Despite the infamous troubles with American premiere star-would've-been Faye Dunaway, Sunset Boulevard went on to Broadway and won seven 1995 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design.

Now, Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest comes to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center as the travelling version of Sunset Boulevard , directed by Trevor Nunn with musical staging by Bob Avian, opens Saturday and runs through Dec. 21.

Sunset Boulevard is based on the 1950 film that starred Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Erich von Stroheim. It tells the story of an out-of-work Hollywood screenwriter named Joe Gillis whose car breaks down in the driveway of fading silent screen star Norma Desmond's mansion.

``I think it was a terrific subject for musical-ization,'' said Linda Balgord, who plays Norma Desmond in the version coming to TBPAC.

``Norma Desmond was a great film star, so she has a lot of passion.''

Balgord, who said she came through Sarasota a few years back with the show Aspects of Love , added the stage version of the film doesn't water down the original.

``I think people who love the film won't feel it has been toyed with.''

Film fans aren't the only people coming to see Sunset Boulevard , Balgord said.

``I think many people know and love the film, but there at least two generations ... who have no background with it.''

Of course, any theatrical production with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (book and lyrics are by Don Black and Christopher Hampton) is going to have larger-than-life visuals and special effects. Sunset Boulevard is no different, as facts presented in a press release show:

Norma Desmond's mansion weighs 17 tons.
Her double vermicelli beaded coat with matching top and trouser contains two and a half million beads.
Whoever plays Norma Desmond climbs 700 stairs a week, 2,800 stairs a month.
The show has 22 scenes involving 15 different set changes.
The set includes 50 pieces of scenery with some scenes requiring all 50 pieces to move simultaneously.

Sunset Boulevard 's world premiere was at London's Adelphi Theatre in July 1993. The American premiere was at the Schubert Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 1993; it starred Glenn Close as Norma Desmond, Alan Campbell as Joe Gillis, Judy Kuhn as Betty Schaefer and George Hearn as Max von Mayerling.

The show opened on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre on Nov. 17, 1994, with Close, Campbell and Hearn reprising their roles.