SARAH BRIGHTMAN To Star in Australian SUNSET BLVD.- Page 11

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 6/13/24 at 9:51pm

rosscoe(au) said: "Yes, it seems a done deal that she won’t be appearing in Sydney. The next week is going to be interesting."

Well, seems like quite an embarrassment for her. Too bad. 

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/14/24 at 8:55am

Ensemble1716440075 said: "They are already transferring the minimalistic one, why do people keep saying they want to see this transfer to Broadway?"

Maybe because some people would like to see a lavish production akin to the original. Is that really so hard to understand?

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/14/24 at 8:56am

SweetLips22 said: "The back stage gossip from this disaster will almost be as juicy as the previous Sunset at the Regent Theater.
Ms Brightman will never set foot on the Opera House stage unless in one of her candy floss away with the faries heavily mimed gloss and smoke fantasies.
Everything about her puts my teeth on edge.
Yes. I feel better now."

Are you, by any chance, related to Michael Riedel?

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 6/14/24 at 4:46pm

Lot666 said: "Ensemble1716440075 said: "They are already transferring the minimalistic one, why do people keep saying they want to see this transfer to Broadway?"

Maybe because some people would like to see a lavish production akin to the original. Is that really so hard to understand?"

What's really so hard to understand is why people are so rude on here. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/15/24 at 5:05pm

SweetLips22 said: "The back stage gossip from this disaster will almost be as juicy as the previous Sunset at the Regent Theater.
Ms Brightman will never set foot on the Opera House stage unless in one of her candy floss away with the faries heavily mimed gloss and smoke fantasies.
Everything about her puts my teeth on edge.
Yes. I feel better now."

i agree with you.  I just don't get the love for Brightman.  I saw her first in London in December 1986 and twice in NYC in early 1988). I still think she is the worst Christine Daae I have seen. 

On that first trip, I also managed to see Claire Moore (first) in a matinee in Dec 1986 (just lucky timing...we had a post-Christmas week in London scheduled.  I remember also paying scalpers to see a second performance 9with Brightman)...I am virtually positive that scalped seats in the Dress Circle cost me 55 pounds (gone are the days).  Claire Moore set the bar so high that Brightman seemed awful by comparison.  When /i have seen her on TV (PBS), her vibrato made me leave the room.  Oh, well, no accounting for taste.

[AlexWesthof]

Posted: 6/15/24 at 6:22pm

Jarethan said: "SweetLips22 said: "The back stage gossip from this disaster will almost be as juicy as the previous Sunset at the Regent Theater.
Ms Brightman will never set foot on the Opera House stage unless in one of her candy floss away with the faries heavily mimed gloss and smoke fantasies.
Everything about her puts my teeth on edge.
Yes. I feel better now."

i agree with you. I just don't get the love for Brightman. Isaw her first in London in December 1986 and twice in NYC in early 1988).I still think she is the worst Christine Daae I have seen.

On that first trip, I also managed to see Claire Moore (first) in a matinee in Dec 1986 (just lucky timing...we had a post-Christmas week in London scheduled.I remember also paying scalpers to see a second performance 9with Brightman)...I am virtually positive that scalpedseats in the Dress Circle cost me 55pounds (gone are the days). Claire Moore set the bar so high that Brightman seemed awful by comparison. When /i have seen her on TV (PBS), her vibrato made me leave the room. Oh, well, no accounting for taste."

I've seen both Sarah Brightman and Claire Moore as Christine when I lived a few streets away from Her Majesty's. Sarah was NOT awful in comparison. She was always pitch perfect. I always feel like this is a myth in the theatre community: rooting for the underdog who wasn't married to the composer etc - aka: Jealousy. Don't get me wrong, Claire Moore is an amazing performer, but I thought she was a bit too mature as Christine. Even though she could hit every single note, her voice didn't have the innocence/purity like Sarah's. But Claire really is extremely versatile. She's the best Ellen in Miss Saigon I've ever seen (a mezzo role that wouldn't fit Sarah). I feel like her voice blossomed more in her lower register than soprano. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 12:00am

AlexWesthof said: "Jarethan said: "SweetLips22 said: "The back stage gossip from this disaster will almost be as juicy as the previous Sunset at the Regent Theater.
Ms Brightman will never set foot on the Opera House stage unless in one of her candy floss away with the faries heavily mimed gloss and smoke fantasies.
Everything about her puts my teeth on edge.
Yes. I feel better now."

i agree with you. I just don't get the love for Brightman. Isaw her first in London in December 1986 and twice in NYC in early 1988).I still think she is the worst Christine Daae I have seen.

