I spent decades in the hype business.

My successful technique was shocking.

I always told the truth.

I over delivered and never got caught promising more or exaggerating talent.

Turns out to be a novel approach especially in light of today’s political atmosphere.

I will not descend into a political diatribe as I am here to discuss authenticity which brings me to my most recent Broadway excursion.

I jumped on a cheapie orchestra ticket to Sunset Blvd., the remake of the original Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway production starring Glen Close which debuted in 1994. I attended the show and did not love it.

I actually had decided not to see Sunset Blvd., but there was so much hype around the scaled down production starring the award winning former Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, that my curiosity got the best of me.

The black and white production is uniquely crafted, extremely theatrical and at 2 hours and 35 minutes is way too long. The musical features a bare stage, not a prop in sight and the stage is filled with more smoke than an 80’s heavy metal music video.

I was ready for my close up about 90 minutes into the show.

The most clever part was the opening of Act II with the superb, 17-piece band playing the opening music as accompaniment to live footage of Tom Francis’ Joe Gillis walking through the dressing rooms, flirting with his fellow cast members. He exits through the stage door, sings the title song in the street next to a poster of himself and then goes back into the theater through the foyer, into the theater and on to the stage at the exact end of the number.

The audience’s first encounter with Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond, the fading movie star (Nicole never ages in the play) is stark and dramatic

She is dressed in a perfect fitting black slip dress, bare footed and enticing with her balletic sculpted arms and blood red fingernails and shining mane of long, straight black hair.

Her voice is good not overwhelming. The first number was impactful. The rest was repetitive and her performance is devoid of true emotion.

Sunset Blvd. is over hyped and I should have stuck with my initial decision not to go. As with the SAT’s, go with your first response.

The jubilant packed house response was positive.

Onward to the new shows. Perhaps Betty Boop the Musical, Buena Vista Social Club, Smash, Floyd Collins, Just In Time, John Proctor Is The Villain, The Picture of Dorian Gray or George Clooney starring in Good Night, and Good Luck will be more satisfying.

Enjoy Super Bowl LIX weekend.