SUNSET BLVD.: Tiny Desk Concert

SUNSET BLVD.: Tiny Desk Concert with tags npr, npr music, national public radio, live, performance, tiny desk, tiny desk concert, tony desk, tiny concert

Mitra I. Arthur | May 5, 2025

As a director, Jamie Lloyd applies a minimalist approach to theater. His revival of SUNSET BLVD. is the perfect match for the sometimes challenging directive of Tiny Desk — to distill the essence of the music. All artifice is stripped down to showcase the tragedy of the characters and the grandeur of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. In this tale of tarnished Hollywood, Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis make their Tony Award-nominated Broadway debuts as Norma Desmond, faded star of the silent screen, and failing screenwriter Joe Gillis.

For this production, the show serves up a dazzling pair of Tiny Desk versions in conversation with arrangements familiar to fans. The eight-member orchestra, led by music director Alan Williams, delivers lush instrumentals throughout. Scherzinger and Francis' duet of "The Perfect Year" is reenvisioned as a soft rocker with R&B vibes. "Sunset Boulevard" rocks, which perfectly suits Francis' voice; here, he stands still, rather than his usual stroll through New York City streets. In both arrangements, Justin Rothberg's electric guitar shines. To bookend this performance, Scherzinger's expansive voice commands the stage in "With One Look" and in a blistering rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye."

SET LIST

"With One Look"

"The Perfect Year"

"Sunset Boulevard"

"As If We Never Said Goodbye"

MUSICIANS

Nicole Scherzinger: vocals

Tom Francis: vocals, guitar

Alan Williams: keys, music director

Justin Rothberg: guitar

Pete Donovan: bass

Joe Nero: drums

Annaliesa Place: violin

Philip Payton: violin

Todd Low: viola

Sarah Hewitt-Roth: cello

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Mitra I. Arthur

Director/Editor: Maia Stern

Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer

Photographer: Alanté Serene

Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#sunsetblvd #nprmusic #tinydesk