Latest news with #JamieLloyd
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
His starry Broadway shows have become pop culture events
NEW YORK — If you've seen a celebrity on a sparse stage in recent years, chances are they were in a revival directed by Jamie Lloyd. There was Jessica Chastain, as a wife mostly confined to a chair until she walked out on her husband in 'A Doll's House,' on Broadway in 2023. Before that, Tom Hiddleston as a cuckold coolly navigating infidelity in 'Betrayal,' first on London's West End and then on Broadway in 2019. Both earned Lloyd Tony nominations for best director and a reputation as a promising young Brit with a distinct point of view.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sunset Boulevard' star Tom Francis reveals how he plays ‘the complete and utter opposite' of Nicole Scherzinger's Norma Desmond
'It literally hit me like a ton of bricks,' says Tom Francis about the moment he finally realized that he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Sunset Boulevard. The feeling of recognition ebbs and flows for the actor, who plays Joe Gillis in the musical revival. He shares, 'I was really overcome with joy and now it feels not real at the moment. I keep fluctuating between being confused as to how it happened and so overjoyed as to the fact that it's happened.' Francis recently sat down with Gold Derby to discuss his leading role in the radically reimagined revival, playing to the cameras on stage, his iconic walk through Shubert Alley, and much more. Gold Derby: I know when you auditioned for director Jamie Lloyd, you didn't know either the original film or Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical very well. What about the opportunity most excited you a few years ago? More from GoldDerby Cannes: 'Die, My Love' reviews kickstart early Oscar buzz for 'astonishing' Jennifer Lawrence 'Shrinking' Season 3 spoilers exposed during set visit, including Harrison Ford's 'extraordinary' time with Michael J. Fox How 'Mad Max: Fury Road' became an unlikely Oscar contender 10 years ago Tom Francis: For sure, the initial thing was the attraction to work with Jamie. I remember watching his production of Betrayal and I was just blown away by how he directed the show. I've always said, if I ever got the opportunity to try and work with him, I'd take it up. And then once I started delving into the audition material, I just fell in love with the score. I just think it's such a beautifully written score and the melodies are so enjoyable to sing. It's those two things that really made me want to delve into it. is a period piece, but you and Nicole Scherzinger and the whole ensemble really brings a modern sensibility that makes the show feel timeless. When you step into Joe Gillis, do you feel like you're playing a character in the 1950s? That's a good question. I think that the words and how the sentences are formed in the book and the lyrics that I sing, they definitely make it feel like it's of that period. But the contrast to that is the fact that I'm in Dickies trousers and a vest and a t-shirt, so that brings it into the modern day, so you're always in this juxtaposition. Those things really inform how you move, but you've got these words which feel very period coming out. Getty I knew I was going to enjoy this production from the very beginning when you come out of the body bag. I thought that was such a smart, bold opening. When you're lying in that body bag getting ready to start the show, what is going through your head? What are you thinking about when you're zipped up in there? Just don't forget the words. I always tell myself, if you can get through 'Let's Do Lunch,' then the rest of the show should be fine. I always just try and just focus in and breathe. I have a little bit of a hole, my head's kind of slanted and my mouth is kind of out, so I can breathe a little bit, and so I just try and breathe through that and just take some deep breaths and focus in for the next two-and-a-half hours. 'Let's Do Lunch' is such a kinetic way to start the show, and then we get that brilliant and inspired car chase sequence with you holding the camera. Were there moments when you were learning about what Jamie was going to do with his staging when you were putting it up on its feet that you were just in awe? I knew it was going to be a pretty interesting process when we walked in on day one and we started going through all the movement and figuring out what the language was going to be for the movement. Then a few days in, there was a video screen installed in rehearsals, so we had a half-size video screen which came in and out, and when that came in and we started playing around with cameras and figuring out what the show was going to be, that was a pretty jaw-dropping moment. There are so many things that were on camera, and then there are so many things that weren't on camera, and there were so many different drafts of the show when we were making it. I think we found a good balance between stage and camera in this production. SEE 'A fever dream': Jamie Lloyd and Tom Francis describe their radical new take on 'Sunset Boulevard' There are so many moments when your face is up on that 23-foot screen. Do you modulate your performance between playing to the camera versus the audience? Massively, massively. I feel like a good way to describe it is a head tilt. When I do 'Let's Do Lunch,' I use my head a bit more and I use my body a bit more to convey how I'm feeling, whereas when the camera's in front of my face, I basically think everything and let it come through my eyes a lot more. There's definitely a switch-up. Let's talk about the physicality. I'm sure you're probably tired of folks asking you about the title number, 'Sunset