A reflection while editing: so much of the show's success (or shortcoming) is attributed to its leading lady, but little mention of the director in these reviews (and by me honestly!).
I've been lucky to see the original London and Australia productions of SB and I think this one suffers from poor direction choices. I saw Sunset Boulevard last week with Sarah Brightman in the lead and one of the aspects of the production that annoyed me most was the direction. I felt it was tonally inconsistent and along with the camp choreography prevented you from staying with the flow of the piece. I was disappointed to see the reviews focus in on her so strongly when I think the direction of the whole show was partly to blame for some of the issues with the piece. Vocally I thought she performed some songs better than others and the contrast in singing styles between Brightman and the rest of the cast possibly creates a disconnect. I felt her acting was the correct tone for the piece and her acting was definitely not wooden. Some of those reviews appear to be quite targeted and nasty to me. Other points to note is the word of mouth prior to opening reviews coming out was very good with comments on social media praising both Norma's and the whole cast. I know people who saw the show prior to myself and they all loved it. Our audience seemed to love it (if I judge the enthusiastic response at the end of the show). I saw a performance before the change in schedule came out. I did notice that the whole upper circle was closed at our Thursday night performance which I thought unusual as those seats were close to full when I booked our tickets. This prompted me to look online when I got home as I recalled these seats being available at the time I purchased my tickets. The upper circle was not being sold for any performances when I looked. I do think the cost of Musical Theatre in Australia is getting very expensive and the musical market is very competitive right now with productions of better know shows like Wicked, Beauty and the Beast and Chicago doing the rounds.
When I saw it the audience was barely 1/3 full. The show was dull with confusing direction/choreography choices. A frustrating lack of mentions of this in reviews. I saw Silvie Paladino a purposeful decision as she is more of a draw than Sarah Brightman in Australia, she was stunning in herself but there was nothing go on around her to maintain an interest in the show. Actors flip floppped between stumbling about the stage with wild arm flinging, and over choreographed dancing that didn't really fit the moments they were employed. As an aside, Tim Draxl felt underwhelming but the Max and Betty actors were stand outs though.
Melbourne is very aware artistically, perhaps moreso than Sydney and when done well the locals buy up all the tickets they can find. LuPone saved the opening of Evita after the star cancelled opening night. So we know what is good, but you don't always get it! It has little to do with finance, as until recently we had a Company which only put on a performance for four days of long forgotten much loved 'book' musicals. That Company did three different shows a year, including an outstanding Gypsy with Caroline O'Connor. Sydney and Melbourne audiences are different. Sydney people would buy a ticket because the show had star in the cast, whereas Melbourne does the research and supports what promises to be exciting. Please, it would be a waste of money to fly to Australia to see this show, if you do decide to come, then get a ticket for both leading ladies, and if it is at the Sydney Opera House, then you will be shocked at how close to the stage all the seats are. As a result of us being so far from the rest of the World, shows and concerts with star billing always sell, yet in 1987 I was part of a wonderful Sweeney Todd, which nobody came to see.
Booked a Saturday night performance 7 months ago specifically to experience Sarah Brightman.. Disappointingly, she didn't appear.. However, Silvie Pallidano as Norma and the complete ensemble were outstanding and thoroughly deserved their several standing ovations..I disagree with any criticism of the overall production..it flowed beautifully and the entire show held my attention. I was in front row seats , the show completely surpassed my expectations, apart from missing Sarah's performance.
Hello! Australian music theatre industry performer here. The big consensus within the industry in Australia is that Opera Australia has royally screwed this whole thing up. Firstly, the casting of Sarah Brightman is bleeding them through the nose. Brightman is being paid an ASTRONOMICAL (at least, for Australian standards) amount of money to appear in this production. The mere cost of this one single performer in the show means every performance needs to be sold to a very high capacity to even be financially worth raising the curtain and performing that night. Secondly, the reviews have been undeniably poor. Despite almost all reviews having very positive things to say about the production and the rest of the cast, most have focused on how poor Brightman's performance is. The reality is that this massive expenditure has had a negative effect on ticket sales at this point. Brightman is not up to the task, frankly, and word-of-mouth is very important in Australia regarding ticket sales. I also think it's true that Brightman is not as big (so not as big a draw card for audiences) in Australia as she would be in the UK, for example. The marketing for the whole production has been poor. They have not known how to market this musical for Australian audiences. Especially now that Brightman's allure is failing them, the marketing team have absolutely nothing to run with. Sunset Boulevard is not as well-known (or liked) in Australia as Phantom or Saigon were. In fact, the original production of Sunset Boulevard in Australia in the 90s (starring a young Hugh Jackman as Joe Gillis) was a commercial flop, too. Finally, tickets are just too expensive. Australia has been very hard hit recently by the cost of living crisis. Because of the eye-watering cost of paying Brightman for each performance, producers have had to charge unrealistic prices for tickets, cutting the majority of Australians out of the market. With a lower operating cost, the show could have sold twice as many tickets had they lowered the ticket prices. The most baffling aspect of this latest development is the decision to cut the performance schedule back from either end, losing one of the show's alternate performances each week. Silvie Paladino's performance are beginning to sell better than Brightman's are, and I suspect they will continue to do so once word spreads even more. Truth is, Paladino's performance is MESMERISING. She is absolutely phenomenal, and audiences have recognised it. Maybe the best this role has been sung since Patti LuPone -- at least since Elaine Paige or Betty Buckley. Why Opera Australia would rob themselves of a true star in the role giving the performance of a lifetime is beyond baffling. Take Brightman off the Wednesday evening performances and have Silvie do two shows on the Wednesday. The truth is, frankly, that the show would have been selling better (and costing producers a great deal less) had Paladino been cast as the full-time Norma from the off.
Silvie is vocally fantastic, but her name doesn't carry enough market recognition to sell extensive runs in Melbourne and Sydney, especially with a high ticket price. It should have been Tina Arena or Caroline O'Connor, or better the Nicole version as the original production was such a troubled affair with Debra Byrne.
Caroline O'Connor would also not be a cheap alternative, she lives in Europe now, and has had acclaim for her performances. Sondheim said that her Mrs Lovett T the theatre de Champs Elysees in Paris was his perfect vision of the role.
@@johncubbidge2237 Caroline still has property in Australia and spends most of her year working here. She recently performed a supporting role in 9 to 5 - I can't imagine her being even remotely as expensive as Sarah Brightman, who still sells out arenas worldwide every year with her concert work. I'm sure she'd be a fabulous Norma and would likely except, if the Sarah drama wasn't hanging over this production.
My daughter and I went to Sunset boulevard last night. It was a Thursday night and Sarah Brightman was replaced by Silvie Paladino. After the initial disappointment ... we had been led to believe we would see Sarah ... we settled to a truly mesmerizing performance by Silvie, a performer we had seen before. In this role, she was nothing short of brilliant. At the end, we were all clapping and cheering in a standing ovation. The theatre was nowhere near full though, the top gallery was not open. Keep up the reviews!!
"She has decided not to to go space and in lieu of that to go to Australia." That is a sentence I did not expect to hear completely deadpan in this video. 😂
I myself decided to go to Australia rather than going to the UK to see the Groundhog Day revival, but I married an Australian so I reckon that decision makes sense 🤔
As an Aussie, when you said Silvie was an alternate I immediately felt like I would prefer to see her in the show. She is an exceptional performer and I am confident she is spectacular in it. As I don’t live close to Melbourne or Sydney I would need to invest quite a lot of time and money into going to see the show. Especially after seeing the inconsistent reviews, I would definitely be putting my money on Silvie.
I just watched a Saturday matinee performance today expecting to see Sarah Brightman. Instead it was Sylvie Paladino in the role, and her performance blew me out of the water. Also there was good chemistry between her character and Tim's character. Sylvie and the cast deserved the standing ovation at the end.
@@ey8767 Wait, really? Part of the reason I hadn't got tickets yet was because I couldn't get a Tuesday off. Do we know how long Silvie will be leading for?
As an Australian, the second I heard Sylvie Palladino was the alternate Norma, I was like "if I can only afford to go once, there is ZERO chance I'm going to this show on a date Sylvie isn't on. Sylvie is a national treasure, and a phenomenal talent that has frequently been overshadowed. For context, in a "A Conversation with Stephen Sondheim" performance in Melbourne, she sang Not A Day Goes By, and Steve came out afterward and said "for the record, to anyone listening - THAT is how that song should be sung". I would have fully ascended from this plain if that were me - and he was right, it was PERFECT. Aside from that, I thought from jump that the casting decision was odd. Brightman does not suit the role vocally, and is not enough of a name locally to warrant stunt casting.
Also be aware it seems they're currently changing the lineup- I hear Sarah is now Wed and Sun and Silvie is Thur, Fri, Sat. The message isn't clear though because that's still not on the website, so best to email them to check.
I bought two Rush Tickets for a Wednesday night through the Today Tix app. They were $55 each, and even though you don't get to choose the seats, they are usually very good. We were front row, centre in the stalls. The view was perfect because the stage is not too high and we had the orchestra pit in front of us. We were supposed to see Sarah but Silvie performed instead and she was IN-CRED-I-BLE! I was very moved by her performance. Also... right now, all remaining tickets until August 10 are now $72.
I saw this production yesterday (Sunday) afternoon with Silvie Paladino in the lead role, and I was thoroughly impressed. Silvie's performance was excellent; her vocals were strong, and she completely embodied the character. Led by Sylvie, this cast was uniformly strong. Visually, it was great and the orchestra was wonderful. I'm strongly of the view that, had this production opened with Silvie as Norma, the general tenor of the reviews would have been far more positive, and I believe this would have had a flow-on effect to ticket sales.
Australian musical theatre is in an absolute dire situation. For years, Australia just gets the same shows on repeat - Chicago, Singin in the rain, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Wicked. As a country, the atmosphere for taking a risk on an unknown show - which is absolutely is here. does not exist. Australia relies on celebrity casting to carry shows - and usually these are spot starts, or TV stars - not stage performers. The last major shows touring here have cast a tennis player, an ex-football player, a tv star who doesnt sing, a quiz show host, I could go on. Basically this show was up against it from the get go. The reviews have absolutely killed any chance this show has of success, and the prices are too high for most people in Melbourne during this cost of living crisis. Im seeing the show Sunday, and will give feedback. As a professional theatre producer both here in Aus and on the West End, I can give you a solid opinion.
@@justinmpls lol whoops! So this video got blocked in Aus for a little bit and then I forgot to reply when was unblocked. The show itself is brilliant, staged well, great set, brilliant costumes, the other cast are fantastic. The issue is Aus media judged it very harshly because of Sarah and so the reviews were negative for the entire thing. They cut the amount of shows she performed in, reduced the amount of shows in a week, closed balcony etc. Unfortunately media response here absolutely killed any chance the show has. Sarah gives a subtle, restrained performance, letting loose right as she should. Her voice however isn't the belter people want. Silvie (the alternative) gives a typical Australian over the top performance which the audiences here love. Her voice is also a belter. So it's a bit of what you're after
The issue is that on her nights off, you get Silvie Paladino. Anyone from Australia knows she is our true amazing leading lady talent and should have been given the show over Sarah.
@@christopherrainbow3410 she's injured herself and so she's had to be placed on medical rest. I think the only person who has "given up" is the faceless, uneducated in the comments.
@jrgibson I’m a fan and was keen to see her. I would be more than understanding if she’s unwell and can’t do the show. But there’s no information given and it’s really disappointing when you’ve made a decent amount for tickets.
@@christopherrainbow3410 Do you need something clearer than “Please note the role of Norma Desmond will be played by Silvie Paladino on Wednesday matinee performances. The right is reserved to add, withdraw or substitute cast as necessary.” which is posted on the page you select dates, the page you select seats, and on the final page before you finally confirm everything. I know it’s unfortunate and pretty shit when a headliner has pull out but this is why they have understudies and standbys.
Sadly, Silvie never got a public review to boost her popularity and a lot is riding on Sarah's reviews. If you want a Donna Murphy-esque, Mother Gothel inspired, strong-vocal performance, GO SEE SILVIE!
Ooh, that’s a strong recommendation! I wish I could get down to Melbourne, but I have to wait for things to come to Brissie, and even then it’s financially challenging. A bit off topic, but I really hope the success of the Groundhog Day revival somehow results in it coming to a city I can get to someday. The only place I’ve been able to see it live was a regional production in San Francisco, and it’s one of my favourite shows. 😭
Some Aussie context... Melbourne is very much a theatre town and does host long-running productions (like the West End), but these are typically mounted by independent producers. This production of Sunset is by Opera Australia, which receives government subsidy and has a mandate to do seasons in both Melbourne and Sydney, and occasionally other cities. Also, it's worth mentioning that the original Melbourne production of Sunset in 1996 starred Debra Byrne (phenomenal voice, great performance) and Hugh Jackman. That production is so fondly remembered that it probably affected the assessment of this new production.
As a contrast, Groundhog Day was staged in the same theatre, and had many sold out performances. 'Our' Tim Minchin and reasonable pricing were all it took to drive demand.
Groundhog Day charged the same amount at what sunset charged. Difference is that Groundhog Day works to all audiences and is fun, sunset is suited to a mature audience and loses the younger generations for ticket sales. I attended both productions and the crowds were very different
@@matthewgilbert6394 incorrect. Groundhog Day charged $285 for top level pricing. I saw the show multiple times so can confirm this with tickets. Sunset charged $270+ for a ticket when they were first released then dropped them by half in June 2024.
Australian here! Yes, depending on how big and popular the show is, it will often go to several smaller cities as well as the big ones. Otherwise, it will generally be Sydney, Melbourne, or both. They are our two big cities.
@@igamarurbytesindeed! We do miss some in Adelaide, as well, but at least Melbourne is close. I can't even imagine some of the prices of flights from Perth.
Opera Australia's current model though is Sydney and Melbourne only - bigger producers like Crossroads Live & Michael Cassel Group regularly tour Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth dependant on viability or theatre availability.
As an Australian, I think there’s a few factors to this. 1. Obviously the negative reviews do not help. They absolutely would be dissuading audiences from attending 2. The cost of living crisis has also affected Australia really poorly in comparison to other countries, and when it costs like $150 AUD to get a half decent seat, it’s tough to make that investment 3. Australia has quite a history with casting foreign stars for our musicals. It happened with Book of Mormon with AJ Holmes coming over, it happened with Groundhog Day as Andy Karl came over to reprise his role as Phil Conners, and now Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard. Apart from Andy Karl who I guess because of his history with the role got a pass, Australians have been pushing against the casting of foreign stage names. We want local talent to play the big roles, not someone from broadway they slid a check to. And we have seen this, less and less broadway/west end actors have been coming to do Australian Runs. I think this may be a factor, people just don’t want to see a non-Australian in musical theatre much anymore. 4. I also think what happened is Sunset Boulevard was never huge in Australia so it doesn’t really have the name recognition. Compared to Opera Australia’s runs of Phantom, of Miss Saigon and almost certainly their upcoming run on Hadestown, Sunset Boulevard doesn’t really have that name recognition in the local theatre community as much as those other shows do. So I think those are the main four that are affecting local audience enjoyment. Of note, I haven’t gone down to see to see this run yet, but I am curious and if I have time I may see it this Sunday so we’ll see Also yes that 8.95 ticket fee is usually there, unless for some reason you’re Beauty and the Beast, for some reason I didn’t get charged the fee there. Maybe because I got 2 tickets idunno
I agree with all of these. It's also opening in winter and there are so many sicknesses going around. For so many reasons, I am way less likely to travel to Melbourne even for a show I am obsessed with.
The way I ran, not walked, to get a ticket for Sylvie night. Brightman is not the kind of name in THIS show that is a difference maker. SB is just not that beloved, and the most famous production starred a very wall known local talent, Deb Byrne.
Disney is marketing no booking fees as a selling point for beauty and the beast, at least it was on the website for the Sydney run. I'm sick of our Ticketmaster fees for our shows here in Aus though for sure
Musicals can be really inaccessible to people in Australia because even when a show does come over, you're not just looking at the cost of tickets but also the associated travel as not everyone is fortunate enough to live within a short distance to Sydney or Melbourne. The added cost of a hotel room might be worth it for something like Hamilton or Hadestown, but taking a punt on something so pricey that you might not have even heard of isn't in the cards for most people. Glad to hear you talking about stuff happening down here though!
