Beginning tonight, Broadway powerhouse Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show, Into the Woods) stars as former silent-screen goddess Norma Desmond in the Kennedy Center's production of Sunset Boulevard. Tony Award® nominee Derek Klena (Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) is Joe Gillis, Auli‘i Cravalho (Moana, Rise, The Little Mermaid Live!) is Betty Schaefer, and internationally-renowned Grammy Award® winning baritone Nathan Gunn is Max von Mayerling.
They are joined by Michael Maliakel (Aladdin) as Artie Green, Kevin Pariseau (My Fair Lady, Ink) as Sheldrake, Tyley Ross (Finding Neverland, Miss Saigon) as Manfred, and Paul Schoeffler (Sunset Boulevard, Rock of Ages) as Cecil B. DeMille. The Ensemble will include David André, Lauren Blackman, Julio Catano-Yee, Colin Cunliffe, Haile Ferrier, Emily Harvey, Wonza Johnson, Aubrie Knapp, Ryland Marbutt, Lance Roberts, Maria Cristina Posada Slye, and Kristin Yancy.
Sunset Boulevard will feature scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III (BCS: Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, Tommy, Footloose, and Next to Normal) costume design by Alejo Vietti (Beautiful, Allegiance), lighting design by Cory Pattak (BCS: Guys and Dolls, Next to Normal, Footloose, In the Heights, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man), sound design by Kai Harada and Haley Parcher (BCS: Guys and Dolls), and hair and wig design by Tom Watson (Wicked, Rock of Ages, The King and I).
As previously announced, this new production from the Kennedy Center’s critically acclaimed Broadway Center Stage series will be directed by Sammi Cannold (Evita at New York City Center, Ragtime on Ellis Island), with choreography by Emily Maltby (For You Paige: A TikTok Musical, Evita at New York City Center) and music direction by Ben Cohn (Dear Evan Hansen). Tyrone L. Robinson (the Kennedy Center’s Show Way) will be the Associate Director, Emily Stillings will be the Associate Choreographer, and Garret Healey will be the Associate Musical Director. The lush score will be performed onstage by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. The Broadway Center Stage series is conceived by Artistic Director Jeffrey Finn, Kennedy Center Vice President and Executive Producer of Theater.