Sunset Boulevard - Australia w/ Sarah Brightman 2024

It’s odd it took them so long - weeks of silence, despite speculation - to announce a “calf injury”. 🤨

I agree, the silence by Opera Australia and Sarah herself was shocking, especially as there was absolutely nothing posted online until today. I'm sure all it would have taken was a simple, Sarah will be out for a few weeks to recover etc, and that would have been the end of it. I'm not sure whether they wanted the (bad) publicity that keeping silent about it has brought, or whether they thought (since so much of the production is based on Sarah Brightman being their star) that they could not say anything as the ticket buyers that are coming from far would cancel, or if it was something else.

On a different note, I found a fascinating interview from 1992 with ALW and Sarah where they speak about her playing Norma Desmond. I haven't seen it in ages, and was thrilled when I found this good quality version on YT. They appear from the 15 minute point onwards.

They would have been divorced for 1 to 2 years by this point, and I believe this was their first inteview together after the divorce to promote Amigos Para Siempre.
They seemed a little tense (understandably) but also seemed close.

Sarah starring in Aspects of Love (which was to close soon), and ALW was working on writing Sunset Boulevard.
Terry Wogan asked ALW if there was a part for Sarah in this new musical, to which Andrew replies 'she is too young for Norma Desmond', and Sarah says 'and I am too young for the other part' (meaning Betty), and ALW humorously says the other part is too small. Later Terry Wogan also agrees that she is too young for Norma and the camera pans to Sarah who is looking down. It's interesting that all ALW says is that she is too young and not that she's not right for it or that it is for a different sort of performer.

Who would have thought 32 years later that she would no longer be 'too young', and would actually be playing the role! Irrespective of what anyone might feel about her aperformance, it is very magical when you think about it. This connection with ALW is probably why they wanted her for this production in the first place, and it's sad that they haven't promoted this connection better by digging up clips like this.




From the 22 minute point onwards for the Norma Desmond/Sunset Boulevard comments.
ALW and SB come on from 15 minutes onwards.


To chernjam, ALW also speaks about Aspects of Love and the movie that he wanted to make (which sadly never happened). He said he hoped Sarah would do it.

I’m sorry, but calf injury sounds like the least urgent and debilitating thing they could have come up with. Perhaps she means an injury caused by a calf? A trampling?

I don’t mean to belittle anyone going through similar, but ‘calf injury’ to me says ibuprofen and a bit of physio tape; not weeks off from this big deal, sold on her name. Imagine if Nicole S had done a few shows at ‘Sunset’ then buggered off without any word? If someone announced some lame ass malady to cover her tracks? There would have been outrage. It’s all about saving face; Sarah’s for realising she can’t sing it and the company for not doing their due diligence and realising sooner. A rubbish situation.

crabtree - I thought Sarah was good - her acting and physicality was great - she must have run up and down those stairs a dozen times lol - not bad for someone that's 63. Vocally she was better than I expected- but very breathy and didn't appear to have a lot of power in the lower register which was a bit muffled at times. Her voice really isn't right for the role, and the night I saw her she tended to be drowned out by the orchestra (which is incredible by the way). Norma is not a soprano role- which is clearly shown when the magnificent Silvie Paladino plays the role. All in all Sarah didn't deserve the bad reviews she got but unfortunately with her continuing absences and the non-communication by Opera Australia it really is leaving a bad taste for the Melbourne production- which deserves more praise and audience attendance than it is getting- especially when Melbourne is considered the theatre capital of Australia. It will be interesting to see how things develop for the rest of the Melbourne run and the subsequent Sydney run.

Ultimately, injury and illness aren’t choices. How they are communicated & managed very much are. People will (and have) stop supporting theatre if they feel excluded and gaslit for the sake of a few quid.
Edit-see also ‘company’s not allowing people to publicise holiday dates.

It does feature her in the video, though. They also still have the video from the other week up using her name so I don’t know how much I’d read into this right now.

Will she sing; WILL SHE SING?

She certainly will! Back tonight.

Glad to see her make a comeback, sorry, return.

I've been searching for reviews/comments and this was the only one I have found so far.
It sounds like it has gone well.
I am sorry that you missed seeing her. I would have been devastated to have missed her after all that.

http://instagram.com/p/C8911fsv8F-

Hopefully catching Silvie on Wednesday afternoon if everything goes to plan.