Sarah Brightman Will Sing New Andrew Lloyd Webber Music from Space

[seahag2]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 2:06am

"The performance will take place towards the end of her 10-day mission since it can take up to seven days to acclimate to space. "To sing in microgravity is very, very different thing to singing down here," Brightman said. "Here, you are grounded, you have the air around you. This is going to be very different."

Brightman is set to embark on the big trip to the International Space Station on September 1, having dropped $52 million on the round-trip ticket and training in Russia."

What?? Why??
ALW has gone too far

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 2:29am

I'm more curious how she had $52 million to spare. That can't be accurate.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 2:50am

I believe that number actually is accurate. I recall seeing the same amount reported by other sources.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 7:49am

Granted, this is a Daily Mail article, but they seem to have done some digging into the financing behind this endeavor. It looks like she's in some sort of deal with the Reignwood Group from China.

Sarah herself seems to be very carefully phrasing her responses to any money questions. While she can technically say she paid for the trip herself and not be lying, it was with money she'd been privately given first, specifically for that purpose.





Who's paying £34million to blast Sarah Brightman into space?

Updated On: 3/11/15 at 07:49 AM

[Eurotrash]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 8:27am

If you catch it, she was interviewed on BBC2 Newsnight by Evan Harris last night, but he didn't even ask her about the money! #fail

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 1:31pm

So...ALW is paying for it, probably. Who else loves her that much AND is practically a billionaire?

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 2:08pm

^ I could be wrong, but didn't ALW say in an interview for Stephen Ward: The Musical (I think it was) that he's running out of money at this point in his career?

[Starship]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 2:12pm

I love when extremely wealthy people say that they're "running out of money."

Updated On: 3/11/15 at 02:12 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:10pm

You guys do know that she's ridiculously wealthy on her own, right?

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:16pm

Talk about breaking it in out of town...

[Fantod]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:21pm

I'm waiting for them to do out of town tryouts on the ISS

[Kad]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:36pm

I love that we live in a world in which this is a news item.

[Starship]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:39pm

I always cringe when I see people spending this much money for an event that I highly doubt anyone will care about in 10 years, heck, even 5. I would be shocked if she was doing this for herself and not just for the publicity.

[Sorry-Grateful]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 3:47pm

Right now ALW is furiously writing Phantom 3: Love Never Leaves Orbit.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 3/11/15 at 10:19pm

This is one seriously fooked up lady-God only knows what effect out of space has on plastic surgery.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 10:42am

It kills me that the local news was billing Sarah Brightman as an opera singing (heading into space). Um, no, she's definitely NOT an opera singer. Just like GMA was billing Gigi as the Broadway smash. It hasn't opened yet!

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 11:18am

Yeah she's wealthy,but I doubt she has 52 million dollars from being a theatre mega star.

[rjm516]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 11:24am

I freaking love this. So crazy.

[philly03]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 11:36am

She is worth crazy money -- Networth.com says it is $52 mil, but my guess she has plenty of other sponsors/etc helping her pay for this. Apparently that's not uncommon.

I imagine she gets big royalties from the Phantom of the Opera cast albums (the highest selling cast album of all time), not to mention "Time to Say Goodbye" is one of the top selling singles of all time.

Though I agree. This is Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock crazy. Good for her if its her dream though!

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 12:00pm

Don't forget, in the divorce settlement she got half the rights to Music of the Night because it was written as a gift to her.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 12:23pm

Performers don't generally get royalties from cast albums, do they?

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 12:37pm

I don't understand the continuing speculation... the article I linked to above answers the question.

Here it is again: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2971197/Who-s-paying-34million-blast-Sarah-Brightman-space-no-s-not-old-flame-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber.html

In Beijing in July 2013, Brightman signed a deal with the Reignwood Group. Reignwood is a vast Chinese collective firm that — among other activities — develops property, distributes the soft drink Red Bull, owns resorts, runs health centres, has its own aviation firm and has even recently bought Wentworth Golf Club for £135 million.

Also in its portfolio in the UK is 10 Trinity Square in the City of London — now a luxury hotel, club and apartment block.

At the ceremony, Brightman agreed — for an undisclosed fee — to be the ‘image ambassador’ for Trinity Square, and would ‘attend cultural exchanges organised by Reignwood’ every year for the next four years.

She also agreed to perform a concert during her time in the space station that would be streamed live back to Earth ‘during an event organised by Reignwood’.

It is undoubtedly a great coup for the Group. Brightman is a huge star in Asia, and her perceived sophistication is a big draw for the type of clientele that Reignwood wants to woo.

A concert from space given by Brightman will be a fantastic publicity stunt for Reignwood, and would help to cement its global brand.

The Group is worth many billions, so it is conceivable that Reignwood can bankroll most, if not all, of Brightman’s space trip.

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 3/12/15 at 1:15pm

^ And even if that wasn't the case, people act as if Sarah Brightman being rich and able to pay for this sort of thing is unheard of. If you Google "highest-selling soprano," her name is the very first thing to pop up.

Updated On: 3/12/15 at 01:15 PM

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 7:27pm

Well, looks like the trip is canceled...for now.



Sarah Brightman's Space Adventure Put on Hold

Updated On: 5/15/15 at 07:27 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 7:30pm

Didn't she already pay $52 million? How can they cancel it?