Boulevard,' but it is really such a dynamic part of the show. Did you play around with different iterations in New York until you settled on the route through Shubert Alley? Oh, I love it! I'm not sure how many iterations Jamie and our brilliant video team had, but I know that there were a few. I think there was one that was potentially starting on the roof, and there was one that was starting in Times Square, and I think there was one that involved a golf buggy. There were a lot of things to try and make things work, and then we decided to fix on this route, and I think we went with the best option. I don't think many folks realize how physically demanding what you're doing is, to coordinate your movements, to control your breath, and sing this song and navigate ridiculous crowds, especially at night in Shubert Alley. It is insane! How physically challenging do you find it to make it look so effortless? If I think about it, then it becomes really hard. I use this analogy: if you go to the gym and you lift a certain weight for a certain amount of days, then that weight becomes really easy and you need to lift a higher weight. Now, I'm not saying it's easy and it becomes easy, but it's come to a point now where I think it's a bit more of a muscle memory, which is definitely more enjoyable because I feel like I can really focus on the storytelling. But it's really tough, especially that last bit where you're walking back and then you have to go up the stairs, all of the turning, and then you go up the stairs onto the stage to hit that last long note, that bit's tricky, so you just have to have a lot of breath control there. SEE Tony Talk: Breaking down those surprise nominations and early winner predictions for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Sunset Boulevard,' and more I want to talk about working with Nicole Scherzinger. She's giving an audacious performance as Norma Desmond. Watching her take the character to such extreme places, what does that make you do as an actor to match that energy? To allow her to go where she needed, I made the decision with Jamie that I needed to be as still as possible. We thought that if she goes to that place, then I need to go to the complete and utter opposite place to allow her to have that space and that support. When you come and see the show now, I'm very, very still. A lot of my notes from Jamie were, like, "Don't wipe the sweat off your nose. Don't draw anything, just let her do that thing." A lot of the notes that I get are, like, "Can you just be even more still?" Speaking of extremes, I love watching Joe break down during that final conversation with Betty (Grace Hodgett Young). I love what you do in the last few scenes, especially the death scene. Is it more challenging or cathartic at the end for you? It's a mixture of both. There are two things that come over me. There's an absolute relief normally that I've remembered my lyrics, because there are just so many words in this production, and then there's also the technical aspect of not shouting too much, but shouting enough, and not shouting too safely, but shouting safe enough. That's always something that you have to deal with. It definitely is a relief that comes over you at the end. Since Cecil B. DeMille is such an important figure in this musical, I want to ask you if there are any theater or film directors who you're dying to work with once this chapter comes to a close? For sure. I'd love to work with Tarantino. I'd love to work with Scorsese. I'd love to work with Wes Anderson. There's a few. Believe it or not, we're coming to the close of , which concludes its Broadway run on July 13. You have the finish line in sight. If you could project into the future, what are you going to miss most about living in this universe when you play that last performance? That's such a brilliant question. I'm going to miss the people. I'm going to miss the satisfaction of the job. I'm just going to miss this point in my career, I think. This job has changed my life in so many ways and it's given me so many opportunities. Now it's almost a little bit scary because I've now got to go and prove myself in those opportunities, which is going to be really fun, it's going to be an exciting new chapter, and an exciting challenge. But this has been such a beautiful way to start my twenties, and so I think it's sad that's coming to an end, but I'm excited for what comes next. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' 'Death Becomes Her' star Jennifer Simard is ready to be a leading lady: 'I don't feel pressure, I feel joy' Click here to read the full article.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In ‘Sunset Boulevard,' Tom Francis Writes His Own Story
Tom Francis asked to meet on a rugged corner of the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was a bright April day, and in some ways Francis, 25, in a vintage sweater and slacks, looked like any other member of the creative class with a matcha habit. Still, I had picked him out a block away. Onstage, in Jamie Lloyd's coruscating Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard,' his brooding features projected onto a 23-foot-tall screen, Francis looms large. But even here on Roebling Street, the actor, who stands 6-foot-2, with shoulders that would not demean a musk ox, was not exactly small. Francis is nominated for a Tony Award, and to see him pictured alongside his fellow nominees in the leading actor in a musical category is to believe that he could take any of them in a bar fight, maybe more than one at once. His 'Sunset Boulevard' co-star Nicole Scherzinger described him succinctly. 