Joanna Ampil to lead 'Sunset Boulevard' PH staging
Theater actress Joanna Ampil will star in the Philippine debut of Sunset Boulevard in August 2027.
Producer Cue Craft Entertainment announced that Ampil will play Norma Desmond, a silent film star who longs to make a comeback on the big screen.
"I’m ready for my close-up…I’m coming home at last, Manila!" Ampil wrote in her social media post.
Sunset Boulevard follows Norma Desmond, a forgotten silent film star longing to reclaim her former glory, whose life becomes entangled with that of Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter drawn into her tragic world.
The 2027 production will be directed by Nelsito Gomez, who also helmed Macbeth, Man Of La Mancha, Si Faust, and his upcoming adaptation, The Child.
The play will run for a limited engagement from Aug. 18 to Sept. 12, 2027, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theatre) in Makati. Tickets range from P2,500 to P6,000, available via TicketWorld.
Adapted from Billy Wilder’s legendary 1950 film, the musical premiered in London’s West End in 1993. It features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, and orchestrations by David Cullen and Lloyd Webber.
Its memorable score includes beloved songs such as With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The Perfect Year, and Sunset Boulevard.
WATCH: Is Gen Z too soft? (Generations Ep. 23)
September 30, 2026