Showtune Sunday: Whose version of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from “Sunset Boulevard” is best?

With a new version of Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger currently on Broadway – and meeting with Patti LuPone’s approval – it’s a perfect time for an encore presentation of this Sunset Boulevard diva sing-off!

The song is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard. The main character, Norma Desmond, reveals her longing to return to the spotlight of fame. She’s a faded star of the silent screen era who was originated on the London stage by Miss LuPone followed closely by Glenn Close in a Los Angeles production. The rest is history. Close was chosen over the already contracted LuPone to take the show to Broadway. LuPone sued, Close won a Tony then played the role in London in a 2015 revival and again on Broadway in 2017.

Betty Buckley also had two marvelous runs when she replaced LuPone in the original London production then replaced Close on Broadway.

Below are their versions plus a few more including Barbra Streisand who featured it on her Back to Broadway album and used the song to open her show when she returned to live performing in 1994 after a hiatus of more than 20 years.