Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Frankly, much of the casting feels a little off. Christine Sherrill is certainly a perfectly respectable Norma and eminently capable both of singing the score in such a way that its big dramatic moments land, and of conveying the gravitas of this outsized character. Sherrill, a big Chicago talent, gives us much to enjoy here and you will not struggle to hear her lyrics nor sense the self-entitlement of a grand diva of the old school. Still, those who know Sherrill's work, which has been getting better and better of late, will likely feel that she hasn't brought all of her gifts for subtlety and nuance to this particular moving-picture show. But she's a little young for this role, which may well account for that sense that she can't fully relax therein. Indeed, the show's intended love-triangle of young Betty Schaeffer (Dara Cameron), older Norma and Joe caught in the middle doesn't really work, nor does the frisson one is supposed to get when an older woman beds a younger man. Ray, Cameron and Sherrill all play together not unlike peers. And, alas, there is no discernible sexual tension between Betty and Joe, which disarms another of the show's generally potent weapons."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"..."Whenever I see a theatre company with Sunset Boulevard as part of their season it always tends to make me a bit weary. Not only is Andrew Lloyd Webber's take on Billy Wilder's triumphant 1950 film starring the immortal Gloria Swanson difficult from an acting standpoint, but the success of the production rests on the director knowing what makes these characters breathe and being able to communicate that to his or her actors. Massive scenery is not necessary for a hit mounting as the Marriott proved almost a decade ago in their fantastic first regional production of Sunset Boulevard, just as long as you are true to the creator's intention of who these people are. Drury Lane is now having a go at this complex story and though they have some the most talented actors I've seen in these iconic roles, the play comes across as inauthentic."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Perfect as its pictures, William Osetek's pulsating, well-targeted staging for Drury Lane Productions takes it all, as it must, deadly seriously. Christine Sherrill, the proverbial local girl made good, looks too young for her part and will never make us forget Gloria Swanson - or Glenn Close or Betty Buckley or Elaine Paige. But Sherrill, whose stand-out features would please any camera close-up, mugs up a storm ("We didn't need words - we had faces") and tears into her show-stopping "As If We Never Said Goodbye" as if no one sang it before."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Sunset Boulevard is a strange work. I believe it would work better with straight dialogue with 4 or 5 songs including the above mentioned numbers. Maybe a drama with songs? Let me state that the Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre's production is slick, smooth and satisfying. For those who have never seen Sunset Boulevard, it will be a treat."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Again, if you have not seen the movie, I suggest you do, but even if you cannot find the time to do so, I heartily suggest you take a look at your soical calendar and find a date to make it out to Drury Lane Oakbrook for their wonderful production of "Sunset Boulevard""
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicalized version of Wilder's scathing look at Hollywood in the early 1950's isn't an easy show to produce. But Drury Lane's remarkably polished, skillfully acted and sung end-of-season offering is more than ready for a closeup. If you miss this production you will regret not experiencing what may just be Chicago's finest musical of the year."
Huffington Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...I'm just going to say it: Sunset Boulevard is many things, but it ain't subtle. Sure, Norma may have dissolved into a tragic figure by blackout, but she should also be grotesque. Norma has escaped into the movie in her mind, and it's harrowing, haunting stuff. Here, Sherrill merely looks like a woman who's had a rough night. I'm not expecting crazy Salome headdresses and smeared lipstick, but we need some sort of indication that she's gone completely off the rails. It just didn't go far enough for me -- and I think Osetek and company could have gone for the grotesque without sacrificing the truth of the story. In other words, shocking doesn't have to be campy."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"..."Sunset Boulevard" may be a mediocre musical, but it's presented superbly. Better that, certainly, than a superb musical offered in a mediocre production. Sherrill doubtless will receive a standing ovation every performance, well earned for her fine singing and her commitment to bringing the strident, demanding, and childish Norma to some kind of stage life. The failings of "Sunset Boulevard" reside with the book. The Drury Lane revival has done everything it can to elevate the show into a hit and I suspect that most patrons will leave the theater satisfied they have seen a major musical. I have strong reservations about the show but I was glad I saw it because the staging does Drury Lane so much honor."