On that first trip, I also managed to see Claire Moore (first) in a matinee in Dec 1986 (just lucky timing...we had a post-Christmas week in London scheduled.I remember also paying scalpers to see a second performance 9with Brightman)...I am virtually positive that scalpedseats in the Dress Circle cost me 55pounds (gone are the days). Claire Moore set the bar so high that Brightman seemed awful by comparison. When /i have seen her on TV (PBS), her vibrato made me leave the room. Oh, well, no accounting for taste."

I've seen both Sarah Brightman and Claire Moore as Christine when I lived a few streets away from Her Majesty's. Sarah was NOTawful in comparison. She was always pitch perfect.I always feel like this is a myth in the theatre community: rooting for the underdog who wasn't married to the composer etc - aka: Jealousy. Don't get me wrong, Claire Moore is an amazing performer, but I thought she was a bit too mature as Christine. Even though she could hit every single note, her voice didn't have the innocence/puritylike Sarah's. But Claire really is extremely versatile. She'sthe bestEllen in Miss Saigon I've ever seen (a mezzo role that wouldn't fit Sarah). I feel like her voice blossomedmore in her lower register than soprano."

I think my problem with Brightman in Phantom was that she was very wooden.  I agree that she sang those songs very well 38 years ago, but she still had no charisma, at least to me.  I don't now if CM ever began successful in England or not, but I really did think she had a chance, because her stage presence was so strong, in addition to her acting and beautiful singing.  I just never warmed up to Brightman.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 12:45am

That final Brightman / Crawford performance of Phantom in New York that I was so lucky to see. Brightman was a force of nature on that night. Her and Crawford could have powered Times Square it was that thrilling, beautifully sung. 

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 1:08am

why do you have to say no accounting for taste for liking brightman? 

“The songs that got away” is my fav Sarah album. Give it a listen. 
 


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQfUTE6XvYA

🥰
 
* forgot to add CMoore is amazing. There’s a studio recording of “phantom” and she’s amazing

Jarethan said: " so high that Brightman seemed awful by comparison. When /i have seen her on TV (PBS), her vibrato made me leave the room. Oh, well, no accounting for taste."
 

Updated On: 6/16/24 at 01:08 AM

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 10:55am

rosscoe(au) said: "That final Brightman / Crawford performance of Phantom in New York that I was so lucky to see. Brightman was a force of nature on that night. Her and Crawford could have powered Times Square it was that thrilling, beautifully sung."

Are you meaning they left the show at the same time or Brightman's final performance? I asked this when you mentioned it earlier in this thread but didnt see a response.

Updated On: 6/16/24 at 10:55 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 11:10am

Sorry Brightmans final performance in the show, I thin Crawford left later that year 

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 11:20am

rosscoe(au) said: "Sorry Brightmans final performance in the show, I thin Crawford left later that year"

Thanks. I did post a few pages back the actual dates they left as I was there for Crawford's final in NYC.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/16/24 at 11:19pm

Removed cause it might have been miscommunication. 

Updated On: 6/16/24 at 11:19 PM

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 6/18/24 at 3:03am

SweetLips22 said: "I would line up in a heart beat to see this train wreck because there is no doubt in my mind that Ms Brightman lives in cloud cookcoo land and because of this she is perfect for the role of Norma, regardless of how she sings it."

Occasionally I get things right--'train wreck'

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 6:26am

Latest news is that SB won't allow her Understudy to go on so her cover Sylvie Paladeno[might have the spelling wrong]is doing practically all performances--and getting rave responses.
SB is supposed to have hurt her hamstrings running up and down those stairs-most convenient.