I can't speak for all parts of Australia but there's a particular set of upper middle class types who live in the regions (Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo etc) who regularly do a weekend in Melbourne. 2 nights in a hotel, dinners out, footy match, see a show, head home. Same thing when comedy festival comes around. That said having lived in the UK the same can be said for touring shows there too - people will stay for a night or the weekend and see a show in Southampton or Bristol
I saw the production with Sylvie last Thursday night. Initially i was disappointed because I had booked for Sarah Brightman. But my brother, who I was with, said he had heard reviews and that maybe we "dodged a bullet". Sylvie sung the songs incredibly and her voice is honestly unmatched in musical theatre here. I was moved to tears! The set design was stunning, as were the costumes but the coreography was a bit meh, and the direction could have been better. All in all, the cast did pretty well (better in the secon half) but the production didn't quite capture the essence of the story. And as for the audience demographic, i can confirm we were a bunch of 30 somethings amongst a sea of grey hair. But I also studied film history and theatre at university and Sunset Boulevard is favourite film so I may been a unique case 😂
The red flag for me was no clip of Sarah was released singing any of the iconic songs. Indeed, this reminds me of Beanie in Funny Girl. I love this musical, so I will make sure to see it with the understudy Sylvie Paladino as Norma.
I saw Sarah in Melbourne and enjoyed her performance. Funny you mention Beanie as I made the same comparison to when I saw Beanie in FG in New York. Both performances were enjoyable but just slightly underdone when much better performances are so well known (Glenn, Patti, Betty for SB; Barbra, Lea for FG). I live 1:44 in Sydney so may go again to see the understudy. The production, orchestra, stage design, other actors were amazing. I think I expected so much from Sarah that I was a bit underwhelmed but did come away enjoying her performance and was offset by how much better I thought of all other aspects of the production.
Silvie is alternate Norma… not understudy. Just FYI.. Silvie holds the role of Norma in her own right and does not perform any other role in the production.
Exactly my thoughts! No clips of Sarah singing. No way I will spend all that money on something or someone who I haven’t heard for 30 years! Sylvia should have been given the role in the first place.
Hello! I literally just got back from Melbourne and saw Sunset Boulevard on Saturday 8th April, and I have FEELINGS! To preface, I went to the show knowing only 2 things: Tom Francis's Olivier Awards performance, and Sarah Brightman being in the production. I had not seen the movie, heard the original cast album, or read the wiki, so I had no particular knowledge or expectation. And I did not expect how much I loved this production. The set design was the most spectacularly gorgeous stage design I've ever seen (and for that alone I am considering catching it again in Sydney lol.) Performance-wise, I'll start with things that I was less...whelmed by. Weirdly enough, almost the entirety of act 1 I was thinking, "Wow, she's giving Christine Daaé". There was minimal chemistry between Norma and Joe. Sarah Brightman's Norma was much too sweet and fragile of a lady that showed next to zero sexual interest in Tim Draxl's Joe, and I was slightly taken aback by the kiss towards the end of act 1. Sarah struggled a little bit with all her songs in the first act where she went into her nasal voice just a touch. The act also felt a bit rushed and not as cohesive, where everyone felt a bit like they forget to take a breath (or it was just my brain trying to keep up with the storyline, knowing nothing about the sorce material, idk). However, as act 2 progressed, I found myself getting more and more invested in the story unfolding. I was close to tears when As If We Never Said Goodbye finished. Poor Norma. Her descent into insanity was brilliant and heartbreaking, and believable. Tim's Sunset Boulevard performance was softer than other versions, but not any less impactful. I think it's my second favourite version of the song among 6 or 7 versions that I've heard/seen since then. All in all, I have been telling everyone I know that has any interest in musical theatre to go watch the show. I am disappointed, although not unexpected, that they're not selling as well as they'd hoped, so much that they had to cut back. The audience when I went was almost entirely on the older side, who I expect to have seen the source material, or Sarah Brightman prior. Having seen the show myself, I actually don't expect it to get any more popular with the younger crowd tbh.
I go to a lot of theatre in Melbourne and something I am seeing across the board is half empty theatres. In the last two years I've been to multiple shows where the grand circle was closed completely and not even available to purchase. Phantom was like that when I went. Come From Away allowed us to sit wherever we wanted because there were just so many empty seats. Ticketing prices have gone up significantly since covid, and while rush tickets are sometimes available the morning of, the prices are still having a very detrimental effect for people who can't spontaneously drop everything and go. People are having to be more selective. It seems they have decided to raise prices again to compensate for the half empty theatres, rather then recognizing that the price itself may very well be the reason for the empty seats. Seats in the back row should not be costing $100, I don't care who is in the cast.
I recently saw Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne and it is an excellent production. Amazing voices and spectacular that is not to be missed. I think it is struggling in Melbourne because of the higher than normal ticket prices and the current cost of living crisis. I suspect it will do better in Sydney where there is more money and more tourists. The media has reported on the cutting back of the number of shows but what they have not reported is the Grand Circle (upper balcony) is now closed to audiences. Tickets are limited to the stalls and Dress Circle only. It is an electric show with all the Hollywood glam so I hope many more people enjoy it before it moves to Sydney.
I saw Sarah on the first performance 5th row stalls. Worked in Auto and Lx on the original Aus production, know it well and love it. Was so excited to see Sarah, believing there is no way she couldn’t do it because why would they cast her? She is horribly miscast. Was like listening to a 78 gramophone lacking any emotional power. Speaking with some other theatre friends at interval, the word woeful, was used a lot. I was genuinely shocked at just how underpowered her performance was. The rest of the show is great, the design in particular is fantastic. Large pit sounding beautifully sumptuous and a strong supporting cast.
I saw Sarah Brightman perform the role in previews and I have a million thoughts. I will be putting up my own UA-cam video soon, but I wanted to see Sylvie perform the role first. But now that all her evening performances have been cancelled, that could be difficult. My general take is that Brightman built her version of Norma from what she is best at and that results in a Norma quite unlike what we are used to. She has a softness, a frailty, and an ethereal nature. To me it read as arrested development and really works with the idea that she still sees herself as an ingenue and still wants to play the teenaged Salome although she is 50. So rather than a turban, we see her with hair down a la 1930s Hollywood The comment about her singing barely making it past the orchestra described my experience of it very well. I could hardly hear her and I had an excellent seat. As much as I appreciated her fresh characterisation of the part, the acting was not compelling and during the songs it completely stopped. It was jarring that these songs we associate with a powerful belt were transposed up for a different vocal quality and then...just whispered... As bewildered as I was by Brightman's choices at times, I warmed to her as it went and consider the finale her strongest moment. She showed she is capable of powerful vocals still, not sure why it took so long to get there. I have heard rumours that she wasn't well at the time I saw it, so perhaps that affected her voice. And she just had a week off on doctor's orders due to a "foot injury", so it sounds like she's had a rough few weeks. Based on the inconsistent comments and reviews of her performance I wonder if she has been performing inconsistently. Everything else about this show is top notch! The set and costumes are GORGEOUS and I enjoyed the rest of the cast. I agree that Too Much in Love to Care was a highlight. In fact, I was thrilled every time a female ensemble member sang because I was reminded what this score can sound like. Ultimately, I felt that a Norma who doesn't belt the songs the way they are written does not work. She didn't even feel like the main character any more - I was way more invested in Joe and Betty. I am still hoping to see Sylvie Paladino in the role, as her performance is being celebrated. PS: Melbourne is pronounced MELbn.
I saw the show again today and got to see Silvie Paladino as Norma. She's magnificent. I also saw understudies for Joe and Max. If anyone is interested in my thoughts: ua-cam.com/video/tWqNbeaxVHg/v-deo.htmlsi=q0KKtfqqFmBEmEwg
I saw Sunset Blvd in the mid-90s with Betty Buckley. I was totally underwhelmed with the show, but totally overwhelmed with Buckley's performance. (That was the one-and-only time my partner at the time ever went to a stage door for an autograph.) A star vehicle like Sunset Blvd really depends on the chops of the lead. And if Brightman no longer has those chops, then it's no surprise that it's not selling. Cause in my opinion, that performance is the only reason to see the show.
I was lucky to attend a couple of weekends ago when my friend had a spare ticket. I've never seen Sunset Boulevard before and am glad that I got to see Silvie Paladino perform the role of Norma; she has a voice like ringing a bell and portrayed the character with such believable emotion.
I saw this about a month ago, and i was shocked when i read some of the reviews! I absolutely loved it. I'm a musical theatre nerd from waaaaay back. To me, the staging was really innovative, the entire ensemble was INCREDIBLE, and, while i had never seen sarah brightman live, (so maybe i was just star-struck), i found her mesmerising!! And quite perfect for norma. I find this whole reaction to her (and it does seem to be a reaction to her and not the show as a whole) beyond ironic because it seems like they expect sarah's 60-something year old voice to be as strong as her 30-something voice! Of course its not! But that actually kind of works for someone playing a faded, delusional ex-star. And the voice might not be as strong, but it is still beautiful. I would love to see silvie play her as well, because i feel like that would be an excellent contrast, but overall, seeing sarah in this role was a real highlight for my musical theatre life! And special mention to Tim Draxl and Robert Grubb who were INSANELY amazing in their roles (as Joe and Max respectively).
I saw the first performance Melbourne - I actually enjoyed Sarah's performance - although her voice is not really suited to the role- but I thought she acted the role well. Sylvie Paladino who is the alternate Norma has been getting rave reviews. This show hasn't sold well from the start- unfortunately tickets are expensive and people just don't have the disposable income for expensive theatre tickets. I will definitely go again to see Silvie - sooner rather than later just in case they cancel more performances here in Melbourne
I am a critic in Sydney and piggybacked to the opening night last Saturday so, wasn't writing the review. Night off - woo hoo! The first Melbourne review you gave is very similar to what I would have written. The supporting cast were superb. Tim Draxl who plays Gillis is now well familiar with the role and was in full flow. Excellent work. Brightman. Hm. If she had auditioned without anyone knowing who she was, she would not have lasted 5 seconds. The voice is weak and inarticulate. The acting was appalling. Her dance skills are still there, thankfully, and she made as much use of them as she could. (Hot Gossip dance troupe, by the way, was from the Kenny Everett Show on tv. You must look it up.) The audience were nostalgic in indulging her. It felt like the applause was more for long service rather than for this one night's work. They were very kind. The orchestra were great. The sets, you may have seen. The manor interior doesn't give the impression it was once Hollywood style glamorous at all unless a great fire had swept through the interior. All you could see was blackened. (Don't think I can add a link but if you search for stage whispers website, then search for the production, you can see a video and photos of the set.) Also worth noting, the Artistic Director of Opera Australia announced her resignation the day before opening night on 30 August 2024. All is not well in OA town. (Wait... did I just write a review?)
Fun Fact, ALW wrote With One Look when Roy Disney asked him to write something for the story of "The Little Mermaid", so ALW was not that interested and was very bussy with Phantom but composed With One Look around Sarah's voice back in the late '80s, so finally when He sent the demo to Roy Disney, it was too late, he went to work with Alan Manken and the rest is history
ok so i went to see the show before it closes in Melbourne, it was on special so yeah why not. went twice the first time Sarah was still recovering from her injury so it was Silvie who played Norma. She was amazing!! the lady set next to me said to me that she was moved to tears right after Silvie performs "With One Look", she knows how to capture audience. The 2nd time I saw it was Sarah. and yes I did read those reviews and because they rated pretty low, it was actually better than I thought! I think the problem it's more to do with the way Sarah sings, it's more operatic than theatric, and u can hear her breathing everytime she sings (I guess she needs lot of air) also I noticed that (was sitting on 1st row) when she sings long note her eyes keep blinking. on the other hand Tim Draxl (who plays the main male character) was amazing both shows I went. and he was really nice in person too! so overall Sunset Boulevard Australia production was not as bad as some review said I would give it 7 or 8 out of 10
i am an agent and a journalist who always enjoys your delightfully excitable blog. I saw the show on opening night, the general tone in the audience was disappointment (Im being polite)....Sarah Brightman's diction and her way of vocally approaching the role is the problem. Some defenders of Ms Brightman are calling this ":tall poppy syndrome", but they clearly dont understand the term, as to suffer tall poppy sydnome you have to, in fact, be one of the local poppies. Sarah is not local. There is a strong dislike of international actors being foistered on big musicals in Australia as the early history of commercial musicals in the 50s and 60s was dominated by NYC ensemble members being touted as a star to perform in the Australian version of a show. This stopped many years ago so whenever it raises its head there is immediate anger as Australia has some of the best of the world's music theatre performers many of whom have won international acclaim, ironically one of which is Tim Draxl who plays Joe, whose cabaret shows in New York always sell out and is a winner of the New York MAC award when he was younger. he also has a long list of international and local movies to his credit. He is well positioned to play Joe and the company missed a chance by focussing solely on Sarah as the selling point. One must also noite is that she is not well known in Australia beyond music theatre lovers. Many peop0le asked "who" when she was announced. . Ms Brightman displeased many as well on opening night when Tim's dynamic version of "Sunset Blvd":(minus the walking round the street gimmick ha )got a standing ovation, cut short by ms Brightman coming on stage to continue with the action a little too soon. Likewise she didnt appear at the opening night party till most everyone had gone and failed to appear in the traditional cast photo in front of the big Sunset board...not good. There has been much talk of replacing her, but this has proven mainly only gossip though many feel the "Funny Girl" example would and could save the producers milions. The question no one knows the answer is---was Sarah part of the deal to get the rights???? That would be quite a question. Also many are annoyed that this production will mean it will be many years before Australia sees the Jamie Lloyd production-if at all , now that we have been "sunseted" out, so to speak. Finally, the cancellation of performances which was not supposed to be a story the press would notice has been huigely noted and makes the whole debacle look a bit silly in terms of poor marketing. I hope you come top Australia to see what ms Brightman is doing with the show later in the year and also hope you see some of the other excellent music theatre productions around at the moment.
I was at the opening night and the applause when Sarah first entered on the staircase was loud and immense. Were we at the same show? The standing ovation for her at the end of the finale was also noticeable. It’s fine if you didn’t ‘like’ her performance but making up complete lies about audience disappointment that wasn’t there is a low act - there was plenty of excitement and buzzing in that theatre
Yes, I think people are going far too heavy on the Aussie public not knowing who Brightman is (the singer of Time to Say Goodbye is certainly well known), and also far too heavy on her performance not being very good. Whether or not you like her singing is up to personal taste (she uses too much vibrato for me, although it worked in this case, as how else would an aging Hollywood star sing?). However, what most impressed me tonight was Sarah’s acting. It was a pitch perfect performance. It also shouldn’t be lost on anyone how perfect casting Brightman was. An aging star who is no longer in her prime, but still wishes to be in the spotlight. It’s too perfect.
I was lucky enough to see the production in Melbourne. Based on my experience and the crowd around me, we thought it was a great show. In fairness, we had Silvie Paladino (who was awesome). Tim Draxl and Silvie had great chemistry. The show was class and had a great energy. If you love the music, just see the show and ignore the hard critics.
Saw the show in Melbourne last week & LOVED IT! First time I have seen this show and the cast were amazing. Mind you - we deliberately booked a show to see Silvie Paladino in the lead role. That turned out to be a very good decision. Silvie has the voice to deliver on the main songs from the show. i don't think I've ever heard applause like Silvie received in any theatre show. Rapturous standing ovation at the end of the show. Best show I've seen in years.
I saw Silvie and Tim and I honestly think it was the best acting (and singing) performance I’ve seen in my life. I’ve been to NYC and watch every show in Australia and the set and performers were incredible. I was disappointed when I saw that Sarah called out for the performance I was watching but Silvie may honestly be the most incredible vocalist I’ve ever had the honor of watching live.
The comments on Sylvie for this video remind me of the reaction of the (initially disappointed) audience members who saw Ria Jones instead of Glenn Close in 2017 - and then were blown away 🙂
I agree, Silvie and Tim absolutely smashed it. I can't wait to go back and see it again. And I mean no disrespect to Sarah at all. I'm curious to see her do it also.
Thank you for your commitment to ALW shows/reviews. Just one thing, which has become theater lore, but it’s incorrect: Patti LuPone did not “win” a lawsuit against ALW. They settled (as is often the case in such suits) and he paid her $1M. You can look up the original 1994 NYT story. Over the years people have conflated a settlement with “winning” a judgment.
I was buying tickets for a Wednesday performance in Sydney during October... I agonised over picking the matinee performance with Silvie or the evening performance with Sarah. With Silvie I knew I'd get a flawless performance with unbelievable vocal ability. With Sarah it was the intrigue and fascination about how she'd perform it, as well as fact that this would be the one and only time I'd ever get to see her perform live. In the end my curiosity won out and I chose Sarah (obviously if she's able to perform that night). I figured by the time I saw her in October she'd be well settled in the role and hopefully would have made it her own - I'm really looking forward to seeing the production, even if it is a more traditional staging. The thought of having the Jamie Lloyd's version out here and have Joe Gillis walking up the steps of the Opera House every night would have been epic! (maybe too many stairs while trying to sing though) Useless fact - as a teenager I saw the original Australian production in Melbourne with Hugh Jackman as Joe.... I don't remember a great deal about it other than the gun shot sound was so loud and surprising that everyone jumped in their seats, which led to the audience breaking out into a bit of a spontaneous giggle during a very inappropriate moment 😂
We (Americans) just honeymooned in Sydney and LOVED the show. Yeah, maybe we fell for the stunt casting and glamour of the Opera House, but we had a good time :) Brightman's diction made the lyrics difficult to understand (we weren't super familiar with the music), but she played a subtly-unhinged version of Norma Desmond (at least compared to Gloria Swainson).
