SARAH BRIGHTMAN To Star in Australian SUNSET BLVD.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:27pm

I WILL SELL MY ORGANS TO GO SEE THIS

Updated On: 10/9/23 at 03:27 PM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:30pm

I just saw this. I wanna go!  It’s referenced as “lavish” in the announcement. I’d love a lavish production. 
 

Way to steal Nicole’s opening night thunder ALW. Faye said he was “capricious.”

[Copeman63]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:30pm

I was just trying to make a post about this, but I kept misspelling things because I am so excited! Everything about this announcement seems so exciting with Sarah being the unlikely, yet perfect choice for this role. And the part about the stunning sets is very intriguing as well!

[pablitonizer]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:36pm

Now THIS is something I would LOVE to see on Broadway! 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:37pm

Bettyboy72 said: "Way to steal Nicole’s opening night thunder ALW. Faye said he was “capricious.”"

 

Ha! I didn’t even think of that.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:39pm

REEEEALLY high on my theater bucket list is to see Sarah Brightman in a musical. I honestly never thought I'd get the chance.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:41pm

Bettyboy72 said: "I just saw this. I wanna go! It’s referenced as “lavish” in the announcement. I’d love a lavish production.


Way to steal Nicole’s opening night thunder ALW. Faye said he was “capricious.”"

There is that. But then this announcement comes on the anniversary of Phantom's world premiere, so in that way you could say it's appropriate. Anyway, good for Sarah. I wish her success with this.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:47pm

I’m a die-hard Sarah fan and I must say, this is not something I EVER had on my bingo card!  Wish I lived in Australia! 

[binau]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:51pm

Great, so now are there are two competing Sunset productions for Broadway? And an announcement timed just when Nicole is opening in Sunset? (I’m sitting in the audience tbh now at intermission and I LOVE it). It’s like ALW has some kind of sick fetish to pit women against each other, if he isn’t already destroying their voices with the challenging scores. Maybe Patti LuPone was onto something about him when she said he hates women lol……

[Seb28]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:54pm

"This spectacular new staging features stunning sets and costumes, evoking the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood to match the thrillingly atmospheric score"

It seems that Australia is the place for quality productions with respect for the material nowadays. It's a pity that it's so far away because I would love to see this.

I also wonder what key her big songs will be in, as her previous recordings of these songs were much higher and more operatic than what we have seen in the show before. What shape is her voice in nowadays?

I am also curious about her acting ability for this role. Maybe even a little worried. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 3:57pm

YES YES YES!!!!!

I've loving the revived attention to this show....

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:05pm

Cautiously optimistic about this. Love Sarah, love Sunset. Just nervous about her vocals. But if Glenn could do it at 70, Sarah can find a way to do it at 63. 

Glad to see Sarah will be back onstage, regardless. 

 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:11pm

The Australian industry is going to wake up p!ssed in a few hours. They’ve been growing increasingly unhappy about international actors taking roles from locals over the years. 

Updated On: 10/9/23 at 04:11 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:27pm

Oh wow!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:28pm

[Listener]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:33pm

....!!!!

 

....

 

....????

 

....I....

 

 

*sits down to try and process all the thoughts*

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:39pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "The Australian industry is going to wake up p!ssed in a few hours. They’ve been growing increasingly unhappy about international actors taking roles from locals over the years."

This sounds like a full production with a large cast and full orchestra that will provide employment to a lot of locals, though. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 4:45pm

Jordan Catalano said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "The Australian industry is going to wake up p!ssed in a few hours. They’ve been growing increasingly unhappy about international actors taking roles from locals over the years."

This sounds like a full production with a large cast and full orchestra that will provide employment to a lot of locals, though."

Entirely true, but that’s also been the case with every other foreign casting that they’ve taken issue with in recent years, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and the lead Book of Mormon boys being the most recent I believe. Sunset was supposedly going to have Tina Arena playing Norma. Not sure what happened.
I’m sure we’ll see follow up press with reactions from Australian performers. 

Updated On: 10/9/23 at 04:45 PM

[rabymon10]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:12pm

My partner and I were supposed to be flying from Melbourne to Europe next month to see Madonna in Paris and for me to indulge in a little Starlight Express in Bochum. We've recently shifted those plans while I work on some other priorities. He's still going to see Mads, but I implored him to go see Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy while he's in London and he's incredibly excited to see it; only knowing the Wilder film and some scenes and score from the Nunn/Napier production production by osmosis. I couldn't be happier for him.
We're leaving joint plans for Europe until next year so we can catch the London opening of Starlight and traverse to the Bochum production, and I was just telling him the other day how much I'd love to see a lavish production of Sunset some day. 


Sarah was such an exciting part of my youth, and I'm so glad that I'll be able to go see this production with her in it. The Princess theatre is a fantastic choice for it given how the absolutely stunning Regent theatre swallowed the already huge original with Deborah Byrne and Hugh Jackman. It will be curious to see the theatre again after so many years since its refurbishment for the long residency of Cursed Child which only recently closed. But Sarah Brightman... Sunset Boulevard... Opera Australia orchestra...! Most recent production of Phantom which they were involved in - admittedly the restaged tour with all of its faults (and enjoyable moments) - sounded absolutely incredible with its full orchestra. 

I'm a performer in the industry too and have had my gripes about overseas (and reality tv) talent casting for a long time. But it has been happening since time immemorial over here, and Sarah is on a completely different level altogether compared to the vast majority of names and talent we tend to import over these days that leave people puzzled as to "who, and why are we doing this???". We're not in the 80's, 90's, and naughties anymore, and got musical theatre coming out of our whazoo. I reckon a lot of local performers could appreciate how special this casting is, and it is likely that some sort of agreement has/will be made with the union to ensure that a local actor with overseas aspirations will have the opportunity of casting in some production in the U.K.

My last comment related to this: Opera Australia is on a roll with these big musical theatre productions playing on the harbour, at the Sydney opera house, and touring the major cities. I would take back my virginity for it to be broken all over again to see them give a crack at the original Vienna staging of Rebecca or Elisabeth das Musical. And **** English lyrics - let it be German with subtitles, as per opera provisions!

Updated On: 10/14/23 at 05:12 PM

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:14pm

First I can’t see the new London revival and now this! Well, at least I’ll be seeing her in her holiday concert tour but this hurts! 

[pmensky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:14pm

Jordan Catalano said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "The Australian industry is going to wake up p!ssed in a few hours. They’ve been growing increasingly unhappy about international actors taking roles from locals over the years."

This sounds like a full production with a large cast and full orchestra that will provide employment to a lot of locals, though."

Seems like they should be grateful that so many jobs are being created from importing shows from abroad, since none of the shows playing Sydney were written by Australians. Bringing in an international star once and awhile to ensure bigger ticket sales and longer contracts for everyone involved should be welcomed, not vilified. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:27pm

pmensky said: "Jordan Catalano said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "The Australian industry is going to wake up p!ssed in a few hours. They’ve been growing increasingly unhappy about international actors taking roles from locals over the years."

This sounds like a full production with a large cast and full orchestra that will provide employment to a lot of locals, though."

Seems like they should be grateful that so many jobs are being created from importing shows from abroad, since none of the shows playing Sydney were written by Australians. Bringing in an international star once and awhile to ensure bigger ticket sales and longer contracts for everyone involved should be welcomed, not vilified."

Where the shows were written has nothing to do with it, the issue is bringing in actors when there are excellent local performers who can do the job. When video of Debra Byrne in the original Australian Sunset finally surfaces (we're patiently waiting, Aurora...) people will realize she was one of the best.

Korean, Japanese, and continental European productions of British and American musicals don't import foreign stars, and the ones who do work there, like Drew Sarich, have made the place their home.

Bigger ticket sales only benefits the producers. And the three-month-ish run that seems to be slated for Melbourne is short for Australian standards. There's plenty to vilify here.

[Listener]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:35pm

That's right - I remember hearing about Tina Arena maybe doing this a while back...what happened there? She would have been very interesting. Great voice.

I think this is brilliant stunt casting but I question if Sarah has the range. Her Christine wasn't met with universal praise from an acting perspective. Norma needs a certain darkness. Also, Sarah doesn't really belt. Norma needs to belt sometimes, right?

But still....she will sell tickets! And if it's a fully staged production that's exciting too! And obviously the reunion between the two Phantom creatives is also exciting.

Edit: Could they not bring in a replacement to follow Sarah and extend the run? Or would she not want any comparisons?

Updated On: 10/9/23 at 05:35 PM

[pmensky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:39pm

BorisTomashevsky said: 

Where the shows were written has nothing to do with it, the issue is bringing in actors when there are excellent local performers who can do the job. When video of Debra Byrne in the original Australian Sunset finally surfaces (we're patiently waiting, Aurora...) people will realize she was one of the best.

Korean, Japanese, and continental European productions of British and American musicals don't import foreign stars, and the ones who do work there, like Drew Sarich, have made the place their home.

Bigger ticket sales only benefits the producers. And the three-month-ish run that seems to be slated for Melbourne is short for Australian standards. There's plenty to vilify here."

You left out how Broadway and West End shows use each others’ actors regularly. Also, I disagree that it doesn’t matter where the show was written. Sydney’s entire theatre scene is made of shows from Broadway and the West End. The Australians are benefiting from the work of artists from abroad. They shouldn’t be so precious about a few roles going to foreigners when their entire industry is build on the work of foreigners.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 10/9/23 at 5:51pm

pmensky said: "BorisTomashevsky said:

Where the shows were written has nothing to do with it, the issue is bringing in actors when there are excellent local performers who can do the job. When video of Debra Byrne in the original Australian Sunset finally surfaces (we're patiently waiting, Aurora...) people will realize she was one of the best.

Korean, Japanese, and continental European productions of British and American musicals don't import foreign stars, and the ones who do work there, like Drew Sarich, have made the place their home.

Bigger ticket sales only benefits the producers. And the three-month-ish run that seems to be slated for Melbourne is short for Australian standards. There's plenty to vilify here."

You left out how Broadway and West End shows use each others’ actors regularly. Also, I disagree that it doesn’t matter where the show was written. Sydney’s entire theatre scene is made of shows from Broadway and the West End. The Australians are benefiting from the work of artists from abroad. They shouldn’t be so precious about a few roles going to foreigners when their entire industry is build on the work of foreigners."

Yes, and the counterpart unions have strict rules about who can work where, when. MEAA in Australia seems to just bend over and take what the producer demands, which is something performers down under aren’t happy about. 
And where does “a few roles” begin and end? These shows are exports. Like McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. Money is paid for the rights and then the writers get a cut of the box office and that’s it. No need for extra gratuity to be thrown in in the form of casting. 
 

Debra Byrne has just commented online: “Wrong voice. Wrong choice. Another role lost (by) a worthy Australian. There goes another role an Australian has trained for.”