In the Broadway musical Sunset Boulevard silent screen star Norma Desmond returns to the Paramount lot after twenty years living under the radar in her crumbling mansion. She sings the song, "As If We Never Said Goodbye.” In this poignant anthem to reclaiming the glory and spotlight she once had, she sings:

“And this time will be bigger/And brighter than we knew it/So watch me fly, we all know I can do it.”

Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez plays Norma Desmond on Tuesdays and other select performances of the Broadway musical, directed by Jamie Lloyd—taking over for Nicole Scherzinger. That song and those lyrics have a potent resonance. For Gonzalez, who earned the moniker “the Beast,” for her ferocious belt and depth of emotion, the song is a testament to her resilience and unstoppable fortitude.

Gonzalez has been working on Broadway since she made her debut as the standby for Princess Amneris in Aida in 2001. She originated the role of Nina Rosario in In the Heights, has played a a rich palette of characters from Elphaba (Wicked) to Angelica Schuyler (Hamilton), tours in her concerts around the world, is the author of the Fearless series of Young Adult books and started a social media initiative for inclusiveness called #FearlessSquad.

“I’ve had incredible experiences—when you're in a career for almost 25 years, it's a lot of ups and downs” says Gonzalez who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, performed in Hamilton during treatment and was very open about her journey so she could help others. “The beautiful thing about this show and playing Norma is that I get to bring all of that on stage and express things I felt throughout my career."

Singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” to the packed crowd at the St. James Theatre Gonzalez also feels a profound sense of gratitude. “I see everybody who has been a part of my life,” says Gonzalez whose father is Mexican-American and mother is Jewish. “In my mind I see all those faces. I can feel and hear them in those seats—including people who are no longer with us.”

Gonzalez’s network of support began early with her family. Her grandmother believed in Gonzalez so deeply she took her granddaughter to classes and auditions. She introduced Gonzalez to torch singers like Judy Garland, Eydie Gormé and Ethel Merman. “She saw something in me and said to my parents, ‘Mandy has talent and we have to figure out what to do.’”

As a child growing up in Santa Clarita, California, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music was a key part of her Broadway soundtrack. His songs helped her evolve as an artist. She vividly remembers seeing a Los Angeles production of Sunset Boulevard during her eighth grade class trip.

“Andrew Lloyd Weber became a symbol of a composer whose music I wanted to sing. I wanted to be a part of that world,” she shares. But before Sunset Boulevard she had not been asked to audition for an Andrew Lloyd Webber production.

“Throughout my life I was told to change my name because it was too ethnic. And that I would never be able to play roles like Norma Desmond,” says Gonzalez. “Being someone from a mixed background, as a Mexican American and Jewish American, society makes you feel like you don't belong anyplace.” So it’s very full circle for her to be a part of this production and portray Norma. “To sing this kind of music, which I grew up loving, is really a dream come true,” she says.

Also, while director Jamie Lloyd’s reimagined production contains no props nor set pieces, the bare stage has extreme close-ups. Gonzalez and the rest of the cast, including Tom Francis, Grace Padgett Young and David Thaxton, are projected literally larger than life onto massive 23 foot tall digital screens.

As daunting as it may sound, Gonzalez is ready. “Jamie lifts you up to trust yourself and your instincts. Over and over he continues to say, ‘you are enough.’ And at this time in my life, I feel that I am enough,” says Gonzalez. “He asks you to be your most authentic self. And I’ve learned so much as a performer.”

Gonzalez also welcomes the chance to play such a flawed and vulnerable woman. “Some of my mom's friends have seen the show and asked, “how does it feel to lose it on stage and unravel?’ They say, 'I would love to do that. It feels like it's a release,’” she says. “Not that I want people to go that far, but the way Jamie directed it, you feel for Norma. She is a real person. And I have to bring all parts of myself to that.”

In fact, it's not lost on Gonzalez that she’s the first Latina to play Norma Desmond on Broadway. (Rita Moreno played her on the West End.) “A lot of people from all different backgrounds come to see the show. Also, there are many young people in the ensemble. I want them to know that this is possible. You can be here too. You can stand in my shoes,” says Gonzalez. “Your background doesn't matter. Everybody has a chance. You just have to fight.”