Some hot goss I learned from my friends close to the show. Sarah’s version of the show is in a different key (significantly lower) and Silvie is doing it in the original key. So all cast and orchestra have to learn/play two different versions of the show. 👀
I was there on opening night and even the usher I spoke to said that it wasn't selling well. This was obviously before the reviews came out. A lot of people are blaming cost of living but Wicked, which is also playing here, is doing just fine.
I'm off to see this show on Thursday here in Melbourne and I'm really really really hoping that I get to see Sarah Brightman. I also think that financially it's tough here in Melbourne. For example average grocery prices have gone up about 30%. I think without the cost of living issues this would be doing a lot better. Sunset Boulevard's initial run in Australia was wonderful and was done in a much bigger theatre, so the show is not unknown.
We flew to Melbourne on the opening weekend as I was curious to see Sarah Brightman perform on stage. The negative reviews that later came out were on point. She was overly warbly, unintelligible, wooden, and lacked any vocal strength. It was almost a parody. At intermission, you can see the perplexed reactions of the audience members. I saw a couple of ladies who walked out the doors and went straight down to the train station, foregoing the second act. One elderly gentleman uttered to his friend, “she can’t sing.” It’s a shame that the show was pegged to sell on the sole basis of Sarah who has ultimately failed to deliver because the rest of the cast and production were stellar. Tim Draxl was a revelation and I can only imagine how good the show is with Sylvie in the role. I hope this production doesn’t have a negative impact in the musical theatre industry here as we have enjoyed coming to Melbourne to see spectacular musicals such as Moulin Rouge (twice!), Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. Perhaps producers need to properly consider their star casting choices as ultimately it’s the greatness of the whole ensemble and material that gives a show its legs.
I’m in the ensemble of this production, and MickeyJoTheatre doing a video of a show I’m in was not in my 2024 bingo card 😅 Fantastic video, as always. Intelligent, nuanced, researched. Love your channel ❤
@@LJ-kg8zxright? I don't want to jeopardise anyone's employment but I want to hear the tea, this is a mess. Maddy, I do want to say though that you should all be really proud of the work you're doing. I saw the show and none of this drama is the fault of the ensemble, orchestra, set designers etc. It's a shame such beautiful work is being overshadowed by OA's poor planning.
I saw Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard several weeks ago. I am not too impressed by her singing as she sounds really wobbly. But on the other hand, it's the wobbling voice that demonstrates the aging character very well. I know everyone says that she's an awful actress but to my surprise, her acting is very impressive. In the end, she got a standing ovation.
I am an Australian theatre critic and have already booked my tickets to the Sydney show in August. Was a bit disappointed to hear the negative reviews but I am intrigued to see it for myself! (Also, love the way you pronounce 'Melbourne' ❤😂)
We pre booked tickets primarily to see Sylvie Paladino. We are regular theatre attendees. Melbourne has a huge artistic culture. We watched the shorts featuring Sarah. No disrespect, Sylvie is the stand out star.. her performance was outstanding. Sylvie’s voice and interaction with the cast was phenomenal. Standing ovation..
Aussie here! What likely doesn't help is the price of theatre tickets at the moment and another big musical (Wicked) opening in a nearby theatre after nearly 10 years since the last Melbourne performance. I was interested in seeing Sunset, but had to choose between shows because I could only afford one.
Sarah Brightman improved A LOT since the opening run in Melbourne and the show is almost sold out every single night in Sydney. I think the only issue atm with Sarah is her diction but her "ethereal" interpretation of Norma Desmond is very interesting
Interesting that you were able to see it at the beginning and then later on. I was surprised how well she acted the role. (Only saw her in Sydney) A lot of depth. Riveting.
Aussie Music Theatre performer here - If you do come to Australia, please please come and see Wicked!! Big fan of your videos and would love to meet you at stage door! Also, I saw Sunset Boulevard in previews with Silvie on as Norma and she was outstanding. Minutes-long, FULL standing ovation at the end of the show. I can't make any comment on Sarah as I didn't see her perform but Silvie and the rest of the cast were truly phenomenal
The irony that Patti LaPone will be here in Melbourne, Australia doing solo shows at the same time that Sunset is still here. This show was a revival no one asked for but also it's currently competing with Wicked & Chicago.
lol, I thought the same thing- I could see vividly Patti’s eye roll when she realises she is performing in same city as Sarah. Seeing Patti next Friday in Sydney and can’t wait! I saw y the show and didn’t mind Sarah but it was definitely underdone compared to those who came before. Bad review, cold weather and competition will not encourages getting more people to come out for the show.
Travelled to Melb last week to see the show. Sarah Brightman was the Norma that night. Overall it was a good performance of hers. It was her switch from dialogues to singing that weaken the role. Everything else about the show was pretty well done! On the side note, I went to see Wicked on the second day, it was brilliant!
I saw Sunset in Melbourne last week with Silvie Paladino and she was excellent! Having seen Glenn Close as Norma is 2017, I was really concerned about tarnishing my memories of that performance, but Silvie was spellbinding and received a very warm (and deserved) ovation. I travelled interstate expressly to see the show, but the poor reviews made me hold off on spending the asking price. The performance I attended was half-full, and I bought tickets at a fraction of the original asking price (at least a third, made a fifth of the price). I'm very glad I listened to a number of MT professionals and went to Silvie's matinee. Her interpretation of the songs is stunning. The production is lush and very slick. I found the choreography distracting in places, but the set is gorgeous and the performances top tier. I had understudies for all major roles (except Betty) and they really blitzed it. I'll be so sad if they close. I hope they find a way to right the ship, as only the most bankable shows seem to be getting put up in Australia at the moment (Think: Disney, Chicago, Wicked, Hamilton). We still haven't got 'Waitress', although it was announced pre-covid.
I absolutely loved Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard. It is one of my favourite musicals and Tim Draxal was wonderful as Jack. Back in the 1990s Sunset Boulevard was also destroyed by the media in Melbourne. I'm a huge fan of a musical
Melbourne has had some really strong musicals lately (Groundhog Day, Wicked, Chicago). Shows are very expensive here so it’s not at all surprising that people would rather see one of those rather than taking a risk on something like Sunset Boulevard.
My best friend and I seen this production and when buying the tickets we were so torn between buying tickets to see Sarah or her alternate who is one of Australia’s finest performers. We chose to see Sarah thinking it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We both regretted it afterwards. Sarah was not up to the role and instead of belting out those huge Norma numbers she put her operatic spin to it which flattened the entire show.
I’m going to see the show next week. After they heavily discounted the tickets. The tickets were very expensive initially. And it should also be noted, also on at the moment is Wicked. Chicago has just left town and Beauty and the Beast is bumping in. When you have limited funds, you are going to go and see the shows you know you will love and at a more reasonable price. Word of mouth is Silvie is fantastic. And I hope to see her the night I see the show.
I saw Betty Buckley and also Patty which were both wonderful, whilst being a huge Patty fan, I have to admit that Betty would be my standout performance. She stole my heart that night ! I would love to see the new production with Nicole
In Australian theatre we usually tour the shows for two years, the usual path is Melbourne/Sydney, then Sydney/Melbourne, then Adelaide, then Brisbane, then Perth if they are lucky. Current shows in rotation Wicked (Melbourne stop currently, Brisbane is the next stop) Chicago (Sydney currently, Adelaide is the next stop) Grease (Brisbane(?) currently, Adelaide next stop) SIX (Melbourne from October) Hadestown (Sydney in 2025) Hamilton (Sydney from Julyj
After seeing Nicole in Sunset multiple times the prospect of a Sarah Brightman Sunset would feel like going back to watch a version of the show which would do nothing different from 20/30 years ago, which would not interest me if I'm honest. Worth noting as well looking at the website, they're not even attempting to sell Grand Circle tickets. Never a promising sign when a 1/3 of the tickets aren't even for sale.
Mickey Jo, you're spot on when you observed that there's no one theatre city in Australia compared to NYC or London. Generally what happens is that a show will open for a few months in either Sydney or Melbourne, then the next step would be to play a few months in the other city. THEN, if there's demand, they will do shorter tour stops in other cities like Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth. Very rarely they might go to Canberra or Tasmania. We also get a lot of revivals - Annie, Grease, Chicago, Mamma Mia, they all come around every few years because I guess producers are risk-adverse and want shows that are a known quantity instead of gambling with new shows. I understand there needs to be a balance but some more newer shows would be great. With this production of sunset boulevard, I think mostly its the pricing that has created a lot of the backlash. Premium tickets are going for around $300 AUD, which is more like the prices that a mega hit like Hamilton are commanding. Most other shows, you'll be able to get equivalent seating for more the $150-170 AUD mark.
Ok. First, I must say. Massive Sarah fan. So, when it was announced Sarah would be on our shore for Sunset last November, insert scream now. But i automatically had reservations for her and our theatre public/ critics. I bought the first 3 nights that Sarah was on. I had flown to NY to see Glenn on Broadway, I had already prepared myself for the fact Sarah was not going to be Glenn, Patti or Debbie ( our 96 Norma) a non Australian Soprano in an ALW musical by Opera Australia. I knew last year the Tall Poppy critics would write what they wrote. The set…. Amazing and back to the original. The orchestra sublime… better than the “good” by one critic. My goosebump meter hit 10. The cast were the usual eager beavers you get in all our productions. 2nd preview and they had jelled nicely. A few missed lines but it’s live ( pink forgot lines in February) get over it, we are human. The leads were unbelievably great. By show 3, it seemed to be a different show. It was so on song I was like, yes. They are into it. Standing ovations for the 3 nights… Now Sarah. I love the fact it was under played, not screamed at and hauntingly perfect for the age and character she was playing. Yes I pinched myself each night she walked out on stage. AIWNSG was so beautiful. It was quiet and built and built into an amazing moment that I will never forget. My opinion. The overseas star was the issue. Australians are so, should be a local. The demographic for the show when Wicked is on around the corner. Times are tough. Options for entertainment since the world reopened are so plentiful. We have had Taylor, Pink, footy is on. Food is expensive. It should have been at the Opera house only. Short run. Condense the run. Reviews are damming, the damage is done. It’s a great production. I can’t wait to go again. It’s weird that all the descriptions of Sarah being wooden etc. that’s Norma. They stood there with faces, and close ups. Not home and away over dramatised garbage. Lastly. When you post pics and videos on instagram. You get a personal invite from Sarah to go to the opening night, so special.
I saw the show yesterday and thought that is was superb. Sarah Brightman gave a magnificent performance and Tim Draxl was also 🍾🥂🍸outstanding. The set and orchestra were mesmerizing and the entire cast enhanced the show throughout.
I saw the first preview, and I found it incredible. I loved Sarah as Nora. She played the role with a desperate vulnerability that was really endearing to watch. And her voice was absolutely powerful. The hate that the production has been receiving from the critics is unfair and disingenuous. Those who hated it were never going to give it a chance. Many of them absolutely detest Andrew Lloyd Webber, and consider him a hack. And they had no intention of ever liking Sarah. When her casting was announced, they went to social media to accuse Opera Australia of stunt casting, and accuse her of stealing jobs from local talent. Even after writing their reviews, several of those critics are doubling down and relentlessly trying to smear Sarah as a has-been and a charlatan. I know Tim Byrne, whose Guardian review you mentioned, is continuing to bad mouth her to his mates and media colleagues on Facebook and X. Hearing the news about the production having to cancel a few dates was really devastating. It was a show that you really wanted to see succeed and shut up the haters. But it feels like the haters are winning.
i think something not many people have considered is the reputation of Opera Australia as a company among frequent theatre goers in australia (especially in sydney). Opera Australia, time and time again, have found themselves in controversies surrounding their depictions of people of colour, often using black face, yellow face, and generally not hiring people of colour in their casts, creative teams, and employing white actors to play lead characters of colour. this is a common and repeated offence in their part, with their shows such as madame butterfly, turandot, and aida, showing japanese, chinese, and egyptian cultures in stereotypical and fetishised fashions. this is why a lot of creatives and frequent theatre watchers avoid Opera Australia, which means a majority of their demographic is made up of tourists who want to watch a show at the Sydney Opera House, and aussies who don’t often interact within Sydneys theatre community. i theorise that specific demographic may not be as familiar with Sunset Boulevard and Sarah Brightman, likely contributing to the lack of ticket sales.
@@dusteverywhere2665 Their productions operas are also awful. I saw Tosca last month and it’s disgusting. Both the tenor and soprano were awful and the staging was just terrible on another level.
Her voice has always grated on me (although I acknowledge that she is trained). But for me, her greatest flaw has always been her lack of acting ability. I feel that harsh review was probably spot-on
I am adding to the question that LeonorFinicat posed. Has Sarah Brightman sung at all this week? I know she didn't do any shows last week or this Thursday. Did she perform last night June 21? Once again curious but also going for a second time this week coming.
In New York, at least, the "alternate on for 2 scheduled shows per week", is and has always been called a "Christine contract", as it began with Christine. The best stereotypical Broadway divas, while wonderful, aren't born with the uncommon pipes and abilities of Sarah Brightman. Most back then also were not trained in the American system to be able to sing that score that many times safely because it hadn't happened before. Of course, after Phantom began, all of that changed and we get Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O'Hara (same teacher) etc. (professionally trained operatic vocal abilities that they can conform to a musical theatre sound when needed. They have, however, been given moments to let loose - Kristin's top notes at the beginning of Wicked, for example, and all of Light in the Piazza for Kelli. She also recently starred for the 2nd time in the opera of The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera. Similar to (though to even a more exacting extent) the notes at the end of Defying Gravity, if the performer aspiring to play Christine cannot nail the end of Think of Me of the back wall of the theater next door then she needn't enter the audition room. I just cannot imagine the conversation that had to have occurred between Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber that ended with them both agreeing that a traditional production of Sunset starrig Sarah was a winning idea unless he modified the entire score of the show around her vocal style. I can imagine that working perfectly fine if done wholistically. In fact, I can imagine it much much more easily than I can imagine the forthcoming transfer of the N. S. - led version....and I don't even have to imagine it with all the video available. I have no plans to see it when it gets here. I suspect it will not run overlong. When she was here as Grizabella in the extremely risky revival of Cats (mess with Gillian's choreography again and see where it gets you)..yes, yes, I've gone off-script but I haven't lost the thread. N.S. was so miscast as Grizabella it hurt. The costume made her look like a 20-something lady of the evening in the bad old days of the 80s, and her voice was incongruous with Memory. She had zero emotional connection to or understanding of the role and song, and it left a massive hole in the show. I think a modern Sunset that shows the vapidness of Kardashian-style celebrity using all the techy mess would be interesting, and N.S. could probably pull that off with aplomb. But it does not work to hot glue it to Webber's Sunset score which was written to very successfully evoke the original Gloria Swanson film. It hamstrings any attempt to modernize that show, particularly for anyone who saw the original production. the score, teh turban, the set, the lines are all of a piece. And I suspect I would walk out of yet another attempt to Ivo Van Hove-ize an existing classic. Write something that organically demands those tech tricks for God's sake and leave the older shows alone. And now, about Glenn and her movie. By all accounts, that's proceeding along at the typical Hollywood snail's pace. It will happen when it fits the distribution schedule bc it isn't going to be a blockbuster most likely so they're not going to schedule around it...at least the studio isn't doing the work to make it one the way that have with other (mostly failed) efforts. I saw the revival with Glenn. The only changes were the set was more abstract (no walls but still a massive staircase), all of which made perfect sense as it hit all the notes of """psychological""" set design. She was everything everyone who went wanted to see. The performer with the acting and vocal chops who should be in a major revival supported by an appropriate budget and everything that goes with it is Alice Ripley, who played Betty Shafer for the entire original Broadway run of the show--through all the Normas. She has done Norma in a regional production here, and I hope someone with the money and sense to make it what it deserves to be will make it happen. I love Sarah Brigut htman. The size and power and shape of her talent is a logical fit for Norma Desmond, but here's the rub...... Sunset Boulevard is a star vehicle, not an ensemble show All of the other characters are cardboard cutouts that prop up Norma. And Sarah Brightman is a star. But at this point there is a Sarah Brigtman style of show that would need to be applied to Sunset. It would work very well in Vegas. I would even go to Vegas to see it, and I hate Vegas. But you can't just plop her in a run-of-the-mill traditional Sunset production - even a beautifully crafted one - and have it make sense. I suspect the AUS critiques of her voice are reactions to her acting choices to give an intentionally diminshed vocal sound to Norma at the beginning. I've heard Sarah live not that long ago and while, yes, the instrument has aged, it hasn't diminished....in large part because she left musical theatre and it's unreasonable demands that do not align with maintaining a classically trained voice. No one who sings RENT and the link their entire career will have a voice that lasts the way Sarah's and Kristin's and Kelli's and Barbara Cook's have. They have chosen to only take parts that don't ask you to take risks with your instrument. And one final word about Norma. Please God, just keep Meryl Streep away.
