Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to open in Makati in August 2027, with Nelsito Gomez directing
MANILA — Internationally acclaimed Filipina theater performer Joanna Ampil will portray Norma Desmond in the Philippine premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, scheduled for a limited engagement from August 18 to September 12, 2027, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, in Makati City.
CueCraft Entertainment announced Ampil’s casting on Friday, October 16. The production, presented by arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd., will be directed by Nelsito Gomez and feature Filipino and international performers and creative artists.
The musical features music by Lloyd Webber, with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. It is adapted from Billy Wilder’s 1950 film of the same name, starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden.
Set in Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard follows Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved with Norma Desmond, a former silent-film star unable to accept the decline of her career. Convinced that she can return to the screen, Desmond draws Gillis into an increasingly troubled relationship shaped by ambition, isolation and obsession.
The musical premiered in London’s West End in 1993 and opened on Broadway the following year. Its score includes “With One Look,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” “The Perfect Year” and the title song, “Sunset Boulevard.”
Ampil brings extensive international stage experience to the role, having performed in major productions across London’s West End, Asia, Australia and other international venues.
Her theater credits include Kim in Miss Saigon, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Éponine and Fantine in Les Misérables, Grizabella in Cats, and Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera. She also portrayed the Engineer in a reimagined production of Miss Saigon in Sheffield, England, becoming the first woman to perform the role in that staging.
In the Philippines, Ampil has appeared in West Side Story, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The Bridges of Madison County and the international premiere of Waitress. Her film performance as Candida in Ang Larawan earned her Best Actress honors at the Metro Manila Film Festival and the Gawad Urian Awards.
Her recording credits include cast albums of Miss Saigon and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as solo recordings. She also participated in My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The Manila production will feature staging developed specifically for Philippine audiences. Additional casting and creative team details have yet to be announced.
