Sarah Brightman's “Sunset Boulevard” in Melbourne Scales Back Shows Due to Low Demand

They're discerning in Melbourne.

Not that I usually care about critics…if I want to see something, I’ll make up my own mind…but her notices haven’t been very positive so far. Maybe she’ll settle into the role by the time she hits Sydney.

Sarah hasn’t performed for more than two weeks.

They’re saying she’s recovering from an injury, but I suspect that’s a fig leaf.

Sarah hasn’t performed for more than two weeks.

They’re saying she’s recovering from an injury, but I suspect that’s a fig leaf.

They’re also not announcing she’s not performing until everyone’s already seated.

Sorry about the double post. I thought the first one wouldn’t go through.

Sarah Brightman is STILL ALIVE???

Read between the lines....she won't be back. Bad reviews and disappointing ticket sales when she's the headliner? Ouch. I doubt it will move especially if Sarah doesn't return.

Apparently other members of the cast have also missed performance recently. It’s pretty much been all understudies lately.

I have a feeling the Sydney run will either be scrapped or they’ll try to find a replacement.

Norma Desmond?

Looks more like Morticia Adams.

I always thought she was absolutely terrible.

Set design in OP's image and at r2 is gorgeous and the lighting is perfect. Costumes look awesome, too. Shame about the lead not working out.

This did not need its own thread. The lack of responses is embarrassing to me!

She's singing the entire show in head voice. That just doesn't work

With one look you can all KISS MY ARSE!

Call Glenn.

“Patti, darling, since you’re in Australia right now…”

I would pay top dollar to see Patti sing Sunset live.

The world seems to be really over the arts what with all the woke shit and basically seeing this stuff as frivolous. People are trying to save money.

R17, I would actually pay to see that. lol

R18 just couldn't help themselves. This production of sunset wasn't "woke" by any stretch of the imagination. It was just a poor quality production with a headliner who can't sing the score is written.

It’s a hard part to sing. What is she using for a voice?

I don't think there's ever been a Norma who sings the role entirely in her upper register like Brightman has. They know it's not working. There's not a single video of her singing the role out there, and you can see how they edited the promo videos so you don't hear her singing.

Are you in Melbourne OP? Let’s have chemsex

I would only pay to see Sarah in " Shucked."

“Sunset Boulevard” is woke?

There's some cunt who complains about "woke" shit in every single theater thread. God forbid you mention colour blind casting...

I think she would've done better opening this show on Broadway. It would be a hit with tourists who recognize her name.

Maybe they can bring in Jennifer Lopez to drive up ticket sales. She should be available now.

R28 I was thinking Nicki Minaj. Maybe Minaj can be JLo's understudy ?

I'm free until that alleged Hulu show starts filming!

Debra Byrne, the original Aussie Norma, stopped in to see Silvie Paladino (alternate). Maybe she was waiting for Sarah then gave up.

She's stable enough to do another show?

[Quote] Sarah Brightman is STILL ALIVE???

No, that’s why the show is doing so poorly.

There was a video of her rehearsing and I KNEW I had heard that sound before.

it's because they put the Chimp Ballet back into the first act.

Sunset Oblivion!

Tim Draxl looks like such a cookie sniffer in this thumbnail.

The gayest Joe Gillis ever.

Does everyone do bad American accents, or do they just say fuck it and let the strine out?

[quote]Apparently other members of the cast have also missed performance recently.

It's a very cold start to winter here and there are population-level surges of both Covid and the flu.

R37. The gayest Joe ever? No, that would be Bryan Batt who I love but multiple purses fell out of his mouth when I saw him play Joe opposite Betty Lynn. It just wasn't his role.

Sarah Brightman IS Norma Desmond-

ish.

Norma Desmond says...

...okay.

The production design looks amazing, and frankly the best way to do this show is with big, lush sets and costumes. (Yeah, not excited about the projection heavy Broadway revival that’s coming). It’s a shame the casting isn’t working out. Reboot before Sydney — lots of musical theater actors out there. The original American tour had the most massive sets I’d ever seen taken on the road. The split mansion / apartment New Year’s Eve scene was jaw-dropping.

R4

I don’t see the problem

The pack of chunts producers should let Gina Riley take a crack at it. She’d sing the shit out of it.

Hello...Meryl?