Just got back from seeing Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne tonight. Sarah Brightman was back onstage. Given the rough reviews this Australian production has received, I was pleasantly surprised. Brightman gave a good performance and was particularly strong in 'As If We Never Said Goodbye'. The whole cast were good, in fact. Ticket in the stalls, row J, was about 73 AUD so good value. A big factor, in my opinion, for why Sunset Boulevard hasn't been a blockbuster run is because the source material doesn't have the cultural cachet in Australia that some other musicals have. Big name classics like Wicked do very well here. As do hipper, more recent juggernauts like Hamilton and Six. But Sunset Boulevard is less well known and so is harder to place in the mainstream audience's mind. Everyone knows songs from Mamma Mia, Grease and Phantom, but how many people can name even one song from Sunset Boulevard? People say a lot of things about Brightman, but I thought she was very ballsy to go on tonight.
The Guardian Review was spot on. I went to an SB performance out of sheer curiosity - and regret it! Tim , the supporting cast and chorus were amazing, and yes - ‘Too Much in Love to Care’ was a real highlight!
Sarah Brightman is schedule to perform Sunset Boulevard in Singapore on February 2025. Seeing that I'm from Indonesia, and will be invested alot to go to Singapore, so I came here to read the review (mostly praising Silvie Paladino for the performance). Anybody knows if the Singapore casting has alternates too? If so is it Silvie Paladino?
Just stumbled across your video. We went tonight. Was excited when they announced the run last year with Sarah Brightman but when the initial ticket prices came out I did balk at the idea. But in mid June they ran a promo of all tickets for $72 for 72 hours so picked up seats in row P in the stalls. Acknowledging her age and suitability, we enjoyed it but admittedly have no reference point before this. On the cost however, we had seen Wicked back in June and large swathes of seats were empty (on a Sat night as well). They also ended up doing a run of $99 for remaining tix. It does seem the financial constraints are having an impact of sales.
ive seen the show twice alreadey sarah was on for both and I am just gonna say this now sarah was brilliant from start to finish from the moment she entered to the final scene literally when she first goes on stage the theatre was so quiet you could hear a pindrop if anything sarah is stunning as norma and I'm gonna see it as many times as I can before it leaves for sydney
Aussie here. Haven’t see it. Never will. What’s going on with Sunset Boulevard in Australia? They’ve pulled a double pull, and cast a completely “past her prime” lead to play the “past her prime” lead. Sarah was outstanding in Phantom of the Opera, and beyond perfect in Tell Me on a Sunday, but that’s where it ended. I’m afraid to say that she she should have not been allowed to hold a microphone since the year 2,000. And by the way, for this gay man, no one touches Betty Buckley as Norma. 👍
I literally just saw a sign advertising for this show last week driving back from a meeting. Outside of this poster I have not seen any other advertising anywhere else. Not on Instagram etc whereas Wicked and Sister Act (which opens later this year) are all over social media. I feel like there’s very little promotion and I’m in CBD Melbourne. Traditionally here in Oz, as Melbourne is perceived as the cultural capital of the country (this is up for debate) you open the show in Melbourne and then it does its second run in Sydney, mainly because there has been an historical rivalry between the two cities (pretty much a one sided rivalry by Melbourne). Hope this helps.
If you’re a hardcore musical fan of any age, you’re going to know who Sarah Brightman is … however, if you’re a general Australian audience member, she reached peak awareness in the late 80s/early 90s.
Also something to note that when Sunset Boulevard was originally produced in Australia back in the 90's the original Norma and Joe were Hugh Jackman back in his theatre days and Debra Byrne who was a veteran of the Australian entertainment industry in her own right (Not sure how the show was originally received but that was the original level of talent/status that was cast for it). You can find some TV promo performances of them on You Tube. Also Sylvie is an Australian icon herself who came into prominence during the mega musical trend as the original Aussie Eponine amongst other things so if it weren't for the Sarah Brightman marketing novelty I would love to see what she could have done in this production in her own right.
In Australia, we commonly care more about how well someone can do something rather than their perceived fame. I was not excited when they announced Sarah Brightman as I knew (for me anyway) her voice wouldn't be a great fit... Its also prohibitively expensive for a lot of audience members to see the musicals produced by Sydney Opera House.
Great vid! Aussie theatregoer here, and yes - productions usually premiere in Melbourne then travel to Sydney (or vice versa), before sometimes going on to Brisbane/ Adelaide or Perth. ❤ P.s LOVE the Phantom teddy! 😂 🎭
An Aussie here! 🙂 I just watched your two reviews of the &Juliet productions from London & NY, after watching two performances of the Sydney production (which I enjoyed show much! Best musical I’ve seen in such a long time, and the Australian cast were soooo good!). Anyway, glad to see your video here about the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard, as I’m thinking about watching it in Sydney when the show comes to town. Well, definitely mixed reviews for this show! I wanted to watch the show because I enjoyed the 90’s production in Melbourne and I love some of the songs from this show. And to top it off, seeing Sarah B live would be such a treat because I’m a huge fan of Phantom and never seen Sarah perform live before. But such mixed reviews for a $300 ticket does make me hesitate. It’s so expensive to go out in Sydney, especially to the theatre. So one does need to consider quality vs cost, that’s just the reality of living in today’s economic climate 😢 will stew on it a little further I think….🤔
I just saw this spur of the moment on Friday night (with Silvie Paladino filling in for Sarah Brightman) and I actually loved it more than I was expecting to! Silvie was absolutely fantastic as Norma. I'm seeing it again in July so I'm hoping that I get Sarah for that show bc I'm really curious to see the differences between the two. All that said, there were quite a lot of empty seats around. I think marketing for the show has been pretty poor (and Sunset just isn't that popular of a musical here tbh...especially when compared to some of ALW's other works). Wicked and Beauty & the Beast are also currently competing it against it too which I'm sure doesn't help.
Musicals in Australia tend to start in either Melbourne or Sydney and then tour to the other. If they're successful enough, then they'll often tour to Brisbane, and later down the line maybe they'll visit Perth/Adelaide/Canberra and even transfer to New Zealand at some point
'If you want to see the legend live in a musical, this could be your last best chance' Well yeah, we're Australia. We're really really geographically far away from the West End and Broadway, it's a very demanding time commitment for international talent. Apart from Sarah Brightman 'getting on in years', our theatre scene doesn't get the big names anywhere near as often so it's a big thing when they do make the trek, especially if some of us would already be travelling 3 1/2 hours interstate to see it in Melbourne. Also, the current cost of living crisis is really screwing with disposable income (what disposable income?) which limits the audiences even further. Experiencing live performance is expensive!
Okay, so since the production has opened, I have seen this three times on Sarah’s night… but where is Sarah?? Has she flown back to the UK… Silvie Paladino is simply superb, could she be the best Norma Desmond? I do love this production, and have two more scheduled to attend. At this point, I’m happy to see Silvie although Sarah is listed as lead actress. The production has not only scaled back tuesday performances, in July Sunday performances are cut also meaning 6 shows a week. I don’t recall a major production running 6 shows a week. The costumes, the scenery, the makeup, the props…. And the entire cast led by Silvie is fantastic.
I had not previously seen Sunset Boulevard onstage, I deliberately booked a Tuesday night performance to see Sylvie as Norma. She was fabulous in the role. Her vocals were faultless and her acting superb. She received a huge standing ovation during at the end of the show. Standing ovations seem to have become the norm at shows but Sylvie’s As if We Never Said Goodbye’ literally stopped the show. The audience were on their feet cheering. The whole company was excellent, however I thought the show itself was slow in places. I think ticket prices are a huge issue especially in the current economy. People simply cannot afford to pay $200-$300 for 21/2 hours of entertainment. I think producers need to find a way to reduce their costs, maybe casting local artists would help. Ticket sales were so slow that rush tickets have been available on TodayTix since the show opened. I did pay full price for B reserve tickets so that I could choose my seats.
As an Australian, ALW was my introduction to musical theatre as a child so I have always gone to see his shows. The SB revival in NYC was incredible with Glenn is the role but that level of Hollywood glitz and glamour was always going to be a hard sell here as Australian audiences don’t seem to know and appreciate the source material. Having seen both Sarah and Sylvie, as well a Glenn, there are a few other factors at play. 1. The marketing was very minimal with the exception of the casting. Then as there were rehearsal dramas etc everything was very tense and tellingly there was no marketing that included Sarah’s singing performance. 2. Ticket prices in the middle of winter. Winter in Melbourne is cold and miserable. If you are going to be enticed out, it has to be good and value for money. Because of Sarah’s exorbitant appearance fee, tickets up to $300 is too much when there is so much more theatre in Melbourne, as well as Audra AND Patti touring. Most people are being selective and the negative reviews don’t help. Sylvie is a local treasure. She seems to be doing more than the advertised alternate shows and people are actively going to see her. The staging which was clearly designed due to Sarah’s limitations affect Sylvie’s ability to perform the role. Tim is doing a stellar job and TRYING so so hard to have any chemistry with Sarah that it shows. The choreography is very camp and doesn’t always work but the sets and costumes are incredible. The ensemble and local cast are giving it their all and it just frustrating that it is the way it is. Hopefully they can learn from this but they will need a lot to recuperate the costs of Sarah. Go see Sylvie if you can and hopefully she takes over!!!
Whilst I have posted here on various issues other than the leading lady, it seems some of you with very little to say have sent those mindless gems to me, in fact seven people thinking they were responding to another idea in this thread have responded to me, not about anything I have said, but with outrageously contrived reasons for why this show is not for Australia. Nobody seems to know that the first run of Sunset B in Australia was marred by the death of the Music Director on his way home after the final rehearsal before opening night! That had a massive impact on the show, as Brian Stacey was much loved by all. Somebody said this show doesn't work for Australians because we don't have a silent movie history......well funnily enough we do! Ned Kelly was the first feature length silent movie in the World and yes, made in Australia. Another famous silent is Sentimental Bloke. Somebody suggested that musicals about feelings don't communicate with the Australian Culture, the example was Chorus Line which according to him failed everywhere but the USA. Wrong! That famous show was about the life of a dancer fighting to get work each time a show closed, I saw it several times in London apart from opening night. Yes, I do know a lot about Opera and Musical theatre, as I was a performer in both genres. Music is an international language. However, I am getting tired of people writing to me with pie in the sky ideas. Please learn how to respond to comments on UA-cam. Opera Australia are at the centre of this conflict of artistic abilities. They receive funding and are 'trained' in producing Opera. Switching to mostly Musical Theatre is all to do with them making more money from a musical than their Operatic shows. I doubt anybody checked on the range nor quality of Ms Brightman's voice before setting up a contract. The failure is not hers. It starts way before she became involved.
sorry, I fell asleep half way though your soapboxed monologue, what was your point? Opera Australia has committed to producing two musicals in Australia per year for a decade, they have received funding to assist with this so I don't understand where your airquoted 'trained' is coming from other than a place of uneducated babble -- Another example of AO musicals is (surprise!) Hadestown in Sydney next year so while I'm sure you adore the concept of people raging on whatever nonsense you've dribbled in past comments, the fact is you're still dribbling now. You talked about a show NOT resonating in Australia only then to quote that you had seen it in London which *checks world map* is not in Australia -- a fact also backed up by Mikey. Here's a tissue, wipe your mouth, and please educate yourself before placing any of your fingers on a keyboard again.
Saw it last week, love it or hate it Brightman still got standing ovation from the audience. I personally am a big fan of her and even though I didn’t think she is suitable for the role but I think she did the exceptional job here.
❤❤ Thank you for this special look at Australian theatrical scene Mickey Jo. It has been improving and trying to be more "relevant" for theatre and critics alike for it to merit some degree of attention.
Saw the Wednesday matinee this week. Was absolutely spellbound and blown away. Granted, I am a Sunset tragic from way back haha so I was ecstatic just to be in the theatre seeing a professional production. However I can honestly say the show was an absolute knockout. Not one weak link in the entire cast - Silvie Paladino literally tore the roof off the Princess as Norma and Tim Draxl was a fantastic Joe. Asheligh Rubenach shone as Betty and Robert Grubb was a fabulous Max. The sets, lighting and orchestra were jaw dropping. If I wasn't flying out tomorrow I would see it multiple times. World class!
I saw the show opening night. I agree with much of the Guardian review. The staging design was brilliant, as was the supporting cast. But Sarah Brightman was not right for the role. The director and casting director need to be responsible, as I don’t feel Sarah has the acting prowess or vocals best suited to this part. I spent the first act waiting for the tension and discomfort of the clawing coercive control that is meant to define the relationship between Norma and Joe. All I was left with was feeling that Norma was a nice older lady. There was nothing conniving or desperate in the performance, which is why at the end of the show her pulling a revolver in a frenzy didn’t quite feel it was a justified resolution to Norma’s emotions- as it lacked the build up. Similarly, I didn’t feel the down and out opportunism from Joe’s character that sets him up for his new bourgeois lifestyle Act 2 opening with his lead number Sunset Boulevard. I have seen the show twice, first on its original run 20 years ago in Melbourne and loved it as one of my favourites. I was a bit irked that they staged a traditional version rather than waiting to bring the Jamie Lloyd version. Theatre in Melbourne has been strong lately, with Groundhog Day, Chicago, Wicked (revival) all selling well. I think the issue with this production of Sunset Boulevard is that it’s a show that relies on a lead that the audience are invested in and who is believable in that role. Particularly if parachuting in overseas talent, we expect that actor to be the best person to play that part. Audiences may not have also been expecting the Opera Australia take on a Lloyd Webber production, as the name implies, tends towards more opera heavy lead casting. Unfortunately that doesn’t always play well next to musical theatre performances by the supporting cast.
I think the casting decision was made by the bean counters at Opera Australia who took a huge financial gamble and failed. Would not be surprised if this marks the death of Opera Australia.
A reflection while editing: so much of the show's success (or shortcoming) is attributed to its leading lady, but little mention of the director in these reviews (and by me honestly!).
I've been lucky to see the original London and Australia productions of SB and I think this one suffers from poor direction choices. I saw Sunset Boulevard last week with Sarah Brightman in the lead and one of the aspects of the production that annoyed me most was the direction. I felt it was tonally inconsistent and along with the camp choreography prevented you from staying with the flow of the piece. I was disappointed to see the reviews focus in on her so strongly when I think the direction of the whole show was partly to blame for some of the issues with the piece. Vocally I thought she performed some songs better than others and the contrast in singing styles between Brightman and the rest of the cast possibly creates a disconnect. I felt her acting was the correct tone for the piece and her acting was definitely not wooden. Some of those reviews appear to be quite targeted and nasty to me.
Other points to note is the word of mouth prior to opening reviews coming out was very good with comments on social media praising both Norma's and the whole cast. I know people who saw the show prior to myself and they all loved it. Our audience seemed to love it (if I judge the enthusiastic response at the end of the show). I saw a performance before the change in schedule came out.
I did notice that the whole upper circle was closed at our Thursday night performance which I thought unusual as those seats were close to full when I booked our tickets. This prompted me to look online when I got home as I recalled these seats being available at the time I purchased my tickets. The upper circle was not being sold for any performances when I looked. I do think the cost of Musical Theatre in Australia is getting very expensive and the musical market is very competitive right now with productions of better know shows like Wicked, Beauty and the Beast and Chicago doing the rounds.
There is official footage of the show - trailer. And a full recoeding of Draxl doing title number - MICKEY watch and see what you think
When I saw it the audience was barely 1/3 full. The show was dull with confusing direction/choreography choices. A frustrating lack of mentions of this in reviews. I saw Silvie Paladino a purposeful decision as she is more of a draw than Sarah Brightman in Australia, she was stunning in herself but there was nothing go on around her to maintain an interest in the show. Actors flip floppped between stumbling about the stage with wild arm flinging, and over choreographed dancing that didn't really fit the moments they were employed.
As an aside, Tim Draxl felt underwhelming but the Max and Betty actors were stand outs though.
Melbourne is very aware artistically, perhaps moreso than Sydney and when done well the locals buy up all the tickets they can find.
LuPone saved the opening of Evita after the star cancelled opening night.
So we know what is good, but you don't always get it!
It has little to do with finance, as until recently we had a Company which only put on a performance for four days of long forgotten much loved 'book' musicals.
That Company did three different shows a year, including an outstanding Gypsy with Caroline O'Connor.
Sydney and Melbourne audiences are different.
Sydney people would buy a ticket because the show had star in the cast, whereas Melbourne does the research and supports what promises to be exciting.
Please, it would be a waste of money to fly to Australia to see this show, if you do decide to come, then get a ticket for both leading ladies, and if it is at the Sydney Opera House, then you will be shocked at how close to the stage all the seats are.