'He is a man,' she said in a phone interview. But, she was quick to emphasize, Francis is also a sweetheart, 'a 25-year-old teddy bear.' In 'Sunset Boulevard,' Francis stars as Joe Gillis, a dead-behind-the-eyes screenwriter who becomes entangled, in an asphyxiating way, with an aging queen of the silents. Here is the New York Times critic Jesse Green's take: 'Francis, as Joe, does shutdown-cynical-corpse very well.' Yet in person, Francis, who wields those shoulders lightly, is boyish, candid, eager, almost unable to believe his good fortune. And yes, that good fortune requires him to remain onstage for nearly every moment of a two-and-a-half-hour mega musical, except when he is leading the cast — in wind, in rain, amid tourists — through a portion of the Theater District as he sings the title number outdoors. He ends the show in his underwear, sunken-eyed and covered in blood. It's physically exhausting, he'll admit that, but on a deeper level, he also finds it restful. That's the calm that comes from performing work he feels he was made to do. The role, which has already won him an Olivier Award, has given him confidence, allowing him to trust his instincts and his powers. Audiences know that Francis is, every inch, a leading man. And now Francis knows it, too. 'Yeah, it's nice to find something that I feel good doing,' he said. Matcha in hand, Francis swung north, then west toward the East River. His publicist assured me that he had taken up photography and would be shooting while we walked, but owing to nerves or distraction or a desire to focus on the conversation, his camera stayed in his bag. Still, Francis's enthusiasm for the neighborhood, where he lived while filming the final season of the hip Netflix psycho killer drama 'You,' was palpable. He pointed out favorite restaurants and fat robins, and spoke about his love of cycling across the Williamsburg Bridge, the skyline at his back. 'That's the time when I take in the fact that I've got to Broadway,' he said. Admittedly, Francis's path to Broadway has not been especially circuitous or long. Music has always made sense to him. He is severely dyslexic, though this wouldn't be diagnosed until his late teens, and as a child he struggled in school. But when he played guitar or sang — first with the cathedral choir in his small town in the south of England, then with other choirs — he excelled. 'It was really nice not to be the dumbest kid in the room all the time,' Francis said. Choral singing led him to youth theater, then to drama school. Onstage, he could forget himself, give himself over to the role. 'You can just switch off and hang out in somebody else's skin for a little bit,' he explained. When Francis said this, earnestly and full of good will, it didn't sound creepy. (The accent helps.) He graduated from drama school, ArtsEd in West London in 2020, and despite the pandemic, he began to work almost immediately, in a live-capture performance of 'Rent,' a concert version of 'Hair,' and the Tom Jones musical 'What's New Pussycat?' He was then a replacement Romeo in the London production of '& Juliet.' When his contract for that show finished, he thought he might rest for a while, work on some original music. Then his agent told him about an audition for a 'Sunset Boulevard' revival, which Lloyd would direct. Francis didn't know the show, or the 1950 Billy Wilder movie that inspired it, but he knew Lloyd by reputation and was desperate to work with him. Lloyd, who remembered Francis from 'Rent,' liked what he heard at the first audition. He kept calling him back and back. (Lloyd said there were four auditions; Francis believes there were nine.) But Lloyd didn't really need to see more. 'I just knew in an instant that was Joe Gillis,' Lloyd said in a phone interview. That Francis looked more like a noir hunk than a typical musical theater actor helped. ('He wasn't in any way glossy,' Lloyd said. 'He looked a real guy.') And while Francis isn't naturally cynical — or naturally a baritone — he let the words and music take him there, with a voice that could go barroom smoky or church-bell clear, which convinced Lloyd and, later, Lloyd Webber. 'I mean, he's a really good singer,' Lloyd Webber called to tell me. FRANCIS WAS JUST 22 during those auditions, and 23 when rehearsals began. Scherzinger, who plays the fading star Norma Desmond, remembered meeting him and thinking: 'He's so young. Then I realized the whole cast was so young. I was like, 'Wow, I really feel like Norma Desmond now, because I feel so old.'' The show opened in London in the fall of 2023 to rapturous reviews. Talk of a New York transfer was immediate. A month into the run, Lloyd came into Francis's dressing room and asked him if he would like to go to New York. Francis had known that Scherzinger was a lock; he hadn't thought that Lloyd would take him as well. But the chemistry between the two of them was undeniable. Offstage, this manifests as a brother-sister closeness. ('He's a good boy, and I love him,' Scherzinger said.) Onstage, it's a lot steamier. Lloyd wanted them both. Francis didn't have to think about it. 'I was like, 'Hell yes, a thousand times over,'' he said. The show's Broadway theater, the St. James, was larger than the London one, and the outside jaunt — during which Francis sings the title number while being filmed live — trickier, though Francis insists that the crowds that gather to watch him are typically polite. (Those crowds are more rapacious at the stage door. Francis doesn't mind it. 'It's quite a nice feeling knowing you've made someone's day,' he said.) But the demands of the show wore at him. He sings or speaks for perhaps 90 minutes of it. And toward the close of the show he has to scream, gutturally. 