I like Sarah, but her voice has shown a lot of wear for at least a decade or more. And even when she was at her best, vocally, she is not right for Norma, so it's strange they went with her for this production.

You can’t just cast any woman you like and expect it to work. She is not Norma.

Was Dannii Minogue not available?!

Or Jill Perryman?

Is this musical actually that popular these days? You can't always return to the glory days. They won't say Sarah's back at last unless you give them a reason to do so. Pick a better musical, madam.

[quote]Is this musical actually that popular these days?

Was it ever?

The whole thing was a trunk musical from jump, right?

[quote]The original American tour had the most massive sets I’d ever seen taken on the road.

Which is why it was pulled off the road a long time before it was supposed to end. Too costly to transport and set up from town to town.

Then they sent out the second tour (with Petula Clark) and the scaled-down cardboard set.

Here's the official announcement.

Just two and a half weeks after she started missing shows

I look forward to reading the juicy meltdown stories in the coming months.

this show kinda blows, anyway.

Not everybody can sing Norma.

Even in its prime, Brightman's voice was totally unsuited to this part.

Plus, not to be unkind, but she'd have to lose a hell of a lot more than half a pound since Tuesday, if you follow. Pity the boards after that tread.

[quote]....she is recovering from a calf injury

So now she's a rancher?

What does it say when Norma barely sings in the promo?

R20, R25 & R26 can't you read?

R18 was talking about how in general the arts have gone far-left politically (i.e. "woke") which explains why professional/regional theater is struggling, since the majority of theatergoers are traditionalists who just seek escapism/entertainment, not a lecture.

Thus, many longtime members have stopped attending and canceled their subscriptions, viewing theater now as nothing more than Marxist propaganda machine.

I saw the Petula Clark tour as well. It was OK, but nothing like the massively staged previous tour. Interestingly, the prior tour didn’t have a headlining name. They thought the show sold itself.

I can read, and it was anecdotal bullshit.

R54 - Was the injury to her ego?

She has to step up to her high notes and she’s only famous because Lloyd-Webber wanted to fuck her.

An ageing soprano needs to develop a belt.

It is said that Bernadette Peters turned down the role because she didn't want to walk up and down that staircase several times every performance. I guess Sarah found out why due to her calf injury.

"May I say a few words, Sarah Brightman ?

I can't tell you how awful it was to be back in the audience watching Sunset Boulevard again. I promise you, I'll never come see you again. This was my role ! Just me, the director, and all those wonderful people in the dark. And now, Sarah Brightman, it's time to replace you.

This time, I'm staying - I'm staying for good, I'll be back where I was meant to be. With One Look, I'll be me!"

I saw LuPone in concert last November. She sang Argentina, but nothing from Sunset. I have to admit, I was disappointed. Just to hear her belt it would have been great. She still had the power for Argentina, but the chorus boys had to hold up her arms for her.

R40 to be fair, would ANYONE come across as straight when being expected to sexually pursue Betty Buckley?

She has a US Christmas tour this fall I wonder if that will go on?

Joe being gay doesn't really change the story at all

I wanted to see this revival but due to Sarah I didn’t buy tickets.

R68. The staircase in the original production was a monster. Based on photos I've seen, the Melbourne production has a smaller staircase and looks more like a house than a mansion. Sarah seems terribly out of shape so it's not surprising she can't return until completely healed. When Stockard Channing returned to Other Desert Cities after knee surgery she used a cane and they adjusted the blocking so she could sit as much as possible.

I think Sarah is done and won't return. Not unless she needs the pay check.

R76. I wouldn't be surprised if ALW still takes care of her financially.

It's probably all a fix. She' not planning a return.

[quote]She' not planning a return.

Nor a comeback

Nobody cares.

Nobody...

I’m wondering why it took so long for an official announcement to come forward. Opera Australia was probably afraid of losing even more ticket sales than they’d already experienced. But by doing so, they allowed theatre forums to run amok with gossip and rumours.

Sarah may well be recovering from an injury, but I suspect there’s more to the story.

r75 Do you actually believe there's an injury?

R83. I believe there's a minor yet very convenient injury that will keep her from returning to the show. It's Beanie all over again. An actor accepts a role they are not suited for, gets a lukewarm reception, is embarrassed and wants out.

I often wonder how, in a production or a film or what have you, how an entire production team can create a real stinker? They must know, surely. At some point, there must be a critical mass that knows? Is it just nobody dares say it?

