It's a Return! Glenn Close Will Star in Sunset Boulevard at English National Opera

It’s as if the three-time Tony winner never said goodbye! The rumors were true and Glenn Close will reprise her Tony-winning role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard for a limited engagement at the English National Opera. Directed by Lonny Price, the semi-staged production with the full ENO orchestra is scheduled to run April 1, 2016 through May 7. Opening night is set for April 4 at the London Coliseum. Further casting will be announced shortly.

Close was recently seen in A Delicate Balance on Broadway, the first time she had appeared on the Main Stem in 17 years. The six-time Oscar nominee got her start on the Great White Way, and won the Tony for her roles in Sunset Boulevard, The Real Thing and Death and the Maiden. Her film and TV roles include Dangerous Liaisons, Air Force One, Fatal Attraction and Damages.

Featuring a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black, Sunset Boulevard premiered in the West End in 1993, directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Patti LuPone. In a widely publicized upset that resulted in an out-of-court settlement, Close brought the role to Broadway the following year and landed her third Tony.

Based on the 1950 film of the same name, Sunset Boulevard tells the story of Norma Desmond, an aging silent film star who recruits young writer Joe Gillis to help relaunch her career in the world of talking films. A reclusive shut-in, Desmond forms an unhealthy obsession with Gillis and soon demands he move in to her lavish Hollywood mansion.