
The problem with the Norma role is that people tend to expect her to be this crazy lunatic and she's NOT. It makes her a charicature and not a real person. She's still a REAL person and most people forget that. They almost expect her to have this Charles Manson quality and that's not who she is. It's too easy to go over the top with this role. I LOVE Glen, but she doesn't work for me in this role. I also don't know how her sang this 8 times a week. Her voice has this hollow quality.
lcowles 1 year ago
@lcowles This is based on the moive Sunset Boulevard which is classic Flim Noir--exaggerated characters, over the top drama. The point is that the character was a woman at the edge of her sanity living in a world that forgot her. Glen Close came the closest to the character by making her slightly too big for her surroundings, just like Gloria Swanson did in the film.
vanessafabulay 1 year ago 2
@lcowles I agree that Close's voice doesn't do justice to the role but Desmond is mentally ill. In fact, when I got my masters degree, for my psychopathology thesis I chose Desmond as my final project.
pudgeuncle 1 year ago
Que video tan impresionante, Gleen es realmente maravillosa, la naturaleza expresiava y la encanación del personaje se fusionan a la perfeccíón con esta bella música del maestro Andrew Loid Weber, es algo único.
Alex75289 1 year ago
What I always found rather bittersweet about this scene was Hog-eye, who worked with Norma, is still on the lot working,staying in what Norma loves where she shut herself away, thinking the progress in "Talkies" was "shattering all the idols" of the silent movies.
pursehappygal 1 year ago
Glenn Close brings so much to this role, she is the definitive Norma Desmond. A supreme actress she truly captures both the diva and the vulnerabilty of Norma. No her voice isnt the greatest in the world but that suits the character of an ageing star very well as she isnt able able to perform as she used to in her younger, glory days. And besides, Glenn's 'greatest in the world' acting more than makes up for it. Wonder, well-earned Tony Award winning performance.
Teezer44 1 year ago
Her makeup is so exaggerated that you can see it plain and simple, even in this grainy video! :p I love this.
bombygriz 1 year ago
Please! Glenn turned in a singing performance worlds apart from Petula. I think she should be recognized as a great singing actress for her creation of Norma Desmond, not just as an actress who sings a little. Her characterization is some of the best work ever done by anyone on the theatre stage!
Lindow 1 year ago
Streisand is the better singer, but Ms Close is the best possible actress for this role!
iOnlySignIn 1 year ago
A great actress, but the worst singing performance of the role...........apart from Petula!
MTA1966 1 year ago
I think of the 'theatre of life', and some places and people I'd wish to revisit.
SacMyk 1 year ago
glenn close's voice is not suited to the material. there is a "flatness" to her voice, especially the lower tones. not good at all.
kingdaddie 1 year ago
OMG! I never knew Glenn Close can sing. Watching this performance just gave me goosebumps. Brava to Madame Close!
arcticfire83 1 year ago
Every time she sings "so much to live for" I burst out crying. Damn.
bshern 1 year ago
Elaine Paige did it better.
vidchick20 1 year ago 2