Who is her understudy? Can she carry the show when Sarah drops out?

I wonder if there is some frenetic work behind the scenes to find a replacement that's a draw.

Just one cake or a little tart

No donuts cos they make me fart

Pastie or a sausage role

Cheese, and pineapple jello

I believe Glenn Close has commandeered a UN jet and is flying in on an emergency relief mission.

R89. Glenn, at her advanced age, was hospitalized during her London run in Sunset and was back in stage two days later. She missed one performance of the NY revival because her voice was shot. She's a pro.

Absolute pro, R90. She's also a movie star who can sing.

Adequately. On a good day.

"We could have brought anyone into this show: Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul. Sarah Brightman is what Melbourne is all about! She's dazzling, she's exciting, and very, very sexy!"

Paula Abdul in MY show?

I hear Kristin Chenowith is available.

I love the Norma stuff and some of the scenes she's not in. (Apparently we do want her in every scene.) But Sunset's really not a musical for the masses. To sell, it needs a star who's a bit of stunt casting. I always wanted Annie Lennox to do it (she's too wrinkled now) or even Cher (who is still not too wrinkled and may never be.) That would have been epic. Sarah Brightman is not that, even if the voice wasn't wrong for the part and she could act. (In the deliver of "I am big" in the trailer, she looks and sounds like she's asking if someone farted.)

Lennox is a stellar idea.

Just to add to R95, when the lead can sing it, it can entertain way, way more people. I saw the Nicole Scherzinger production in London. That audience was not comprised on mainly sophisticated the-ah-tah goers. No turbans, no staircase, no props. But the place roared with enthusiasm. She's a powerhouse, due largely to the strength of her voice. So it can be a hit, or at least profitable, it just takes the right casting.

R95 Cher came close to replacing Buckley in September, 1996. The deal fell apart at the very end; ALW said Cher couldn't start in September due to 'other commitments', while Cher went on record to say "he couldn't afford me". Cher also wanted her friend John Barrowman as her 'Joe Gillis' if she took the role, which ALW was hesitant about.

Wasn't Barrowman Buckley's Joe? In which case, why would ALW have been hesitant about him? Just a case of Andrew always wanting to piss off his leading ladies?

Brightman has sold millions of solo classical crossover albums and done large arena tours. I can’t imagine she did this for the money.

She’s wealthy enough that if she seriously needed a quick cash injection there are easier ways to do it than sing the score of Sunset Boulevard eight times a week (or not, as the case may be).

R97 I guess they could go pop in Australia and hire Tina Arena. She could sing it beautifully, but unfortunately her acting is awful. Her Sally Bowles was pretty woeful.

R99 When I saw the show in August, 1996 it was Bryan Batt who played Joe (who was very good). I think Barrowman didn't last as long as Buckley, for whatever reason. And I guess ALW wanted to keep Batt in, rather than replace him with Barrowman to appease Cher ?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - he should have taken Diahann Carroll's offer to continue her performance on Broadway (she was just finishing her Canadian run). She would've kept the show going a lot longer than Elaine Paige.

r98, thx. Didn't know that. I always thought it was a bit of a crazy thought... but there ya go. (Cher could still do it, if you ask me.)

r102 Ah, I blame IBDB, it doesn't list Batt at all as Joe (except as an understudy), and gives no dates for Barrowman - which makes more sense after a little Googling as he only did ten performances on Broadway!

I saw Barrowman opposite Betty on Broadway when he subbed during Alan Campbell's vacation. Maybe Betty requested him since he was her Joe in London. Batt had moved on before Betty left. Campbell played Joe for the entire Broadway run excluding time off.

R101 - did you see Tina do Evita?

Well, of COURSE, if they were gonna dress and make her up here like Lucy in “Mame!” (?).

R101 nobody can stand Tina Arena

R106 no I didn’t, I just saw her in Cabaret. The guy who played Emcee from the boy band Human Nature was good.

Sarah Brightman is Sally Bowles!

Where's Caroline O'Connor these days?

This is rather interesting...

I don't know why I'm so fat

I joined Weight Watchers last year

Cut bread and fries, ice cream and pies, and no beer

Sarah is back in the show.

It’s a RETURN!

These photos are not flattering of her. She has a face like a frying pan.

