‘Sunset Boulevard’ Is Bringing Hollywood Drama to Manila in 2027

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acclaimed theater adaptation of Sunset Boulevard will get its own Manila production. Produced by CueCraft Entertainment, the adaptation is scheduled for August 2027. For the Manila adaptation, West End Filipina actress Joanna Ampil will star as iconic anti-hero Norma Desmond. Ampil, her first time staging a show in Manila since 2018 for her role in Waitress, is excited to come back home as one of the most iconic characters in theater.

“I hope the audience will be captivated by [Norma Desmond’s] presence and the grandeur of the show — because it will look lavish and beautiful — but will also leave the theatre feeling for her, knowing that all she wants is to be loved, valued, and remembered,” Ampil says. 

Sunset Boulevard is set in 1940s Hollywood and tells the story of struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis, who meets silent-film has-been Norma Desmond. She then lures him into the dangerous world of showbusiness.

In the recent Broadway and West End revival, Filipino-American actress and singer Nicole Scherzinger received the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the 2025 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Norma Desmond.

Elijah Pareño

Music Writer

Elijah Pareño is the Music Writer of Rolling Stone Philippines. He writes daily music news, features, reviews, and radar stories of the website.

In addition to music writing, Pareño has written about the behind-the-scenes writers and producers from the P-pop scene, interviewed hip-hop artists like Shanti Dope and Zae, and featured up-and-coming artists for the Music Forecast 2026. Aside from music, Pareño has written about the state of affairs that affects pop culture. He wrote a movie review for 'Mortal Kombat II' and reported and interviewed photojournalists at the September 21, 2025 protests in Luneta and Mendiola.

Prior to working in Rolling Stone Philippines, Pareño was a freelance writer for 3 years and independent live music promoter

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• In This Article:
• Joanna Ampil
• Sunset Boulevard