Filipino actress Joanna Ampil will play faded silent-film star Norma Desmond in a Philippine production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard,” scheduled to open in August 2027.
Presented by CueCraft Entertainment by arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd., the musical will run Aug. 18-Sept. 12 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at RCBC Plaza in Makati. Nelsito Gomez will direct the production.
The casting adds Norma Desmond to Ampil’s international theater credits, which include leading roles in “Miss Saigon,” “Les Misérables,” “Cats” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
From ‘Miss Saigon’ to Norma Desmond
Ampil, who was born in Manila, built her career on London’s West End and other international stages. Her roles include Kim in “Miss Saigon,” Éponine and Fantine in “Les Misérables,” Grizabella in “Cats” and Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
In 2023, she became the first woman to play the Engineer in a professional production of “Miss Saigon,” taking on the role at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in England. Her credits also include Carlotta in the West End production of “The Phantom of the Opera” and Jenna in the Manila staging of “Waitress.”
Her work extends to Philippine cinema. She won best actress at the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival for “Ang Larawan,” the musical film adapted from Nick Joaquin’s play “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.”
What ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is about
Based on Billy Wilder’s film, “Sunset Boulevard” follows Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter whose encounter with Norma Desmond draws him into the former star’s secluded world.
Set in 1940s Hollywood, the story centers on Norma’s determination to return to the screen. She sees Joe as someone who can help revive her career, while he finds financial security in her household. Their increasingly dependent relationship exposes the distance between her expectations and the film industry that has moved on without her.
The musical has music by Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. Its story examines celebrity, ambition and the personal costs of an industry built around youth and public attention.
Philippine production
CueCraft said the staging will feature Filipino and international performers and creatives, with an original production developed for Philippine audiences. Ampil is the announced lead; the supplied announcement does not identify the actor who will play Joe Gillis.
The engagement is scheduled for a limited run at the Makati venue, bringing Ampil back to the Philippine stage in a role centered on a performer confronting the loss of fame and a changing industry.