'It's not a sustained note kind of scream, it needs to sound like you've been shot,' he said. That screaming, combined with a case of laryngitis, made for vocal cord damage, which meant that Francis had to miss a week of performances in November. After that, he adjusted his exercise routines and his diet. A nutritionist told him that he was undereating by about a thousand calories per day. He also became a regular at the trendy day spa Bathhouse. 'Water and steam are my best friends,' he said. It would be natural for a handsome 20-something to want to explore the New York nightlife, but aside from a good restaurant meal, Francis limits his extracurriculars. Lloyd appreciates that. 'Even with all the temptations in New York, he keeps his feet on the ground and stays focused and disciplined and consistent,' he said. 'It's amazing someone of that age can do that.' After walking for about an hour, Francis arrived at Marsha P. Johnson State Park, which runs down to the river itself. He sat down on a log and looked out at the Manhattan skyline. 'This city,' he said, 'it just has my heart.' Yet it's an open question how long Francis will stay here. Scherzinger has known this since the first rehearsal. 'I said we've got to get that face on the screen,' she said. Hollywood has already come calling. The producer Greg Berlanti, having seen Francis in 'Sunset Boulevard' in London, cast him in 'You,' Francis's first television role. He played Clayton, a writer who maneuvers against Penn Badgley's Joe. It doesn't end well. (Francis joked that if he has a type, it's writers who die.) 'We would cast him again in a heartbeat,' Berlanti said. 'He's got strength mixed with vulnerability and mystery.' Francis has since spent a couple of days on the set of the upcoming Noah Baumbach movie, 'Jay Kelly,' and been cast in Peter Berg's World War II project, 'The Mosquito Bowl.' 'I'm ready to go and try something new,' Francis said. 'I really want to have a multifaceted career.' For now there are the Tony Awards and several more months to go in 'Sunset.' And at the moment there was sun on the water and more sun reflecting on skyscraper windows and a smell from the river that wasn't entirely nice. It all still feels like a dream to him, but it's a dream in which he belongs — here and on Broadway, and just maybe on the Radio City Music Hall stage where the Tonys will be awarded this year. 'I'm equally confused and just proud of myself,' he said.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘A fever dream': Jamie Lloyd and Tom Francis describe their radical new take on ‘Sunset Boulevard'
'I'm not sure anyone's going to like this, it is such a big swing and such a departure from that original production,' Jamie Lloyd remembers thinking about his remounting of Sunset Boulevard right after seeing the dress rehearsal of the Broadway production. Following a successful four-month run in London that earned 11 Olivier Award nominations, Lloyd's cinematic take on the musical opened in New York in October and will conclude in July. The Tony-nominated director recently sat down with Gold Derby and other journalists at the 2025 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees press event. The visionary director, who has received Tony nominations for his productions of Betrayal and A Doll's House, offered insight into his approach for his radical reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. He shared, 'It's about a psychological space, a liminal psychological place. The whole production is almost, in my mind, like a fever dream emanating from this fractured mind, from Norma Desmond's fractured mind. She's haunted by her past, she's haunted by her memories. It's a production in which reality is almost always just out of reach. … By the end, it feels like you've plummeted to the depths with Norma and you've gone very deep inside her mind.' More from GoldDerby Sam Reid, Mark Johnson, and the 'Interview With the Vampire' team sink their teeth into FYC season How the casting director for 'Adolescence' discovered Owen Cooper for the emotional lead role of Jamie: 'The search was far and wide' Why the groundbreaking 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' is disappearing from Netflix SEE Tony Talk: Breaking down those surprise nominations and early winner predictions for 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Sunset Boulevard,' and more Gold Derby also spoke with Tom Francis, who stars as Joe Gillis, a down-on-his-luck writer who crashes into the orbit of faded silent film star Norma Desmond, lives off her wealth while trying to help her write a new film, and suffers tragically when their professional relationship becomes personal. He revealed that the show's second number, 'Let's Do Lunch,' helps him gear up for the incredibly taxing hours to come, sharing, 'It really sets you up for the rest of the show. … The breakdown bit at the end of 'Let's Do Lunch' is such a great way to completely let go of anything you've got in your body, get it out, and focus and do the rest of the show. … It's a great way to dial in.' Sunset Boulevard received seven Tony Award nominations. Gold Derby's odds currently predict the show will win the top honor of Best Musical Revival, Best Director for Lloyd, and Best Lighting Design for Jack Knowles. Nicole Scherzinger is extremely competitive for the Best Actress prize, ranked second in our odds and leading the tally with the most user predictions. Francis ranks fourth in Lead Actor, though this is one of the most hotly-contested categories of the season, as most of the performers, Francis included, received critical acclaim. Both he and Scherzinger won Oliviers for this performances, as did Lloyd. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' 'Death Becomes Her' star Jennifer Simard is ready to be a leading lady: 'I don't feel pressure, I feel joy' Click here to read the full article.