R111 She’d be amazing!

Being her to Sydney!

I just saw this ad on Facebook.

It says “select performances”, but it’s interesting they’re promoting the alternate this heavily for the Sydney run.

Both Patti and Glenn were furious when their alternates/understudies received publicity by the producers. I doubt Sarah is happy.

r119 Gorgeous costume on Paladino there.

They had to find someone fatter than Sarah.

With one chook, I'll forget the cast

Eat it all, fall asleep real fast

Perhaps Opera Australia is now promoting Paladino because they suspect Brightman’s due for another “injury”.

Silvie interview.

Couldn't they just install a mini escalator if she has such a problem with walking up and down that damn staircase? On the other hand, those things are a death trap.

r124 Omg, that thumbnail was specifically chosen to maximally piss off Brightman. Also laughing at her face appearing like a ghost at the very end of the clip. She fucked this up bad for everyone and for herself, and is now on the receiving end of a bitchy payback only the theatre fags are capable of.

Paladino's delivery of "wanting to... make a comeback" is quite comical. Like watching a parody skit. She seems nice otherwise, and the gays around her at the photoshoot seem relaxed, like they're in control again.

That staircase makes me frightened

The steps instill a great fear

Up and down, in heavy gowns, it's severe

Get Claire Moore in, that'll soon get Brightman back

Tim Draxl’s next production - a remake of “Sunsex Boulevard”.

They should actually advertise Sarah as appearing at select performances. Silvie was, at first, quiet on Instagram about her appearances but once Sarah was out for multiple weeks she went full blast about her performances. In other words, she's the Aussie Julie Benko.

Ellen is now available to play the dead chimp.

Is another dressing room demolition in order?

R129.... I can act it.... because I lived it!

See my Insta for the proof!

R133 I’ve seen him in two plays. Both times he bared his ass.

I’m surprised he doesn’t sing the title song in the nude for this show.

Silvie Paladino is a Melbourne institution, but Sydneysiders have never figured out why. They only ever see her on Carols by Candlelight once a year from Melbourne and everyone I know is underwhelmed by her then. She's not gonna sell a show in Sydney.

This is how the show is currently being marketed for Sydney. (Facebook screenshots)

“See the alternate OR the lead.”

This isn’t usual, is it?

Someone on Instagram posted that Sarah hasn't performed in weeks after making such a big deal about returning to the show after her injury. Silvie has pretty much taken over the role full time.

Credit where credit is due – in the promo shots at r136, Sarah is the only one attempting to channel Norma, while SIlvie is just feeling herself and looking glamorous for the camera.

I saw the production with Debra Whatsit and Hugh Jackman. Was not impressed with either of their singing but he was gorgeous.

Australia has a theatre scene?

Yep. When I was in New York seeing a Lily Tomlin show I overheard some queens talking. One said he had just obtained the Australian original cast recording of La Cage Aux Folles. The second one asked, what language is it in?

Fuck off, R140. Where do you think Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Rose Byrne, Sarah Snook (and the play she just won the Olivier Award for) and Anna Torv came from? Not to mention Hugh Jackman, DL fave Caroline O'Connor and recent smash hit Prima Facie. Or the Luhrmanns. All theatre people from way back. As is Harriet Dyer, writer and lead actress in Colin from Accounts.

I saw Sylvie perform tonight at the Opera House. From a technical perspective, her voice is good, but I can see why she’s primarily been an understudy in her career. She’s not exactly what I’d call memorable. Acting-wise, I never once believed her as a lost silent film star. She played Norma like someone’s Jewish aunt or slightly eccentric neighbour. I kept waiting for her to say “Bubbelah, come in, I have coffee cake!”

Sarah's voice hasn't been in good shape for a long while now. It remains a mystery why this role was something she decided to take on. I have heard clips of her singing in Sunset and she isn't bad, but the voice just doesn't work for Norma. Surely there is something else. Reminds me of the recordings I have of Barbara Cook in the original Carrie cast in Stratford. She wasn't bad as Carrie's mom, but after hearing Betty Buckley in the same role it's clear how wrong for the role Barbara's voice was.

I finally saw Sarah tonight, and I personally thought she was superb. Her singing voice was different than other Normas, of course, yet lovely, but I was truly impressed by her whole performance. She really seemed to become the character. Her mad scene was absolutely chilling.