SARAH BRIGHTMAN To Star in Australian SUNSET BLVD.- Page 15

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 8/29/24 at 7:08pm

Have been told that the last 3 mins are the best where she goes bat-s-it crazy.

I think she'll open to be at the Opera House and have then another 'accident' and disappear.

Her brother controls everything.She'll usually come in, do a sound check and say 'not tonight'.

Sylvie could be out the door after a matinee and have to turn around and do the evening..

She is not popular.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/29/24 at 11:21pm

Ok. I’ll clarify it was the worst professional performance I’ve ever seen. It was a train wreck from start to finish. Going by that video it’s still just as bad! 

[123musicalfan]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 12:56am

SweetLips22 said: "Have been told that the last 3 mins are the best where she goes bat-s-it crazy.

I think she'll open to be at the Opera House and have then another 'accident' and disappear.

Her brother controls everything.She'll usually come in, do a sound check and say 'not tonight'.

Sylvie could be out the door after a matinee and have to turn around and do the evening..

She is not popular."

 

Fascinating. I've seen her brother in some of the official rehearsal videos that were on social media. Didn't realize the extent of his control. 

I remember reading she went to the theatre even when she was not performing. 

Is she very unpopular? She seems to get along well with Tim. During curtain calls some of the Ensemble seem to react happily to her, while others look a bit bemused! 

It might have been the rehearsal period, which she later addressed in an interview and spoke about her nerves at having to perform in front of people 'at tables'. 

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 8:13am

SweetLips22 said: "Have been told that the last 3 mins are the best where she goes bat-s-it crazy.

I think she'll open to be at the Opera House and have then another 'accident' and disappear.

Her brother controls everything.She'll usually come in, do a sound check and say 'not tonight'.

Sylvie could be out the door after a matinee and have to turn around and do the evening..

She is not popular."

I agree, this is interesting. Tim certainly seems genuine in his videos with her. He wants to keep his job, I'm sure, but it doesn't seem like it's all for show.

The diva stuff, though not surprising (I've long suspected she had something of this going on), seems a bit much even for her. Seems like it would be much better for her to bow out gracefully than to pull antics.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 9:15am

I hadn't been aware of her brother being so involved and controlling until this year. She's had complete creative control over her career since 1993. The German producer she almost exclusively works with (and dated for a long time) has enabled her as well, and she's been stuck in the same loop with him since the late 90s when they had their big classical crossover successes together. (Very telling when her "Dreamchaser" album from 2013 was an interesting direction creatively, and that was with a different team of producers).

She seems nice enough, but apparently is one tough cookie behind the scenes when it comes to every detail of her song selections, orchestrations, recording sessions, costumes, concert tours, CD/DVD artwork, etc. 

Her Bravo Profiles special (narrated by Tony Roberts!) reveals some of this if you view it through that lens. Choreographer Arlene Phillips (who gave Sarah her start in Hot Gossip) discusses that it's difficult to direct her, because she thinks her way is the best way.  There's also a scene where she gets frustrated with the people helping her rehearse a technical effect for one of her concert tours.

Being thrust back into an ensemble piece, where she doesn't necessarily have the creative control she's used to, must have been a very jarring thing for her to come to terms with after being in such control for so long.  I have no doubt she was anxious about performing in a rehearsal room with 30+ people. I suspect insecurity and anxiety might have a had a lot to do with her absences. 

She's never been personally active on social media, and the process of rehearsing a show and being a "Leading Lady" again, in the traditional theatrical sense, is most likely different than she's used to at this point in her career. Probably why there's a noticeable absence of her in any behind-the-scenes posts or "Instagram Takeovers" on the cast members' personal accounts.  Nothing we can fault her for, since that's her own decision.

Regardless, I hope she's found her footing and has a successful run in Sydney!

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 11:55am

…I have to ask, why even post that video? They should have filmed and a released a spot when the cover was on for almost the entire stop. Not a single note of that clip was enjoyable. I’m surprised ALW/RUG would even want that out. 

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 2:08pm

Because Sarah is still being billed as the star attraction.

[123musicalfan]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 3:29pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "…I have to ask, why even post that video? They should have filmed and a released a spot when the cover was on for almost the entire stop. Not a single note of that clip was enjoyable. I’m surprised ALW/RUG would even want that out."

Because she is still billed as the star attraction. Silvie Paladino ie amazing, but apart from one trailer where there was a snippet of her, she hasn't been 'advertised' at all. 

Not sure how relevant this is but the video has received over 5000 'likes' on instagram (so far) which is lot compared to the video of Tim singing Sunset Boulevard a few weeks ago at around 900. Even the (only) photo with Silvie that has been put up has about 500 likes.

It's probably the most popular 'post' they have the entire run. I doubt it means much when it comes to selling tickets, but I guess it shows that there is a Sarah Brightman fanbase that is not locate in Australia that is actively following this. If they were smart they might even release a longer video or maybe a single if such things exist now. 

Also, Sarah wasn't out the whole run even though it seems like she was. She was out for 3 weeks and then again for 2 and a half weeks (the latter hasn't been spoken about much). It is not good at all and very unfair on those who booked specifically to see her, but she very much performed continuously when she was on. I'd say about 60% of it was Sarah and 40% Silvie, but it would be interesting to know exactly how much. 

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 3:47pm

Or, you know, Sarah Brightman created 5,000 fake accounts. 

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 8/30/24 at 3:52pm

She does have a pretty devoted fanbase in Asia and Mexico or South America, I think? I haven't followed her closely in years, but it was something like that. I know it's outside of Europe and the US where she seems to really be popular.

[sr4mjc]

Posted: 9/1/24 at 7:05pm

I have a friend over there now seeing it, sent me this 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_SH5y8Pjc2/?igsh=MXBsMHhuOXd4aXJsMQ==

[Ensemble1716440075]

Posted: 9/2/24 at 8:27am

sr4mjc said: "I have a friend over there now seeing it, sent me this

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_SH5y8Pjc2/?igsh=MXBsMHhuOXd4aXJsMQ=="

Yeah? This is an official release anyone can see.

[inception]

Posted: 9/2/24 at 7:25pm

Some speculation on Reddit that the financial failure of Sunset Blvd may have been part of the reason for the sudden resignation of Opera Australia's newest Artistic Director after only 18 months on the job - though nothing regarding that is in the linked article.

https://limelight-arts.com.au/news/jo-davies-to-leave-opera-australia-over-differences-of-opinion/

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 9/5/24 at 12:08am

Oh boy.....

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Sarah-Brightman-To-Bring-SUNSET-BOULEVARD-To-Singapore-In-Asia-Premiere-20240904

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 9/5/24 at 1:47am

sbflyfan said: "Oh boy.....

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Sarah-Brightman-To-Bring-SUNSET-BOULEVARD-To-Singapore-In-Asia-Premiere-20240904"

Well she IS popular in Asia so maybe this is to try and put lost monies back into the Australian Opera Company coffers.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/5/24 at 1:57am

Nothing more than a money grab to make up for the staggering loss this made in Melbourne.