Michael Xavier, Siobhan Dillon & Fred Johanson Will Reunite with Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard on Broadway

Glenn Close is coming home at last (with an Evening Standard Award), and she’s bringing along some of her London co-stars. Michael Xavier, Siobhan Dillon and Fred Johanson have joined the cast of the Broadway return of Sunset Boulevard, reprising their performances from the recent limited engagement at the English National Opera. They take on the roles of Joe Gillis, Betty Schaefer and Max von Mayerling, respectively.

Performances of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical are set to begin at the Palace Theatre on February 2, 2017. The semi-staged production, directed by Lonny Price, will feature a 40-piece orchestra. It is scheduled to open officially on February 9 and play a limited run for 16 weeks. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Xavier received two Olivier Award nominations in 2011 for his performances in Love Story and Into the Woods. His additional credits include The War of the Roses, Assassins and The Pajama Game. Dillon first made a splash in the U.K. as a finalist on the BBC casting competition How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. She has since appeared in the West End in Grease, Legally Blonde, Ghost and Miss Saigon. Johanson is a Swedish musical theater performer whose previous stage credits include Evita, Les Miserables and Cats.

Based on the 1950 film of the same name and featuring a score by Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black, the show follows Norma Desmond (Close), a faded silent film star who seduces Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, into working on the film she believes will put her back into the spotlight.

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.