Geek Vibes Nation
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Juliet & Romeo' Review: If It Only Wasn't A Cheap Looking Musical…
Breathing life into the most tragic love story of all, the one between Romeo and Juliet, has never been easy. Many tried to do what Baz Luhrmann magnificently did in 1996, but only a few prevailed. Whether it's casting the most prominent names of the industry (Tom Holland as Romeo in Jamie Lloyds' recent theatre adaptation), turning it into a full-blown musical (the successful Broadway and West End show & Juliet ) or giving a minor character a lead role (Karen Maine 2022's Rosaline ), each director has tried to give their spin to the classic Shakespeare story. Timothy Scott Bogart is the latest on that list, as his Juliet & Romeo is now hitting the big screen. While there are a few wonderful twists and a delightful Clara Rugaard ( Love Gets a Room , Black Mirror ) as the titular female protagonist, this musical has too much glitter and autotuning to be convincing. While Bogart is doing everything he can to give his unique spin to the decades-old tale – in this case, it means creating a modern-looking musical – it's precisely that musical take that decreases this feature's enjoyment and emotional impact. The emotional poignancy, the fiery clash between the Montagues and Capulets, and the life-or-death aspect don't come through because of the too-polished music numbers. Every time someone bursts into song – which is much more than necessary – the film turns into a big pop music video. Glitz, glamour, lip-syncing, and autotuning are present in bucketloads, but there is no emotional impact or in-depth meaning. The most frustrating part of those over-the-top songs isn't the fact that they look out of place, but it's the fact that they diminish Rugaard's fantastic lead performance. We meet her Juliet when she returns home from boarding school. Home for her is the early 14th Century Verona. The city is riddled with rivalry and heated fights despite a peace treaty between her parents (Rupert Everett and Rebel Wilson) and Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs). Verona and this movie could benefit from more light and love, and that's precisely what Rugaard's Juliet brings to this feature. Clara Rugaard as Juliet in 'Juliet & Romeo' courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment This headstrong woman – you better forget about the fact that Juliet was 13 when she met Romeo – wants to create her future, no matter what her parents have planned for her. With the right amount of determination and grace, and later on in this feature, butterflies in her stomach, Rugaard's take feels fresh, appealing, and warm. It's only fair that her character is the first one in the title. Whether or not the suave and slight bad-boy Romeo ( His Dark Materials Jamie Ward) will sweep you off your feet as he does with Juliet depends on whether or not boy band singers are what your heart desires. Despite giving his best shot in trying to deliver a performance that oozes the same amount of love, tenderness, lust for life and insubordination, Ward's Romeo feels much more like a singer auditioning to join the latest pop sensation. While his performance would perfectly fit in & Juliet – as the Montagues form a boy band mid-play – in this feature, it's more a distraction than anything else. Ward might not have been able to elevate his character to something new, but the supporting cast certainly could. Wilson's Lady Capulet is much more multilayered than you would think, as she's not only the devoted wife/mother but also a woman trying to navigate a male-dominated world. Many women, including herself, are unhappy with their role in society, but no matter how much they raise their voices, nothing is done about it. Despite not having much screen time, Wilson ( The Hustle , Jojo Rabbit ) can add the necessary energy and emotions. As her on-screen husband, Isaacs ( Spinning Gold , The Death of Stalin ) delivers the same intensity, sincerity and honesty. Rebel Wilson as Lady Capulet in 'Juliet & Romeo' courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment At the same time, the humour is undoubtedly provided by Dan Fogler ( Eric , Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore ). His pseudo-rap song might not work, but at least his acting is a wonderful addition to the film. While the musical numbers and the much more contemporary-sounding dialogue take away the gravitas of Shakespeare's writing, Derek Jacobi ( The Tenth Man , Adam Resurrected ) his vigorous Friar Lawrence gives this gimmick take on the original literary work some authenticity. While we always applaud giving a creative and personal spin to a story done many times, Bogart strays just a little too far from the original central story. The dialogue feels too modernized and the bright and unflattering lighting makes this feature look like a cheap B-movie. Luckily, Rugaard and Jacobi save the day with dramatic and convincing performances. Juliet & Romeo is out now in cinemas courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment
