SARAH BRIGHTMAN To Star in Australian SUNSET BLVD. — Page 12

I wonder who in the world had the idea of asking her...she was never known for her acting abilities, and her voice doesn't match others who have done this role. Her personality does reflect Norma in some ways, with how she is the perpetual ingenue.

I've seen people describe her as taking the role in another direction, being very delicate/fragile...sorry, but I think that's baloney. It's her default setting.

Sylvie did the Saturday evening as well.
At this rate, anything about Sarah performing should be described in the past tense if-and-when she comes to work. All these “Sarah will be back tonight” expectations only lead to her NOT actually showing up.

Ensemble1716440075 said: "I wonder who in the world had the idea of asking her...she was never known for her acting abilities, and her voice doesn't match others who have done this role. Her personality does reflect Norma in some ways, with how she is the perpetual ingenue.

I've seen people describe her as taking the role in another direction, being verydelicate/fragile...sorry, but I think that's baloney. It's her default setting."



My belief is that the reason she was asked to do it (and why she accepted) is because of her association with ALW. She has appeared in the original London cast of two of his longest running musicals (Cats and POTO, which is still running), the original Broadway production of POTO (longest running Broadway musical so far), was in Aspects on both sides, Requiem, Song and Dance, did multiple Music of ALW tours all over the world (including Australasia with Anthony Warlow), recorded multiple albums of ALW's music over the years (including one titled 'Surrender' of all things), has appeared in many concerts of his music, and in addition, was not only married to him, but has been called his 'muse' and 'Angel of music', and he has been vocal about the fact that she was the inspiration behind his longest running and best known musical.

It's not surprising that producers of the show would have thought it a brilliant idea to cast her. Leave aside her personal success as a (non theatre) performer with her albums/concerts/other endeavours, the sheer magic of her connection with ALW would have been a very enticing prospect.

As far as she is concerned, I'm sure she discussed with ALW who would have been thrilled and would have decided to go ahead. I know she enraged some people when she said the score was written for her, but I feel what she meant was that ALW wrote a lot of the music while they were married, and that she would have tried them out. With One Look, as ALW said, was written for her, around her voice for the Little mermaid, As Is If We Never Said Goodbye I think was written for Cricket initially, which would have been while they were married. She was also (i believe) the first to recorded things like Surrender, Too Much in Love to care, The Perfect Year in her albums.

To be fair to to Sarah, she hadn't shown a lot of interest in returning to musical theatre. She said in an interview in 1999 (this was before one of her big tours) that she hadn't bought any cast recordings for a couple of years, because she was listening to a different type of music and her life was going another way. In a Graham Norton radio interview a few years ago that her favourite musicals are the old school Rodgers and Hammerstein shows, and that the extent of her theatre-going is to watch the revivals at the Kennedy Center, in addition to a few other shows.

So it was probably a very excited director/producer that decided to cast her in it. I can see that ALW would have been thrilled (there is no noise from hims however, probably busy with Starlight Express ... I always felt he might go for the opening on Sydney if the production goes ahead) at the prospect of his muse singing his music again.

123musicalfan said: "Ensemble1716440075 said: "I wonder who in the world had the idea of asking her...she was never known for her acting abilities, and her voice doesn't match others who have done this role. Her personality does reflect Norma in some ways, with how she is the perpetual ingenue.

I've seen people describe her as taking the role in another direction, being verydelicate/fragile...sorry, but I think that's baloney. It's her default setting."



My belief is that the reason she was asked to do it (and why she accepted) is because of her association with ALW. She has appeared in the original London cast of two of his longest running musicals (Cats and POTO, which is still running), the original Broadway production of POTO (longest running Broadway musical so far), was in Aspects on both sides, Requiem, Song and Dance, did multiple Music of ALW tours all over the world (including Australasia with Anthony Warlow), recorded multiple albums of ALW's music over the years (including one titled 'Surrender' of all things), has appeared in many concerts of his music, and in addition, was not only married to him, but has been called his 'muse' and 'Angel of music', and he has been vocal about the fact that she was the inspiration behind his longest running and best known musical.

It's not surprising that producers of the show would have thought it a brilliant idea to cast her. Leave aside her personal success as a (non theatre) performer with her albums/concerts/other endeavours, the sheer magic of her connection with ALW would have been a very enticing prospect.

As far as she is concerned, I'm sure she discussed with ALW who would have been thrilled and would have decided to go ahead. I know she enraged some peoplewhen she said the score was written for her, but I feel what she meant was that ALW wrote a lot of the music while they were married, and that she would have tried them out.With One Look, as ALW said, was written for her, around her voice for the Little mermaid, As Is If We Never Said Goodbye I think was written for Cricket initially, which would have been while they were married. She was also (i believe) the first torecorded things like Surrender, Too Much in Love to care, The Perfect Year in her albums.

To be fair to to Sarah, she hadn't shown a lot of interest in returning to musical theatre. She said in an interview in1999 (this was before one of her big tours) that she hadn't bought any cast recordings for a couple of years, because she was listening to a different type of music and her life was going another way. In a Graham Norton radio interview a few years ago that her favourite musicalsare theold school Rodgers and Hammerstein shows, and that the extent of her theatre-going is to watch therevivals at the Kennedy Center, in addition to a few other shows.

So it was probably a very excited director/producer that decided to cast her in it. I can see that ALW would have been thrilled (there is no noise from hims however, probably busy with Starlight Express ... I always felt he might go for the opening on Sydney if the production goes ahead) at the prospect of his muse singing his music again.



"

I think this is a very lovely post. I've no affection for Brightman (nor antagonism), but I love your post. The one thing I would disagree with--and you aren't the first to say this--but I don't get any impression that Lloyd Webber was thrilled with her playing the part. Because he's been stone-cold silent the entire time and didn't show up for the opening. I'm not saying his against the casting or has any issue with Brightman. Just that the impression it gives me is that he's fairly indifferent about the whole thing.

How is the show's box office? I took a looksey at the Sunset Boulevard Australian website. Silvie Paladino is listed as "Norma Desmond at certain performances". https://youtu.be/b-EhnTibDhk?si=itXXL5Hi5t2QJYfT

Updated On: 6/27/24 at 07:58 AM

If it’s all true, the staircase would be a problem. I guess.
At least it’s being addressed and they seem to be intent on her doing the Sydney portion of the run. I really want more definitive wording on that before rebooking everything, though.

Ensemble1716440075 said: "Bizarre. I didn't think Norma was that physical a role."

It is when you’re climbing up and down that insane staircase AND while wearing heavy costumes.

BrodyFosse123 said: "Ensemble1716440075 said: "Bizarre. I didn't think Norma was that physical a role."

It is when you’re climbing up and down that insane staircase AND while wearing heavy costumes.

"

Insane? It looks to be less than 25 steps, and not even as steep as the original staircase was.

I have compassion for all of those factors, I don’t disagree with any of your points.


Calling those stairs “insane” is quite a reach.

Norma’s costumes for the show are always heavy. I saw the original Broadway production several times, and one of my teachers during the summer of 96 was Karen Mason, the Norma standby. She was going on for a week while Betty Buckley was shooting a Lifetime movie, and she invited me to go backstage when I went to see her. The silver dress she wears for New Ways to Dream was sitting in a laundry bin on her dressing room floor. She said it weighed 50 pounds and told me to pick it up. I could barely lift it off the ground. Both Buckley and Lupone have also talked about the stairs being treacherous in more than one interview. I’m not sure if that stage for the Australian production is raked, but if so, that could also be contributing to her issues.

Theatrefanboy1 said: "I truly wonder what the chances are we get the Brightman SUNSET revived on Broadway versus the Nicole SUNSET. I think I’d prefer the Brightman revival. This truly excites me"

I agree with you. A bare bones production of Sunset Boulevard is disappointing to many fans of the classic production.