As a result of us being so far from the rest of the World, shows and concerts with star billing always sell, yet in 1987 I was part of a wonderful Sweeney Todd, which nobody came to see.
Booked a Saturday night performance 7 months ago specifically to experience Sarah Brightman.. Disappointingly, she didn't appear.. However, Silvie Pallidano as Norma and the complete ensemble were outstanding and thoroughly deserved their several standing ovations..I disagree with any criticism of the overall production..it flowed beautifully and the entire show held my attention. I was in front row seats , the show completely surpassed my expectations, apart from missing Sarah's performance.
as an australian, i am so shocked every time youtubers acknowledge anything that happens over here 😭
I am aware of Aussie men in Speedos, if that counts. 😁🌶🌶🌶
Hello! Australian music theatre industry performer here.
The big consensus within the industry in Australia is that Opera Australia has royally screwed this whole thing up.
Firstly, the casting of Sarah Brightman is bleeding them through the nose. Brightman is being paid an ASTRONOMICAL (at least, for Australian standards) amount of money to appear in this production. The mere cost of this one single performer in the show means every performance needs to be sold to a very high capacity to even be financially worth raising the curtain and performing that night.
Secondly, the reviews have been undeniably poor. Despite almost all reviews having very positive things to say about the production and the rest of the cast, most have focused on how poor Brightman's performance is. The reality is that this massive expenditure has had a negative effect on ticket sales at this point. Brightman is not up to the task, frankly, and word-of-mouth is very important in Australia regarding ticket sales. I also think it's true that Brightman is not as big (so not as big a draw card for audiences) in Australia as she would be in the UK, for example.
The marketing for the whole production has been poor. They have not known how to market this musical for Australian audiences. Especially now that Brightman's allure is failing them, the marketing team have absolutely nothing to run with. Sunset Boulevard is not as well-known (or liked) in Australia as Phantom or Saigon were. In fact, the original production of Sunset Boulevard in Australia in the 90s (starring a young Hugh Jackman as Joe Gillis) was a commercial flop, too.
Finally, tickets are just too expensive. Australia has been very hard hit recently by the cost of living crisis. Because of the eye-watering cost of paying Brightman for each performance, producers have had to charge unrealistic prices for tickets, cutting the majority of Australians out of the market. With a lower operating cost, the show could have sold twice as many tickets had they lowered the ticket prices.
The most baffling aspect of this latest development is the decision to cut the performance schedule back from either end, losing one of the show's alternate performances each week. Silvie Paladino's performance are beginning to sell better than Brightman's are, and I suspect they will continue to do so once word spreads even more. Truth is, Paladino's performance is MESMERISING. She is absolutely phenomenal, and audiences have recognised it. Maybe the best this role has been sung since Patti LuPone -- at least since Elaine Paige or Betty Buckley. Why Opera Australia would rob themselves of a true star in the role giving the performance of a lifetime is beyond baffling. Take Brightman off the Wednesday evening performances and have Silvie do two shows on the Wednesday.
The truth is, frankly, that the show would have been selling better (and costing producers a great deal less) had Paladino been cast as the full-time Norma from the off.
“Starring ‘International recording superstar’ Sarah Brightman” is the only basis of the marketing🤦🏻
She IS big!!! It's the audiences that got small.
(I agree with you 100% just being silly)
Silvie is vocally fantastic, but her name doesn't carry enough market recognition to sell extensive runs in Melbourne and Sydney, especially with a high ticket price. It should have been Tina Arena or Caroline O'Connor, or better the Nicole version as the original production was such a troubled affair with Debra Byrne.
Caroline O'Connor would also not be a cheap alternative, she lives in Europe now, and has had acclaim for her performances.
Sondheim said that her Mrs Lovett T the theatre de Champs Elysees in Paris was his perfect vision of the role.
@@johncubbidge2237 Caroline still has property in Australia and spends most of her year working here. She recently performed a supporting role in 9 to 5 - I can't imagine her being even remotely as expensive as Sarah Brightman, who still sells out arenas worldwide every year with her concert work. I'm sure she'd be a fabulous Norma and would likely except, if the Sarah drama wasn't hanging over this production.
My daughter and I went to Sunset boulevard last night. It was a Thursday night and Sarah Brightman was replaced by Silvie Paladino. After the initial disappointment ... we had been led to believe we would see Sarah ... we settled to a truly mesmerizing performance by Silvie, a performer we had seen before. In this role, she was nothing short of brilliant. At the end, we were all clapping and cheering in a standing ovation. The theatre was nowhere near full though, the top gallery was not open.
Keep up the reviews!!
"She has decided not to to go space and in lieu of that to go to Australia." That is a sentence I did not expect to hear completely deadpan in this video. 😂
I myself decided to go to Australia rather than going to the UK to see the Groundhog Day revival, but I married an Australian so I reckon that decision makes sense 🤔
As an Aussie, when you said Silvie was an alternate I immediately felt like I would prefer to see her in the show. She is an exceptional performer and I am confident she is spectacular in it.
As I don’t live close to Melbourne or Sydney I would need to invest quite a lot of time and money into going to see the show. Especially after seeing the inconsistent reviews, I would definitely be putting my money on Silvie.
I saw Silvie as Norma last week and can confirm she was outstanding.
I just watched a Saturday matinee performance today expecting to see Sarah Brightman. Instead it was Sylvie Paladino in the role, and her performance blew me out of the water. Also there was good chemistry between her character and Tim's character. Sylvie and the cast deserved the standing ovation at the end.
Sarah Brightman was injured and she wouldn't be performing for some time. Come over to Melbourne now and see Silvie.
@@ey8767 Wait, really? Part of the reason I hadn't got tickets yet was because I couldn't get a Tuesday off. Do we know how long Silvie will be leading for?
@@MaraWynne Not sure, and Opera Australia hasn’t been clear regarding when Sarah Brightman will return.
As an Australian, the second I heard Sylvie Palladino was the alternate Norma, I was like "if I can only afford to go once, there is ZERO chance I'm going to this show on a date Sylvie isn't on. Sylvie is a national treasure, and a phenomenal talent that has frequently been overshadowed.
For context, in a "A Conversation with Stephen Sondheim" performance in Melbourne, she sang Not A Day Goes By, and Steve came out afterward and said "for the record, to anyone listening - THAT is how that song should be sung". I would have fully ascended from this plain if that were me - and he was right, it was PERFECT.
Aside from that, I thought from jump that the casting decision was odd. Brightman does not suit the role vocally, and is not enough of a name locally to warrant stunt casting.
I saw Silvie in it last week although she wasn't scheduled to appear she performed the role for the whole week. She is magnificent in the role!!!
I saw Silvie in Sunset last week and am telling anyone who'll listen how incredible she was. She got a standing ovation and she bloody earned it.
Also be aware it seems they're currently changing the lineup- I hear Sarah is now Wed and Sun and Silvie is Thur, Fri, Sat. The message isn't clear though because that's still not on the website, so best to email them to check.
I bought two Rush Tickets for a Wednesday night through the Today Tix app. They were $55 each, and even though you don't get to choose the seats, they are usually very good. We were front row, centre in the stalls. The view was perfect because the stage is not too high and we had the orchestra pit in front of us. We were supposed to see Sarah but Silvie performed instead and she was IN-CRED-I-BLE! I was very moved by her performance. Also... right now, all remaining tickets until August 10 are now $72.
I saw this production yesterday (Sunday) afternoon with Silvie Paladino in the lead role, and I was thoroughly impressed. Silvie's performance was excellent; her vocals were strong, and she completely embodied the character. Led by Sylvie, this cast was uniformly strong. Visually, it was great and the orchestra was wonderful. I'm strongly of the view that, had this production opened with Silvie as Norma, the general tenor of the reviews would have been far more positive, and I believe this would have had a flow-on effect to ticket sales.
Australian musical theatre is in an absolute dire situation. For years, Australia just gets the same shows on repeat - Chicago, Singin in the rain, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Wicked. As a country, the atmosphere for taking a risk on an unknown show - which is absolutely is here. does not exist. Australia relies on celebrity casting to carry shows - and usually these are spot starts, or TV stars - not stage performers. The last major shows touring here have cast a tennis player, an ex-football player, a tv star who doesnt sing, a quiz show host, I could go on. Basically this show was up against it from the get go.
The reviews have absolutely killed any chance this show has of success, and the prices are too high for most people in Melbourne during this cost of living crisis.
Im seeing the show Sunday, and will give feedback. As a professional theatre producer both here in Aus and on the West End, I can give you a solid opinion.
How was the show on Sunday? I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth seeing
Yes, please! Give us a feedback please how the show was.
And if you look for a performer as a producer, tell me :D *joking* or not..
Thanks a lot for the update!! 🙄
@@justinmpls lol whoops! So this video got blocked in Aus for a little bit and then I forgot to reply when was unblocked.
The show itself is brilliant, staged well, great set, brilliant costumes, the other cast are fantastic. The issue is Aus media judged it very harshly because of Sarah and so the reviews were negative for the entire thing. They cut the amount of shows she performed in, reduced the amount of shows in a week, closed balcony etc. Unfortunately media response here absolutely killed any chance the show has. Sarah gives a subtle, restrained performance, letting loose right as she should. Her voice however isn't the belter people want. Silvie (the alternative) gives a typical Australian over the top performance which the audiences here love. Her voice is also a belter. So it's a bit of what you're after
@@Jazza89 Thank you!! ❤️
The issue is that on her nights off, you get Silvie Paladino. Anyone from Australia knows she is our true amazing leading lady talent and should have been given the show over Sarah.
That is every night now!
@@adsheffwent last weekend and no Sarah. Not sure if she’s given up the rest of the run but it’s not advertised as such.
@@christopherrainbow3410 she's injured herself and so she's had to be placed on medical rest. I think the only person who has "given up" is the faceless, uneducated in the comments.
@jrgibson I’m a fan and was keen to see her. I would be more than understanding if she’s unwell and can’t do the show. But there’s no information given and it’s really disappointing when you’ve made a decent amount for tickets.
@@christopherrainbow3410 Do you need something clearer than “Please note the role of Norma Desmond will be played by Silvie Paladino on Wednesday matinee performances. The right is reserved to add, withdraw or substitute cast as necessary.” which is posted on the page you select dates, the page you select seats, and on the final page before you finally confirm everything. I know it’s unfortunate and pretty shit when a headliner has pull out but this is why they have understudies and standbys.
Sadly, Silvie never got a public review to boost her popularity and a lot is riding on Sarah's reviews. If you want a Donna Murphy-esque, Mother Gothel inspired, strong-vocal performance, GO SEE SILVIE!
Ooh, that’s a strong recommendation! I wish I could get down to Melbourne, but I have to wait for things to come to Brissie, and even then it’s financially challenging.
A bit off topic, but I really hope the success of the Groundhog Day revival somehow results in it coming to a city I can get to someday. The only place I’ve been able to see it live was a regional production in San Francisco, and it’s one of my favourite shows. 😭
Some Aussie context... Melbourne is very much a theatre town and does host long-running productions (like the West End), but these are typically mounted by independent producers. This production of Sunset is by Opera Australia, which receives government subsidy and has a mandate to do seasons in both Melbourne and Sydney, and occasionally other cities. Also, it's worth mentioning that the original Melbourne production of Sunset in 1996 starred Debra Byrne (phenomenal voice, great performance) and Hugh Jackman. That production is so fondly remembered that it probably affected the assessment of this new production.
As a contrast, Groundhog Day was staged in the same theatre, and had many sold out performances. 'Our' Tim Minchin and reasonable pricing were all it took to drive demand.
Interestingly, that show also had an international import in the lead role. But Andy Karl was great and one of the best things about the show.
Groundhog Day charged the same amount at what sunset charged. Difference is that Groundhog Day works to all audiences and is fun, sunset is suited to a mature audience and loses the younger generations for ticket sales. I attended both productions and the crowds were very different
@@mskarinalouise
Groundhog highest price $ 170
Sunset highest price $ 250
@@matthewgilbert6394 yes now. Original prices when the tickets first came out last year were maybe $270+. Prices halved in June 2024.
@@matthewgilbert6394 incorrect. Groundhog Day charged $285 for top level pricing. I saw the show multiple times so can confirm this with tickets.
Sunset charged $270+ for a ticket when they were first released then dropped them by half in June 2024.
Australian here! Yes, depending on how big and popular the show is, it will often go to several smaller cities as well as the big ones. Otherwise, it will generally be Sydney, Melbourne, or both. They are our two big cities.
Thank you for the confirmation!
*cries in Perth, who missed out on Hamilton, Phantom, Love Never Dies and the 2nd TBOM tour just to name a few*
@@igamarurbytesindeed! We do miss some in Adelaide, as well, but at least Melbourne is close. I can't even imagine some of the prices of flights from Perth.
@@MickeyJoTheatreBrisbane usually follows those 2 cities.
Opera Australia's current model though is Sydney and Melbourne only - bigger producers like Crossroads Live & Michael Cassel Group regularly tour Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth dependant on viability or theatre availability.
As an Australian, I think there’s a few factors to this.
1. Obviously the negative reviews do not help. They absolutely would be dissuading audiences from attending
2. The cost of living crisis has also affected Australia really poorly in comparison to other countries, and when it costs like $150 AUD to get a half decent seat, it’s tough to make that investment
3. Australia has quite a history with casting foreign stars for our musicals. It happened with Book of Mormon with AJ Holmes coming over, it happened with Groundhog Day as Andy Karl came over to reprise his role as Phil Conners, and now Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard. Apart from Andy Karl who I guess because of his history with the role got a pass, Australians have been pushing against the casting of foreign stage names. We want local talent to play the big roles, not someone from broadway they slid a check to. And we have seen this, less and less broadway/west end actors have been coming to do Australian Runs. I think this may be a factor, people just don’t want to see a non-Australian in musical theatre much anymore.
4. I also think what happened is Sunset Boulevard was never huge in Australia so it doesn’t really have the name recognition. Compared to Opera Australia’s runs of Phantom, of Miss Saigon and almost certainly their upcoming run on Hadestown, Sunset Boulevard doesn’t really have that name recognition in the local theatre community as much as those other shows do.
So I think those are the main four that are affecting local audience enjoyment. Of note, I haven’t gone down to see to see this run yet, but I am curious and if I have time I may see it this Sunday so we’ll see
Also yes that 8.95 ticket fee is usually there, unless for some reason you’re Beauty and the Beast, for some reason I didn’t get charged the fee there. Maybe because I got 2 tickets idunno
I agree with all of these. It's also opening in winter and there are so many sicknesses going around. For so many reasons, I am way less likely to travel to Melbourne even for a show I am obsessed with.
The way I ran, not walked, to get a ticket for Sylvie night. Brightman is not the kind of name in THIS show that is a difference maker. SB is just not that beloved, and the most famous production starred a very wall known local talent, Deb Byrne.
Disney is marketing no booking fees as a selling point for beauty and the beast, at least it was on the website for the Sydney run. I'm sick of our Ticketmaster fees for our shows here in Aus though for sure
Musicals can be really inaccessible to people in Australia because even when a show does come over, you're not just looking at the cost of tickets but also the associated travel as not everyone is fortunate enough to live within a short distance to Sydney or Melbourne. The added cost of a hotel room might be worth it for something like Hamilton or Hadestown, but taking a punt on something so pricey that you might not have even heard of isn't in the cards for most people.
Glad to hear you talking about stuff happening down here though!
Even if I could stay with someone in Melbourne, I just don't want to catch all the trains, etc 😅
You're showing your (lack of) age if you think Hadestown is a draw but you think people won't have heard of Sunset Boulevard.
I can't speak for all parts of Australia but there's a particular set of upper middle class types who live in the regions (Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo etc) who regularly do a weekend in Melbourne. 2 nights in a hotel, dinners out, footy match, see a show, head home. Same thing when comedy festival comes around.
That said having lived in the UK the same can be said for touring shows there too - people will stay for a night or the weekend and see a show in Southampton or Bristol
I saw the production with Sylvie last Thursday night. Initially i was disappointed because I had booked for Sarah Brightman. But my brother, who I was with, said he had heard reviews and that maybe we "dodged a bullet". Sylvie sung the songs incredibly and her voice is honestly unmatched in musical theatre here. I was moved to tears! The set design was stunning, as were the costumes but the coreography was a bit meh, and the direction could have been better. All in all, the cast did pretty well (better in the secon half) but the production didn't quite capture the essence of the story. And as for the audience demographic, i can confirm we were a bunch of 30 somethings amongst a sea of grey hair. But I also studied film history and theatre at university and Sunset Boulevard is favourite film so I may been a unique case 😂
*rolling eyes* show me somewhere which said you'd be guaranteed Sarah was performing, please.
The red flag for me was no clip of Sarah was released singing any of the iconic songs. Indeed, this reminds me of Beanie in Funny Girl. I love this musical, so I will make sure to see it with the understudy Sylvie Paladino as Norma.