[Listener]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 3:36pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "I managed to see her last winter during her holiday tour. When she sang the title song from Phantom, my inner theatre geek was freaking out. While I was not alive yet during her phantom years, I can safely say that seeing her still being able tobelt that out at her age is truly remarkable."

Um...doesn't she lip synch that number? Her voice is far too deep now to approximate her youthful Christine tone.

[Listener]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 3:42pm

Ensemble1716440075 said: "They are already transferring the minimalistic one, why do people keep saying they want to see this transfer to Broadway?"

It obviously won't go to NY with the other version already happening. But Toronto would be a smart place to take this physical production and start fresh with a new leading lady. It'd be close enough for the NYers to reach.

Why did someone say Andrew had nothing to do with this version? I assumed he set it all up for Sarah at great expense.

[AlexWesthof]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 4:01pm

Listener said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "I managed to see her last winter during her holiday tour. When she sang the title song from Phantom, my inner theatre geek was freaking out. While I was not alive yet during her phantom years, I can safely say that seeing her still being able tobelt that out at her age is truly remarkable."

Um...doesn't she lip synch that number? Her voice is far too deep now to approximate her youthful Christine tone."

Yes she does lip sync that number. She originally recorded the vocals to lip sync to for her Symphony in Vienna concert back in 2008. 16 years later, she still uses the same pre-recording. 

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 5:00pm

She won't let her understudy go on, but she's fine with her alternate? How does that make sense?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 5:53pm

Ensemble1716440075 said: "She won't let her understudy go on, but she's fine with her alternate? How does that make sense?"

Her understudy calls her Alvin. Sarah isn’t amused. 

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 7:04pm

Listener said: "

Why did someone say Andrew had nothing to do with this version? I assumed he set it all up for Sarah at great expense."

Sarah had said in interviews that Opera Australia had approached her to do Sunset Blvd - after that she had asked ALW his opinion and he had encouraged her to do it, but it seems that this production is being solely produced and conceived by OperaAustralia.  

ALW seems finally to be taking a step back from some of the control issues that has undermined him in recent decades, most recently with Cinderella debacle.  

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 8:30pm

But she already took a photo with her hands arranged unnaturally! 

Updated On: 6/21/24 at 08:30 PM

[Listener]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 9:29pm

chernjam said: "Listener said: "

Why did someone say Andrew had nothing to do with this version? I assumed he set it all up for Sarah at great expense."

Sarah had said in interviews that Opera Australia had approached her to do Sunset Blvd - after that she had asked ALW his opinion and he had encouraged her to do it, but it seems that this production is being solely produced and conceived by OperaAustralia.

ALW seems finally to be taking a step back from some of the control issues that has undermined him in recent decades, most recently with Cinderella debacle."

Sorry to sound jaded but.....nope. Andrew's lifelong obsession taking on a huge role like this against all wisdom to the contrary? A lavish set and costumes?

Look, Andrew may not have controlled everything but I'm not buying this spin. There's no way he and she didn't arrange this as her big triumphant farewell to the stage. It's his show!

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 10:21pm

Sylvie Paladino on for the Saturday matinee.
Evening unknown.

[chernjam]

Posted: 6/21/24 at 11:48pm

Listener said: "chernjam said: "Listener said: "

Why did someone say Andrew had nothing to do with this version? I assumed he set it all up for Sarah at great expense."

Sarah had said in interviews that Opera Australia had approached her to do Sunset Blvd - after that she had asked ALW his opinion and he had encouraged her to do it, but it seems that this production is being solely produced and conceived by OperaAustralia.

ALW seems finally to be taking a step back from some of the control issues that has undermined him in recent decades, most recently with Cinderella debacle."

Sorry to sound jaded but.....nope. Andrew's lifelong obsession taking on a huge role like this against all wisdom to the contrary? A lavish set and costumes?

Look, Andrew may not have controlled everything but I'm not buying this spin.There's no way he and she didn't arrange this as her big triumphant farewell to the stage. It's hisshow!"

If that were the case, wouldn't he have been in town for rehearsals, the premiere/opening night - or even sent a tweet wishing them luck?  I mean, he tweets amateur productions around the world doing his works, his silence has been pretty telling.

 

@Boris - I saw on another forum that Sarah was going to be on tonight