I saw Sarah in Melbourne and enjoyed her performance. Funny you mention Beanie as I made the same comparison to when I saw Beanie in FG in New York. Both performances were enjoyable but just slightly underdone when much better performances are so well known (Glenn, Patti, Betty for SB; Barbra, Lea for FG). I live 1:44 in Sydney so may go again to see the understudy. The production, orchestra, stage design, other actors were amazing. I think I expected so much from Sarah that I was a bit underwhelmed but did come away enjoying her performance and was offset by how much better I thought of all other aspects of the production.
That was very noticeable.
Silvie is alternate Norma… not understudy. Just FYI.. Silvie holds the role of Norma in her own right and does not perform any other role in the production.
Exactly my thoughts! No clips of Sarah singing. No way I will spend all that money on something or someone who I haven’t heard for 30 years! Sylvia should have been given the role in the first place.
@@maureenelkner4552 Sarah sounds like one of the old ladies in the church choir.
its interesting that the ads that are appearing here in Australia are actually publicising when the alternate norma is playing the role.
The same thing happened with the recent London revival, the marketing push was towards those shows.
That is strange
it's contractual. they have too since there were shows the alternate was scheduled to perform. it wasn't *just Sarah*
Hello! I literally just got back from Melbourne and saw Sunset Boulevard on Saturday 8th April, and I have FEELINGS!
To preface, I went to the show knowing only 2 things: Tom Francis's Olivier Awards performance, and Sarah Brightman being in the production. I had not seen the movie, heard the original cast album, or read the wiki, so I had no particular knowledge or expectation. And I did not expect how much I loved this production.
The set design was the most spectacularly gorgeous stage design I've ever seen (and for that alone I am considering catching it again in Sydney lol.)
Performance-wise, I'll start with things that I was less...whelmed by. Weirdly enough, almost the entirety of act 1 I was thinking, "Wow, she's giving Christine Daaé". There was minimal chemistry between Norma and Joe. Sarah Brightman's Norma was much too sweet and fragile of a lady that showed next to zero sexual interest in Tim Draxl's Joe, and I was slightly taken aback by the kiss towards the end of act 1. Sarah struggled a little bit with all her songs in the first act where she went into her nasal voice just a touch. The act also felt a bit rushed and not as cohesive, where everyone felt a bit like they forget to take a breath (or it was just my brain trying to keep up with the storyline, knowing nothing about the sorce material, idk).
However, as act 2 progressed, I found myself getting more and more invested in the story unfolding. I was close to tears when As If We Never Said Goodbye finished. Poor Norma. Her descent into insanity was brilliant and heartbreaking, and believable. Tim's Sunset Boulevard performance was softer than other versions, but not any less impactful. I think it's my second favourite version of the song among 6 or 7 versions that I've heard/seen since then.
All in all, I have been telling everyone I know that has any interest in musical theatre to go watch the show.
I am disappointed, although not unexpected, that they're not selling as well as they'd hoped, so much that they had to cut back. The audience when I went was almost entirely on the older side, who I expect to have seen the source material, or Sarah Brightman prior. Having seen the show myself, I actually don't expect it to get any more popular with the younger crowd tbh.
Agree on the end of act 1 kiss landing strangely. The audience laughed tonight!
I go to a lot of theatre in Melbourne and something I am seeing across the board is half empty theatres. In the last two years I've been to multiple shows where the grand circle was closed completely and not even available to purchase. Phantom was like that when I went. Come From Away allowed us to sit wherever we wanted because there were just so many empty seats. Ticketing prices have gone up significantly since covid, and while rush tickets are sometimes available the morning of, the prices are still having a very detrimental effect for people who can't spontaneously drop everything and go. People are having to be more selective. It seems they have decided to raise prices again to compensate for the half empty theatres, rather then recognizing that the price itself may very well be the reason for the empty seats. Seats in the back row should not be costing $100, I don't care who is in the cast.
I recently saw Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne and it is an excellent production. Amazing voices and spectacular that is not to be missed. I think it is struggling in Melbourne because of the higher than normal ticket prices and the current cost of living crisis. I suspect it will do better in Sydney where there is more money and more tourists. The media has reported on the cutting back of the number of shows but what they have not reported is the Grand Circle (upper balcony) is now closed to audiences. Tickets are limited to the stalls and Dress Circle only. It is an electric show with all the Hollywood glam so I hope many more people enjoy it before it moves to Sydney.
You didn't mention who you saw. Sarah Brightman or Sylvia Paladino ?
I saw Sarah on the first performance 5th row stalls. Worked in Auto and Lx on the original Aus production, know it well and love it. Was so excited to see Sarah, believing there is no way she couldn’t do it because why would they cast her? She is horribly miscast. Was like listening to a 78 gramophone lacking any emotional power. Speaking with some other theatre friends at interval, the word woeful, was used a lot. I was genuinely shocked at just how underpowered her performance was. The rest of the show is great, the design in particular is fantastic. Large pit sounding beautifully sumptuous and a strong supporting cast.
I saw Sarah Brightman perform the role in previews and I have a million thoughts. I will be putting up my own UA-cam video soon, but I wanted to see Sylvie perform the role first. But now that all her evening performances have been cancelled, that could be difficult.
My general take is that Brightman built her version of Norma from what she is best at and that results in a Norma quite unlike what we are used to. She has a softness, a frailty, and an ethereal nature. To me it read as arrested development and really works with the idea that she still sees herself as an ingenue and still wants to play the teenaged Salome although she is 50. So rather than a turban, we see her with hair down a la 1930s Hollywood
The comment about her singing barely making it past the orchestra described my experience of it very well. I could hardly hear her and I had an excellent seat. As much as I appreciated her fresh characterisation of the part, the acting was not compelling and during the songs it completely stopped. It was jarring that these songs we associate with a powerful belt were transposed up for a different vocal quality and then...just whispered...
As bewildered as I was by Brightman's choices at times, I warmed to her as it went and consider the finale her strongest moment. She showed she is capable of powerful vocals still, not sure why it took so long to get there. I have heard rumours that she wasn't well at the time I saw it, so perhaps that affected her voice. And she just had a week off on doctor's orders due to a "foot injury", so it sounds like she's had a rough few weeks. Based on the inconsistent comments and reviews of her performance I wonder if she has been performing inconsistently.
Everything else about this show is top notch! The set and costumes are GORGEOUS and I enjoyed the rest of the cast. I agree that Too Much in Love to Care was a highlight. In fact, I was thrilled every time a female ensemble member sang because I was reminded what this score can sound like.
Ultimately, I felt that a Norma who doesn't belt the songs the way they are written does not work. She didn't even feel like the main character any more - I was way more invested in Joe and Betty.
I am still hoping to see Sylvie Paladino in the role, as her performance is being celebrated.
PS: Melbourne is pronounced MELbn.
It's unofficial as yet, but it seems Silvie is now on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. I saw her Friday night and it was amazing.
I saw the show again today and got to see Silvie Paladino as Norma. She's magnificent. I also saw understudies for Joe and Max. If anyone is interested in my thoughts:
ua-cam.com/video/tWqNbeaxVHg/v-deo.htmlsi=q0KKtfqqFmBEmEwg
I saw Sunset Blvd in the mid-90s with Betty Buckley. I was totally underwhelmed with the show, but totally overwhelmed with Buckley's performance. (That was the one-and-only time my partner at the time ever went to a stage door for an autograph.) A star vehicle like Sunset Blvd really depends on the chops of the lead. And if Brightman no longer has those chops, then it's no surprise that it's not selling. Cause in my opinion, that performance is the only reason to see the show.
I literally just saw it. It was incredible. Jaw dropping just wow. I have been waiting YEARS to see this.
I was lucky to attend a couple of weekends ago when my friend had a spare ticket. I've never seen Sunset Boulevard before and am glad that I got to see Silvie Paladino perform the role of Norma; she has a voice like ringing a bell and portrayed the character with such believable emotion.
I saw this about a month ago, and i was shocked when i read some of the reviews! I absolutely loved it. I'm a musical theatre nerd from waaaaay back.
To me, the staging was really innovative, the entire ensemble was INCREDIBLE, and, while i had never seen sarah brightman live, (so maybe i was just star-struck), i found her mesmerising!! And quite perfect for norma.
I find this whole reaction to her (and it does seem to be a reaction to her and not the show as a whole) beyond ironic because it seems like they expect sarah's 60-something year old voice to be as strong as her 30-something voice! Of course its not! But that actually kind of works for someone playing a faded, delusional ex-star. And the voice might not be as strong, but it is still beautiful.
I would love to see silvie play her as well, because i feel like that would be an excellent contrast, but overall, seeing sarah in this role was a real highlight for my musical theatre life!
And special mention to Tim Draxl and Robert Grubb who were INSANELY amazing in their roles (as Joe and Max respectively).
I saw the first performance Melbourne - I actually enjoyed Sarah's performance - although her voice is not really suited to the role- but I thought she acted the role well. Sylvie Paladino who is the alternate Norma has been getting rave reviews. This show hasn't sold well from the start- unfortunately tickets are expensive and people just don't have the disposable income for expensive theatre tickets. I will definitely go again to see Silvie - sooner rather than later just in case they cancel more performances here in Melbourne
I am a critic in Sydney and piggybacked to the opening night last Saturday so, wasn't writing the review. Night off - woo hoo! The first Melbourne review you gave is very similar to what I would have written. The supporting cast were superb. Tim Draxl who plays Gillis is now well familiar with the role and was in full flow. Excellent work.
Brightman. Hm. If she had auditioned without anyone knowing who she was, she would not have lasted 5 seconds. The voice is weak and inarticulate. The acting was appalling. Her dance skills are still there, thankfully, and she made as much use of them as she could. (Hot Gossip dance troupe, by the way, was from the Kenny Everett Show on tv. You must look it up.) The audience were nostalgic in indulging her. It felt like the applause was more for long service rather than for this one night's work. They were very kind.
The orchestra were great. The sets, you may have seen. The manor interior doesn't give the impression it was once Hollywood style glamorous at all unless a great fire had swept through the interior. All you could see was blackened. (Don't think I can add a link but if you search for stage whispers website, then search for the production, you can see a video and photos of the set.)
Also worth noting, the Artistic Director of Opera Australia announced her resignation the day before opening night on 30 August 2024. All is not well in OA town. (Wait... did I just write a review?)
A spot on review. I concur completely.
Fun Fact, ALW wrote With One Look when Roy Disney asked him to write something for the story of "The Little Mermaid", so ALW was not that interested and was very bussy with Phantom but composed With One Look around Sarah's voice back in the late '80s, so finally when He sent the demo to Roy Disney, it was too late, he went to work with Alan Manken and the rest is history
ok so i went to see the show before it closes in Melbourne, it was on special so yeah why not. went twice the first time Sarah was still recovering from her injury so it was Silvie who played Norma. She was amazing!! the lady set next to me said to me that she was moved to tears right after Silvie performs "With One Look", she knows how to capture audience.
The 2nd time I saw it was Sarah. and yes I did read those reviews and because they rated pretty low, it was actually better than I thought! I think the problem it's more to do with the way Sarah sings, it's more operatic than theatric, and u can hear her breathing everytime she sings (I guess she needs lot of air) also I noticed that (was sitting on 1st row) when she sings long note her eyes keep blinking.
on the other hand Tim Draxl (who plays the main male character) was amazing both shows I went. and he was really nice in person too!
so overall Sunset Boulevard Australia production was not as bad as some review said I would give it 7 or 8 out of 10
i am an agent and a journalist who always enjoys your delightfully excitable blog. I saw the show on opening night, the general tone in the audience was disappointment (Im being polite)....Sarah Brightman's diction and her way of vocally approaching the role is the problem. Some defenders of Ms Brightman are calling this ":tall poppy syndrome", but they clearly dont understand the term, as to suffer tall poppy sydnome you have to, in fact, be one of the local poppies. Sarah is not local. There is a strong dislike of international actors being foistered on big musicals in Australia as the early history of commercial musicals in the 50s and 60s was dominated by NYC ensemble members being touted as a star to perform in the Australian version of a show. This stopped many years ago so whenever it raises its head there is immediate anger as Australia has some of the best of the world's music theatre performers many of whom have won international acclaim, ironically one of which is Tim Draxl who plays Joe, whose cabaret shows in New York always sell out and is a winner of the New York MAC award when he was younger. he also has a long list of international and local movies to his credit. He is well positioned to play Joe and the company missed a chance by focussing solely on Sarah as the selling point. One must also noite is that she is not well known in Australia beyond music theatre lovers. Many peop0le asked "who" when she was announced. . Ms Brightman displeased many as well on opening night when Tim's dynamic version of "Sunset Blvd":(minus the walking round the street gimmick ha )got a standing ovation, cut short by ms Brightman coming on stage to continue with the action a little too soon. Likewise she didnt appear at the opening night party till most everyone had gone and failed to appear in the traditional cast photo in front of the big Sunset board...not good. There has been much talk of replacing her, but this has proven mainly only gossip though many feel the "Funny Girl" example would and could save the producers milions. The question no one knows the answer is---was Sarah part of the deal to get the rights???? That would be quite a question. Also many are annoyed that this production will mean it will be many years before Australia sees the Jamie Lloyd production-if at all , now that we have been "sunseted" out, so to speak. Finally, the cancellation of performances which was not supposed to be a story the press would notice has been huigely noted and makes the whole debacle look a bit silly in terms of poor marketing. I hope you come top Australia to see what ms Brightman is doing with the show later in the year and also hope you see some of the other excellent music theatre productions around at the moment.
lol- maybe an edit pencil?
I was at the opening night and the applause when Sarah first entered on the staircase was loud and immense. Were we at the same show? The standing ovation for her at the end of the finale was also noticeable. It’s fine if you didn’t ‘like’ her performance but making up complete lies about audience disappointment that wasn’t there is a low act - there was plenty of excitement and buzzing in that theatre
Yep. @@stevieMf58
Yes, I think people are going far too heavy on the Aussie public not knowing who Brightman is (the singer of Time to Say Goodbye is certainly well known), and also far too heavy on her performance not being very good.
Whether or not you like her singing is up to personal taste (she uses too much vibrato for me, although it worked in this case, as how else would an aging Hollywood star sing?).
However, what most impressed me tonight was Sarah’s acting. It was a pitch perfect performance.
It also shouldn’t be lost on anyone how perfect casting Brightman was.
An aging star who is no longer in her prime, but still wishes to be in the spotlight. It’s too perfect.
I was lucky enough to see the production in Melbourne. Based on my experience and the crowd around me, we thought it was a great show. In fairness, we had Silvie Paladino (who was awesome). Tim Draxl and Silvie had great chemistry. The show was class and had a great energy. If you love the music, just see the show and ignore the hard critics.
Saw the show in Melbourne last week & LOVED IT! First time I have seen this show and the cast were amazing. Mind you - we deliberately booked a show to see Silvie Paladino in the lead role. That turned out to be a very good decision. Silvie has the voice to deliver on the main songs from the show. i don't think I've ever heard applause like Silvie received in any theatre show. Rapturous standing ovation at the end of the show. Best show I've seen in years.
I saw Silvie and Tim and I honestly think it was the best acting (and singing) performance I’ve seen in my life. I’ve been to NYC and watch every show in Australia and the set and performers were incredible. I was disappointed when I saw that Sarah called out for the performance I was watching but Silvie may honestly be the most incredible vocalist I’ve ever had the honor of watching live.
The comments on Sylvie for this video remind me of the reaction of the (initially disappointed) audience members who saw Ria Jones instead of Glenn Close in 2017 - and then were blown away 🙂
I agree, Silvie and Tim absolutely smashed it. I can't wait to go back and see it again.
And I mean no disrespect to Sarah at all. I'm curious to see her do it also.
Thank you for your commitment to ALW shows/reviews. Just one thing, which has become theater lore, but it’s incorrect: Patti LuPone did not “win” a lawsuit against ALW. They settled (as is often the case in such suits) and he paid her $1M. You can look up the original 1994 NYT story. Over the years people have conflated a settlement with “winning” a judgment.
I was buying tickets for a Wednesday performance in Sydney during October... I agonised over picking the matinee performance with Silvie or the evening performance with Sarah. With Silvie I knew I'd get a flawless performance with unbelievable vocal ability. With Sarah it was the intrigue and fascination about how she'd perform it, as well as fact that this would be the one and only time I'd ever get to see her perform live. In the end my curiosity won out and I chose Sarah (obviously if she's able to perform that night). I figured by the time I saw her in October she'd be well settled in the role and hopefully would have made it her own - I'm really looking forward to seeing the production, even if it is a more traditional staging. The thought of having the Jamie Lloyd's version out here and have Joe Gillis walking up the steps of the Opera House every night would have been epic! (maybe too many stairs while trying to sing though)
Useless fact - as a teenager I saw the original Australian production in Melbourne with Hugh Jackman as Joe.... I don't remember a great deal about it other than the gun shot sound was so loud and surprising that everyone jumped in their seats, which led to the audience breaking out into a bit of a spontaneous giggle during a very inappropriate moment 😂
We (Americans) just honeymooned in Sydney and LOVED the show. Yeah, maybe we fell for the stunt casting and glamour of the Opera House, but we had a good time :) Brightman's diction made the lyrics difficult to understand (we weren't super familiar with the music), but she played a subtly-unhinged version of Norma Desmond (at least compared to Gloria Swainson).
Some hot goss I learned from my friends close to the show. Sarah’s version of the show is in a different key (significantly lower) and Silvie is doing it in the original key. So all cast and orchestra have to learn/play two different versions of the show. 👀
Thanks, so obvious after seeing Sarah twice and Silvie once.
I was there on opening night and even the usher I spoke to said that it wasn't selling well. This was obviously before the reviews came out. A lot of people are blaming cost of living but Wicked, which is also playing here, is doing just fine.
I'm off to see this show on Thursday here in Melbourne and I'm really really really hoping that I get to see Sarah Brightman. I also think that financially it's tough here in Melbourne. For example average grocery prices have gone up about 30%. I think without the cost of living issues this would be doing a lot better. Sunset Boulevard's initial run in Australia was wonderful and was done in a much bigger theatre, so the show is not unknown.
We flew to Melbourne on the opening weekend as I was curious to see Sarah Brightman perform on stage. The negative reviews that later came out were on point. She was overly warbly, unintelligible, wooden, and lacked any vocal strength. It was almost a parody. At intermission, you can see the perplexed reactions of the audience members. I saw a couple of ladies who walked out the doors and went straight down to the train station, foregoing the second act. One elderly gentleman uttered to his friend, “she can’t sing.” It’s a shame that the show was pegged to sell on the sole basis of Sarah who has ultimately failed to deliver because the rest of the cast and production were stellar. Tim Draxl was a revelation and I can only imagine how good the show is with Sylvie in the role. I hope this production doesn’t have a negative impact in the musical theatre industry here as we have enjoyed coming to Melbourne to see spectacular musicals such as Moulin Rouge (twice!), Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. Perhaps producers need to properly consider their star casting choices as ultimately it’s the greatness of the whole ensemble and material that gives a show its legs.
I’m in the ensemble of this production, and MickeyJoTheatre doing a video of a show I’m in was not in my 2024 bingo card 😅
Fantastic video, as always. Intelligent, nuanced, researched. Love your channel ❤
Please spill the tea. What is going on with Brightman??!!!
@@LJ-kg8zxright? I don't want to jeopardise anyone's employment but I want to hear the tea, this is a mess.
Maddy, I do want to say though that you should all be really proud of the work you're doing. I saw the show and none of this drama is the fault of the ensemble, orchestra, set designers etc. It's a shame such beautiful work is being overshadowed by OA's poor planning.
I saw Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard several weeks ago. I am not too impressed by her singing as she sounds really wobbly. But on the other hand, it's the wobbling voice that demonstrates the aging character very well. I know everyone says that she's an awful actress but to my surprise, her acting is very impressive. In the end, she got a standing ovation.
I am an Australian theatre critic and have already booked my tickets to the Sydney show in August. Was a bit disappointed to hear the negative reviews but I am intrigued to see it for myself! (Also, love the way you pronounce 'Melbourne' ❤😂)
We pre booked tickets primarily to see Sylvie Paladino.
We are regular theatre attendees. Melbourne has a huge artistic culture. We watched the shorts featuring Sarah. No disrespect, Sylvie is the stand out star.. her performance was outstanding. Sylvie’s voice and interaction with the cast was phenomenal.
Standing ovation..
Aussie here! What likely doesn't help is the price of theatre tickets at the moment and another big musical (Wicked) opening in a nearby theatre after nearly 10 years since the last Melbourne performance.
I was interested in seeing Sunset, but had to choose between shows because I could only afford one.
How right you are! The prices of Australian theatre tickets are outrageous.
Sarah Brightman improved A LOT since the opening run in Melbourne and the show is almost sold out every single night in Sydney. I think the only issue atm with Sarah is her diction but her "ethereal" interpretation of Norma Desmond is very interesting
Interesting that you were able to see it at the beginning and then later on. I was surprised how well she acted the role. (Only saw her in Sydney) A lot of depth. Riveting.
Aussie Music Theatre performer here - If you do come to Australia, please please come and see Wicked!! Big fan of your videos and would love to meet you at stage door! Also, I saw Sunset Boulevard in previews with Silvie on as Norma and she was outstanding. Minutes-long, FULL standing ovation at the end of the show. I can't make any comment on Sarah as I didn't see her perform but Silvie and the rest of the cast were truly phenomenal
The irony that Patti LaPone will be here in Melbourne, Australia doing solo shows at the same time that Sunset is still here.
This show was a revival no one asked for but also it's currently competing with Wicked & Chicago.
lol, I thought the same thing- I could see vividly Patti’s eye roll when she realises she is performing in same city as Sarah. Seeing Patti next Friday in Sydney and can’t wait! I saw y the show and didn’t mind Sarah but it was definitely underdone compared to those who came before. Bad review, cold weather and competition will not encourages getting more people to come out for the show.
How many times do people want to keep seeing Wicked and Chicago. Both are incredibly stale now
How’s Patti selling tho? Two shows at the enormous Palais is ‘courageous’.
@@DistantCousin and yet the ticket sales are through the roof, maybe it's not the show that's stale but your opinion.
Sarah Brightman is not as well known in Australia as she is in the UK. Not a name guaranteed to drive ticket sales.
I am very intrigued as to what kind of audience she would command in the US or the UK by comparison.
I knew her as Blind Mag from Repo well before I realized she was a musical icon, nevermind being THE OG Christine.
@@MickeyJoTheatrei would say she’s even less well known in the US, i went to drama school and really only know her as ALW’s ex and the og christine
Sarah is a kind of rock superstar here in Latin America and the far east!
Any Australian who has ever read a newspaper or watched a television screen would most definitely know who Sarah Brightman is.
Travelled to Melb last week to see the show. Sarah Brightman was the Norma that night. Overall it was a good performance of hers. It was her switch from dialogues to singing that weaken the role. Everything else about the show was pretty well done! On the side note, I went to see Wicked on the second day, it was brilliant!
I saw Sunset in Melbourne last week with Silvie Paladino and she was excellent! Having seen Glenn Close as Norma is 2017, I was really concerned about tarnishing my memories of that performance, but Silvie was spellbinding and received a very warm (and deserved) ovation. I travelled interstate expressly to see the show, but the poor reviews made me hold off on spending the asking price. The performance I attended was half-full, and I bought tickets at a fraction of the original asking price (at least a third, made a fifth of the price). I'm very glad I listened to a number of MT professionals and went to Silvie's matinee. Her interpretation of the songs is stunning. The production is lush and very slick. I found the choreography distracting in places, but the set is gorgeous and the performances top tier. I had understudies for all major roles (except Betty) and they really blitzed it. I'll be so sad if they close. I hope they find a way to right the ship, as only the most bankable shows seem to be getting put up in Australia at the moment (Think: Disney, Chicago, Wicked, Hamilton). We still haven't got 'Waitress', although it was announced pre-covid.
How lucky are you that you got to see Glenn Close ! I'm sure she was brilliant. She is such an amazing actress
I absolutely loved Sarah Brightman in Sunset Boulevard. It is one of my favourite musicals and Tim Draxal was wonderful as Jack. Back in the 1990s Sunset Boulevard was also destroyed by the media in Melbourne. I'm a huge fan of a musical
Melbourne has had some really strong musicals lately (Groundhog Day, Wicked, Chicago). Shows are very expensive here so it’s not at all surprising that people would rather see one of those rather than taking a risk on something like Sunset Boulevard.
My best friend and I seen this production and when buying the tickets we were so torn between buying tickets to see Sarah or her alternate who is one of Australia’s finest performers. We chose to see Sarah thinking it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We both regretted it afterwards. Sarah was not up to the role and instead of belting out those huge Norma numbers she put her operatic spin to it which flattened the entire show.
I’m going to see the show next week. After they heavily discounted the tickets.
The tickets were very expensive initially. And it should also be noted, also on at the moment is Wicked. Chicago has just left town and Beauty and the Beast is bumping in. When you have limited funds, you are going to go and see the shows you know you will love and at a more reasonable price.
Word of mouth is Silvie is fantastic. And I hope to see her the night I see the show.
You probably will see her. Brightman has gone into seclusion and hasn’t performed the role for two weeks.
I saw the Australian production last Saturday. Silvie Palladino as SB replacement was stunning just stunning
I saw Betty Buckley and also Patty which were both wonderful, whilst being a huge Patty fan, I have to admit that Betty would be my standout performance. She stole my heart that night ! I would love to see the new production with Nicole
In Australian theatre we usually tour the shows for two years, the usual path is Melbourne/Sydney, then Sydney/Melbourne, then Adelaide, then Brisbane, then Perth if they are lucky.
Current shows in rotation
Wicked (Melbourne stop currently, Brisbane is the next stop)
Chicago (Sydney currently, Adelaide is the next stop)
Grease (Brisbane(?) currently, Adelaide next stop)
SIX (Melbourne from October)
Hadestown (Sydney in 2025)
Hamilton (Sydney from Julyj
After seeing Nicole in Sunset multiple times the prospect of a Sarah Brightman Sunset would feel like going back to watch a version of the show which would do nothing different from 20/30 years ago, which would not interest me if I'm honest.
Worth noting as well looking at the website, they're not even attempting to sell Grand Circle tickets. Never a promising sign when a 1/3 of the tickets aren't even for sale.
Saw it yesterday. Thought it was brilliant including Brightman's
Performance
Mickey Jo, you're spot on when you observed that there's no one theatre city in Australia compared to NYC or London. Generally what happens is that a show will open for a few months in either Sydney or Melbourne, then the next step would be to play a few months in the other city. THEN, if there's demand, they will do shorter tour stops in other cities like Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth. Very rarely they might go to Canberra or Tasmania.
We also get a lot of revivals - Annie, Grease, Chicago, Mamma Mia, they all come around every few years because I guess producers are risk-adverse and want shows that are a known quantity instead of gambling with new shows. I understand there needs to be a balance but some more newer shows would be great.
With this production of sunset boulevard, I think mostly its the pricing that has created a lot of the backlash. Premium tickets are going for around $300 AUD, which is more like the prices that a mega hit like Hamilton are commanding. Most other shows, you'll be able to get equivalent seating for more the $150-170 AUD mark.
Ok. First, I must say.
Massive Sarah fan. So, when it was announced Sarah would be on our shore for Sunset last November, insert scream now. But i automatically had reservations for her and our theatre public/ critics.
I bought the first 3 nights that Sarah was on. I had flown to NY to see Glenn on Broadway, I had already prepared myself for the fact Sarah was not going to be Glenn, Patti or Debbie ( our 96 Norma) a non Australian Soprano in an ALW musical by Opera Australia. I knew last year the Tall Poppy critics would write what they wrote.
The set…. Amazing and back to the original.
The orchestra sublime… better than the “good” by one critic. My goosebump meter hit 10.
The cast were the usual eager beavers you get in all our productions. 2nd preview and
they had jelled nicely. A few missed lines but it’s live ( pink forgot lines in February) get over it, we are human.
The leads were unbelievably great. By show 3, it seemed to be a different show. It was so on song I was like, yes. They are into it. Standing ovations for the 3 nights…
Now Sarah.
I love the fact it was under played, not screamed at and hauntingly perfect for the age and character she was playing. Yes I pinched myself each night she walked out on stage. AIWNSG was so beautiful. It was quiet and built and built into an amazing moment that I will never forget.
My opinion. The overseas star was the issue. Australians are so, should be a local. The demographic for the show when Wicked is on around the corner. Times are tough. Options for entertainment since the world reopened are so plentiful. We have had Taylor, Pink, footy is on. Food is expensive. It should have been at the Opera house only. Short run. Condense the run.
Reviews are damming, the damage is done. It’s a great production. I can’t wait to go again. It’s weird that all the descriptions of Sarah being wooden etc. that’s Norma. They stood there with faces, and close ups. Not home and away over dramatised garbage.
Lastly. When you post pics and videos on instagram.
You get a personal invite from Sarah to go to the opening night, so special.
I saw the show yesterday and thought that is was superb. Sarah Brightman gave a magnificent performance and Tim Draxl was also 🍾🥂🍸outstanding. The set and orchestra were mesmerizing and the entire cast enhanced the show throughout.
I saw the first preview, and I found it incredible. I loved Sarah as Nora. She played the role with a desperate vulnerability that was really endearing to watch. And her voice was absolutely powerful. The hate that the production has been receiving from the critics is unfair and disingenuous. Those who hated it were never going to give it a chance. Many of them absolutely detest Andrew Lloyd Webber, and consider him a hack. And they had no intention of ever liking Sarah. When her casting was announced, they went to social media to accuse Opera Australia of stunt casting, and accuse her of stealing jobs from local talent. Even after writing their reviews, several of those critics are doubling down and relentlessly trying to smear Sarah as a has-been and a charlatan. I know Tim Byrne, whose Guardian review you mentioned, is continuing to bad mouth her to his mates and media colleagues on Facebook and X. Hearing the news about the production having to cancel a few dates was really devastating. It was a show that you really wanted to see succeed and shut up the haters. But it feels like the haters are winning.
Nope, the haters are wrong, always.
i think something not many people have considered is the reputation of Opera Australia as a company among frequent theatre goers in australia (especially in sydney). Opera Australia, time and time again, have found themselves in controversies surrounding their depictions of people of colour, often using black face, yellow face, and generally not hiring people of colour in their casts, creative teams, and employing white actors to play lead characters of colour. this is a common and repeated offence in their part, with their shows such as madame butterfly, turandot, and aida, showing japanese, chinese, and egyptian cultures in stereotypical and fetishised fashions. this is why a lot of creatives and frequent theatre watchers avoid Opera Australia, which means a majority of their demographic is made up of tourists who want to watch a show at the Sydney Opera House, and aussies who don’t often interact within Sydneys theatre community. i theorise that specific demographic may not be as familiar with Sunset Boulevard and Sarah Brightman, likely contributing to the lack of ticket sales.
If that's the case, it is utterly fatuous.
@@philscott6085 It's utterly false.
Opera Australia may have problems but they are not in regard to the quality of their productions which are always superb
OA being problematic colour me shocked
@@dusteverywhere2665 Their productions operas are also awful. I saw Tosca last month and it’s disgusting. Both the tenor and soprano were awful and the staging was just terrible on another level.
Her voice has always grated on me (although I acknowledge that she is trained).
But for me, her greatest flaw has always been her lack of acting ability.
I feel that harsh review was probably spot-on
i’ve heard from friends that this production is actually incredible with silvie, the alternate.
Can confirm.
I am adding to the question that LeonorFinicat posed. Has Sarah Brightman sung at all this week? I know she didn't do any shows last week or this Thursday. Did she perform last night June 21? Once again curious but also going for a second time this week coming.
She's been out with an injury.
As an Australian I breathed a sigh of relief we weren't getting that Jamie Lloyd version. Thank "2024 Christ" for that!
In New York, at least, the "alternate on for 2 scheduled shows per week", is and has always been called a "Christine contract", as it began with Christine. The best stereotypical Broadway divas, while wonderful, aren't born with the uncommon pipes and abilities of Sarah Brightman. Most back then also were not trained in the American system to be able to sing that score that many times safely because it hadn't happened before. Of course, after Phantom began, all of that changed and we get Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O'Hara (same teacher) etc. (professionally trained operatic vocal abilities that they can conform to a musical theatre sound when needed. They have, however, been given moments to let loose - Kristin's top notes at the beginning of Wicked, for example, and all of Light in the Piazza for Kelli. She also recently starred for the 2nd time in the opera of The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera. Similar to (though to even a more exacting extent) the notes at the end of Defying Gravity, if the performer aspiring to play Christine cannot nail the end of Think of Me of the back wall of the theater next door then she needn't enter the audition room. I just cannot imagine the conversation that had to have occurred between Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber that ended with them both agreeing that a traditional production of Sunset starrig Sarah was a winning idea unless he modified the entire score of the show around her vocal style. I can imagine that working perfectly fine if done wholistically. In fact, I can imagine it much much more easily than I can imagine the forthcoming transfer of the N. S. - led version....and I don't even have to imagine it with all the video available. I have no plans to see it when it gets here. I suspect it will not run overlong. When she was here as Grizabella in the extremely risky revival of Cats (mess with Gillian's choreography again and see where it gets you)..yes, yes, I've gone off-script but I haven't lost the thread. N.S. was so miscast as Grizabella it hurt. The costume made her look like a 20-something lady of the evening in the bad old days of the 80s, and her voice was incongruous with Memory. She had zero emotional connection to or understanding of the role and song, and it left a massive hole in the show. I think a modern Sunset that shows the vapidness of Kardashian-style celebrity using all the techy mess would be interesting, and N.S. could probably pull that off with aplomb. But it does not work to hot glue it to Webber's Sunset score which was written to very successfully evoke the original Gloria Swanson film. It hamstrings any attempt to modernize that show, particularly for anyone who saw the original production. the score, teh turban, the set, the lines are all of a piece. And I suspect I would walk out of yet another attempt to Ivo Van Hove-ize an existing classic. Write something that organically demands those tech tricks for God's sake and leave the older shows alone. And now, about Glenn and her movie. By all accounts, that's proceeding along at the typical Hollywood snail's pace. It will happen when it fits the distribution schedule bc it isn't going to be a blockbuster most likely so they're not going to schedule around it...at least the studio isn't doing the work to make it one the way that have with other (mostly failed) efforts. I saw the revival with Glenn. The only changes were the set was more abstract (no walls but still a massive staircase), all of which made perfect sense as it hit all the notes of """psychological""" set design. She was everything everyone who went wanted to see. The performer with the acting and vocal chops who should be in a major revival supported by an appropriate budget and everything that goes with it is Alice Ripley, who played Betty Shafer for the entire original Broadway run of the show--through all the Normas. She has done Norma in a regional production here, and I hope someone with the money and sense to make it what it deserves to be will make it happen. I love Sarah Brigut htman. The size and power and shape of her talent is a logical fit for Norma Desmond, but here's the rub...... Sunset Boulevard is a star vehicle, not an ensemble show All of the other characters are cardboard cutouts that prop up Norma. And Sarah Brightman is a star. But at this point there is a Sarah Brigtman style of show that would need to be applied to Sunset. It would work very well in Vegas. I would even go to Vegas to see it, and I hate Vegas. But you can't just plop her in a run-of-the-mill traditional Sunset production - even a beautifully crafted one - and have it make sense. I suspect the AUS critiques of her voice are reactions to her acting choices to give an intentionally diminshed vocal sound to Norma at the beginning. I've heard Sarah live not that long ago and while, yes, the instrument has aged, it hasn't diminished....in large part because she left musical theatre and it's unreasonable demands that do not align with maintaining a classically trained voice. No one who sings RENT and the link their entire career will have a voice that lasts the way Sarah's and Kristin's and Kelli's and Barbara Cook's have. They have chosen to only take parts that don't ask you to take risks with your instrument. And one final word about Norma. Please God, just keep Meryl Streep away.
Just got back from seeing Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne tonight. Sarah Brightman was back onstage. Given the rough reviews this Australian production has received, I was pleasantly surprised. Brightman gave a good performance and was particularly strong in 'As If We Never Said Goodbye'. The whole cast were good, in fact.
Ticket in the stalls, row J, was about 73 AUD so good value.
A big factor, in my opinion, for why Sunset Boulevard hasn't been a blockbuster run is because the source material doesn't have the cultural cachet in Australia that some other musicals have. Big name classics like Wicked do very well here. As do hipper, more recent juggernauts like Hamilton and Six. But Sunset Boulevard is less well known and so is harder to place in the mainstream audience's mind. Everyone knows songs from Mamma Mia, Grease and Phantom, but how many people can name even one song from Sunset Boulevard?
People say a lot of things about Brightman, but I thought she was very ballsy to go on tonight.
The Guardian Review was spot on. I went to an SB performance out of sheer curiosity - and regret it! Tim , the supporting cast and chorus were amazing, and yes - ‘Too Much in Love to Care’ was a real highlight!
I saw it with Silvie - she and the show were INCREDIBLE!
Sarah Brightman is schedule to perform Sunset Boulevard in Singapore on February 2025. Seeing that I'm from Indonesia, and will be invested alot to go to Singapore, so I came here to read the review (mostly praising Silvie Paladino for the performance). Anybody knows if the Singapore casting has alternates too? If so is it Silvie Paladino?
Just stumbled across your video. We went tonight.
Was excited when they announced the run last year with Sarah Brightman but when the initial ticket prices came out I did balk at the idea.
But in mid June they ran a promo of all tickets for $72 for 72 hours so picked up seats in row P in the stalls.
Acknowledging her age and suitability, we enjoyed it but admittedly have no reference point before this.
On the cost however, we had seen Wicked back in June and large swathes of seats were empty (on a Sat night as well). They also ended up doing a run of $99 for remaining tix.
It does seem the financial constraints are having an impact of sales.
ive seen the show twice alreadey sarah was on for both and I am just gonna say this now sarah was brilliant from start to finish from the moment she entered to the final scene literally when she first goes on stage the theatre was so quiet you could hear a pindrop if anything sarah is stunning as norma and I'm gonna see it as many times as I can before it leaves for sydney
Aussie here. Haven’t see it. Never will. What’s going on with Sunset Boulevard in Australia? They’ve pulled a double pull, and cast a completely “past her prime” lead to play the “past her prime” lead. Sarah was outstanding in Phantom of the Opera, and beyond perfect in Tell Me on a Sunday, but that’s where it ended. I’m afraid to say that she she should have not been allowed to hold a microphone since the year 2,000.
And by the way, for this gay man, no one touches Betty Buckley as Norma. 👍
I literally just saw a sign advertising for this show last week driving back from a meeting. Outside of this poster I have not seen any other advertising anywhere else. Not on Instagram etc whereas Wicked and Sister Act (which opens later this year) are all over social media. I feel like there’s very little promotion and I’m in CBD Melbourne. Traditionally here in Oz, as Melbourne is perceived as the cultural capital of the country (this is up for debate) you open the show in Melbourne and then it does its second run in Sydney, mainly because there has been an historical rivalry between the two cities (pretty much a one sided rivalry by Melbourne). Hope this helps.
If you’re a hardcore musical fan of any age, you’re going to know who Sarah Brightman is … however, if you’re a general Australian audience member, she reached peak awareness in the late 80s/early 90s.
Also something to note that when Sunset Boulevard was originally produced in Australia back in the 90's the original Norma and Joe were Hugh Jackman back in his theatre days and Debra Byrne who was a veteran of the Australian entertainment industry in her own right (Not sure how the show was originally received but that was the original level of talent/status that was cast for it). You can find some TV promo performances of them on You Tube. Also Sylvie is an Australian icon herself who came into prominence during the mega musical trend as the original Aussie Eponine amongst other things so if it weren't for the Sarah Brightman marketing novelty I would love to see what she could have done in this production in her own right.
I recall that production faltered a Debbie was struggling with addiction at the time
In Australia, we commonly care more about how well someone can do something rather than their perceived fame. I was not excited when they announced Sarah Brightman as I knew (for me anyway) her voice wouldn't be a great fit... Its also prohibitively expensive for a lot of audience members to see the musicals produced by Sydney Opera House.
Great vid! Aussie theatregoer here, and yes - productions usually premiere in Melbourne then travel to Sydney (or vice versa), before sometimes going on to Brisbane/ Adelaide or Perth. ❤ P.s LOVE the Phantom teddy! 😂 🎭
When the announcement was made that she would be doing the performance and not Sarah Brightman. The Melbourne audience applauded
An Aussie here! 🙂 I just watched your two reviews of the &Juliet productions from London & NY, after watching two performances of the Sydney production (which I enjoyed show much! Best musical I’ve seen in such a long time, and the Australian cast were soooo good!). Anyway, glad to see your video here about the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard, as I’m thinking about watching it in Sydney when the show comes to town. Well, definitely mixed reviews for this show! I wanted to watch the show because I enjoyed the 90’s production in Melbourne and I love some of the songs from this show. And to top it off, seeing Sarah B live would be such a treat because I’m a huge fan of Phantom and never seen Sarah perform live before. But such mixed reviews for a $300 ticket does make me hesitate. It’s so expensive to go out in Sydney, especially to the theatre. So one does need to consider quality vs cost, that’s just the reality of living in today’s economic climate 😢 will stew on it a little further I think….🤔
I just saw this spur of the moment on Friday night (with Silvie Paladino filling in for Sarah Brightman) and I actually loved it more than I was expecting to! Silvie was absolutely fantastic as Norma. I'm seeing it again in July so I'm hoping that I get Sarah for that show bc I'm really curious to see the differences between the two.
All that said, there were quite a lot of empty seats around. I think marketing for the show has been pretty poor (and Sunset just isn't that popular of a musical here tbh...especially when compared to some of ALW's other works). Wicked and Beauty & the Beast are also currently competing it against it too which I'm sure doesn't help.
Musicals in Australia tend to start in either Melbourne or Sydney and then tour to the other. If they're successful enough, then they'll often tour to Brisbane, and later down the line maybe they'll visit Perth/Adelaide/Canberra and even transfer to New Zealand at some point
'If you want to see the legend live in a musical, this could be your last best chance'
Well yeah, we're Australia. We're really really geographically far away from the West End and Broadway, it's a very demanding time commitment for international talent. Apart from Sarah Brightman 'getting on in years', our theatre scene doesn't get the big names anywhere near as often so it's a big thing when they do make the trek, especially if some of us would already be travelling 3 1/2 hours interstate to see it in Melbourne. Also, the current cost of living crisis is really screwing with disposable income (what disposable income?) which limits the audiences even further. Experiencing live performance is expensive!
Min 11:13 I need someone to help me out how to find exactly what he is talking about please 🖤🖤🖤
Okay, so since the production has opened, I have seen this three times on Sarah’s night… but where is Sarah?? Has she flown back to the UK… Silvie Paladino is simply superb, could she be the best Norma Desmond? I do love this production, and have two more scheduled to attend. At this point, I’m happy to see Silvie although Sarah is listed as lead actress. The production has not only scaled back tuesday performances, in July Sunday performances are cut also meaning 6 shows a week. I don’t recall a major production running 6 shows a week. The costumes, the scenery, the makeup, the props…. And the entire cast led by Silvie is fantastic.
Sarah has been injured - she's human after all.
I had not previously seen Sunset Boulevard onstage, I deliberately booked a Tuesday night performance to see Sylvie as Norma. She was fabulous in the role. Her vocals were faultless and her acting superb. She received a huge standing ovation during at the end of the show. Standing ovations seem to have become the norm at shows but Sylvie’s As if We Never Said Goodbye’ literally stopped the show. The audience were on their feet cheering. The whole company was excellent, however I thought the show itself was slow in places. I think ticket prices are a huge issue especially in the current economy. People simply cannot afford to pay $200-$300 for 21/2 hours of entertainment. I think producers need to find a way to reduce their costs, maybe casting local artists would help. Ticket sales were so slow that rush tickets have been available on TodayTix since the show opened. I did pay full price for B reserve tickets so that I could choose my seats.
As an Australian, ALW was my introduction to musical theatre as a child so I have always gone to see his shows. The SB revival in NYC was incredible with Glenn is the role but that level of Hollywood glitz and glamour was always going to be a hard sell here as Australian audiences don’t seem to know and appreciate the source material.
Having seen both Sarah and Sylvie, as well a Glenn, there are a few other factors at play.
1. The marketing was very minimal with the exception of the casting. Then as there were rehearsal dramas etc everything was very tense and tellingly there was no marketing that included Sarah’s singing performance.
2. Ticket prices in the middle of winter. Winter in Melbourne is cold and miserable. If you are going to be enticed out, it has to be good and value for money. Because of Sarah’s exorbitant appearance fee, tickets up to $300 is too much when there is so much more theatre in Melbourne, as well as Audra AND Patti touring. Most people are being selective and the negative reviews don’t help.
Sylvie is a local treasure. She seems to be doing more than the advertised alternate shows and people are actively going to see her. The staging which was clearly designed due to Sarah’s limitations affect Sylvie’s ability to perform the role.
Tim is doing a stellar job and TRYING so so hard to have any chemistry with Sarah that it shows.
The choreography is very camp and doesn’t always work but the sets and costumes are incredible. The ensemble and local cast are giving it their all and it just frustrating that it is the way it is.
Hopefully they can learn from this but they will need a lot to recuperate the costs of Sarah. Go see Sylvie if you can and hopefully she takes over!!!
I've seen a few allusions to rehearsal dramas and Sarah being aloof with the cast- what kind of dramas and where are people hearing about it?
Whilst I have posted here on various issues other than the leading lady, it seems some of you with very little to say have sent those mindless gems to me, in fact seven people thinking they were responding to another idea in this thread have responded to me, not about anything I have said, but with outrageously contrived reasons for why this show is not for Australia.
Nobody seems to know that the first run of Sunset B in Australia was marred by the death of the Music Director on his way home after the final rehearsal before opening night!
That had a massive impact on the show, as Brian Stacey was much loved by all.
Somebody said this show doesn't work for Australians because we don't have a silent movie history......well funnily enough we do! Ned Kelly was the first feature length silent movie in the World and yes, made in Australia. Another famous silent is Sentimental Bloke.
Somebody suggested that musicals about feelings don't communicate with the Australian Culture, the example was Chorus Line which according to him failed everywhere but the USA.
Wrong!
That famous show was about the life of a dancer fighting to get work each time a show closed, I saw it several times in London apart from opening night.
Yes, I do know a lot about Opera and Musical theatre, as I was a performer in both genres.
Music is an international language.
However, I am getting tired of people writing to me with pie in the sky ideas. Please learn how to respond to comments on UA-cam.
Opera Australia are at the centre of this conflict of artistic abilities.
They receive funding and are 'trained' in producing Opera.
Switching to mostly Musical Theatre is all to do with them making more money from a musical than their Operatic shows.
I doubt anybody checked on the range nor quality of Ms Brightman's voice before setting up a contract.
The failure is not hers.
It starts way before she became involved.
sorry, I fell asleep half way though your soapboxed monologue, what was your point?
Opera Australia has committed to producing two musicals in Australia per year for a decade, they have received funding to assist with this so I don't understand where your airquoted 'trained' is coming from other than a place of uneducated babble -- Another example of AO musicals is (surprise!) Hadestown in Sydney next year so while I'm sure you adore the concept of people raging on whatever nonsense you've dribbled in past comments, the fact is you're still dribbling now.
You talked about a show NOT resonating in Australia only then to quote that you had seen it in London which *checks world map* is not in Australia -- a fact also backed up by Mikey.
Here's a tissue, wipe your mouth, and please educate yourself before placing any of your fingers on a keyboard again.
Saw it last week, love it or hate it Brightman still got standing ovation from the audience. I personally am a big fan of her and even though I didn’t think she is suitable for the role but I think she did the exceptional job here.
❤❤ Thank you for this special look at Australian theatrical scene Mickey Jo. It has been improving and trying to be more "relevant" for theatre and critics alike for it to merit some degree of attention.
have you seen Burlesque the Musical in Manchester yet hahah saw it on the 14th of june it was out standing seeing it again in October
Saw the Wednesday matinee this week. Was absolutely spellbound and blown away. Granted, I am a Sunset tragic from way back haha so I was ecstatic just to be in the theatre seeing a professional production. However I can honestly say the show was an absolute knockout. Not one weak link in the entire cast - Silvie Paladino literally tore the roof off the Princess as Norma and Tim Draxl was a fantastic Joe. Asheligh Rubenach shone as Betty and Robert Grubb was a fabulous Max. The sets, lighting and orchestra were jaw dropping. If I wasn't flying out tomorrow I would see it multiple times. World class!
I saw the show opening night. I agree with much of the Guardian review. The staging design was brilliant, as was the supporting cast. But Sarah Brightman was not right for the role. The director and casting director need to be responsible, as I don’t feel Sarah has the acting prowess or vocals best suited to this part.
I spent the first act waiting for the tension and discomfort of the clawing coercive control that is meant to define the relationship between Norma and Joe. All I was left with was feeling that Norma was a nice older lady. There was nothing conniving or desperate in the performance, which is why at the end of the show her pulling a revolver in a frenzy didn’t quite feel it was a justified resolution to Norma’s emotions- as it lacked the build up.
Similarly, I didn’t feel the down and out opportunism from Joe’s character that sets him up for his new bourgeois lifestyle Act 2 opening with his lead number Sunset Boulevard.
I have seen the show twice, first on its original run 20 years ago in Melbourne and loved it as one of my favourites. I was a bit irked that they staged a traditional version rather than waiting to bring the Jamie Lloyd version.
Theatre in Melbourne has been strong lately, with Groundhog Day, Chicago, Wicked (revival) all selling well.
I think the issue with this production of Sunset Boulevard is that it’s a show that relies on a lead that the audience are invested in and who is believable in that role. Particularly if parachuting in overseas talent, we expect that actor to be the best person to play that part.
Audiences may not have also been expecting the Opera Australia take on a Lloyd Webber production, as the name implies, tends towards more opera heavy lead casting. Unfortunately that doesn’t always play well next to musical theatre performances by the supporting cast.
I think the casting decision was made by the bean counters at Opera Australia who took a huge financial gamble and failed. Would not be surprised if this marks the death of Opera Australia.