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!).

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.

as an australian, i am so shocked every time youtubers acknowledge anything that happens over here 😭

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.

"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. 😂

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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!

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.

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 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 Brightman perform the role in previews and I have a million thoughts. I will be putting up my own KZfaq 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.

Honestly, Silvie should have headlined this production. She is a phenomenal singer.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

its interesting that the ads that are appearing here in Australia are actually publicising when the alternate norma is playing the role.

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

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 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 😂

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 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 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 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.

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 😂

Melburnian here. I am going to put it out there that there are bigger, better shows playing at the moment. Wicked anyone...

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 ❤

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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!!!

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.

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’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.

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!

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.

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' ❤😂)

The only way I’m getting to see the show is with a Rush ticket! So many empty seats I was able to move to the middle of the row and have empty seats in front of me. I enjoyed Sarah’s performance, but Tim Draxl and Ashleigh Rubenach were delightful. For me, the fake car was the worst part of the show. Hoping to see Sylvie if I get the chance to go again.

'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!

Describing Sarah Brigthman as a classical soprano in pretty ludicrous. She had a gorgeous timbre and a beautiful voice, but, it sounded classical in a west end setting, but she sounds like musical theatre in a classical setting. She is a popera singer, and a damn good one at that. She can't sing a full operatic role, never could. Considering her a classical soprano is as valid as saying Emma Shaplin is a calssical soprano. She is not Audra Mcdonald who is a broadway belter as well as a legit soprano.

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 KZfaq. 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.

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 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 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.

Hi I am from Adelaide South Australia. Only a bit over a hour flight from Melbourne. As a ex theatre performer and arts advocate I was totally unaware of this production until only a few days before it opened. The marketing has been absolutely dreadful. Even people that live in Melbourne have said that there has been no flags up, billboards, window costumes etc. If you look how well wicked is marketed, it's a massive difference. That is the first problem. Secondly Brightman gave brief interviews but there has been literally nothing showing her in the show, other than her walking on the stage. We heard and could see and hear other cast members but not her. People found this a little infuriating and deceitful as she does sing the biggest hits in the show. Anyone that knows anything about voice knows that Norma needs a very strong voice and over the top dramatics. Unfortunately a lot of people thought strongly straight away that she wasn't suitable for the role, then when the media wouldn't show any of her in the show it made it harder for people to warm to her. The reviews unfortunately in a lot of ways are totally true because Sarah's sweet voice, slightly operatic, higher register and dreamy with no belt has forced many key changes, which feels somewhat disconnected to the rest of the score and cast. She comes across a little too polite and not crazy enough. When the reviews came in it sort of confirmed people's thoughts about her. Unfortunately there also has been quite a few mentions of her not doing things with the cast and I heard disappointed fans, that she has quickly slipped past them and avoided signing autographs. In fact a lot of the theatre workers are apparently telling people to book only when Silvie is on as she is so much better. It's all a bit sad really. I feel a bit sorry for Sarah in a lot of ways, as she was fabulous many years ago and I do think Australia has been a bit harsh on her but in someway I can understand why. On another note Australians can be quite nostalgic. Sunset boulevard hasn't been here since the 90s and we had an incredible cast. Not to mention Hugh Jackman and Debra bryne. All exceptional Australians and the show did not really take off even back then. I would have thought we would have got the revamped version. On a totally different note I would really love if you could go to the bochum starlight express before you review the current London production. That would make a wonderful comparison 😂. Thank you for this interesting discussion. Take care. Love from Australia 🇦🇺

Latest news is Brightman has stopped performing due to "calf injury". Tickets look like they're a bit cheaper and the shows are selling out a bit more.

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.

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’ve heard from friends that this production is actually incredible with silvie, the alternate.

❤❤ 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.

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 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.

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.

Mickey you need to read about the 1990s production in Melbourne. Reading all the comments from those who have seen Silvie it is like history repeating itself. In the 1990s season Debra was a disaster and Maria Mercedes finished the run whilst Hugh started his run to international fame. I saw Sarah a few weeks ago. I felt she was fine but not outstanding. Meanwhile, the production is fabulous. There was a superb Opera Australia production of Phantom with a short season in Sydney and an extended run in Melbourne last summer. A superb all Australian cast at least one of whom you would have seen on the West End. As others have noted, Sunset Boulevard is also competing with several other better known shows in a city where there is always so much on. (including Audra last month and Patti next month)

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 was there on opening night and reviewed the show that evening. Clearly many people loved it. I overall loved the production side of sets, costumes and the beautiful sound of the orchestra. One thing I struggled with Sarah performance is vocally she didn’t sound ready. And her 34yrs from MT stages was very obvious. Her performance had so much verbrato in her head voice lyrically you couldn’t understand her, then her chest voice was more musical theatre sounding. You could clearly hear her taking large breaths between notes, esp anything she had to hold of length or higher in the register. Personally I thought Tim (playing Joe) was trying desperately to find anything to make connection with. And I felt she played the role too passively that it ended up being a role you felt empathy for as an aging woman. Her final dialogue didn’t connect with rest of her portrayal. But in terms of “stunt casting “ many Aussie theatre fans don’t like it and feel if there was a well known Aussie who could do the role justice like Silvie then Australian should be given the role. Getting into theatre in Australia is hard as it is, and having stunt casting from O/S and feeling like a role has been taken away from a local many don’t agree with. Similar to when a footy player was given the often celebrity role of pharaoh last year in Joseph and this stunt casting was so terrible and a significantly better choice could have been made. It was an attempt to get sports fans in. It didn’t work. I was intrigued to see Sarah. But had no plans to see it othetwise. The production quality (except Sarah) is everything you’d expect from an opera Australia production… bold and fabulous. But with Norma being so integral and pretty much sets the mood or tone for the show… it was disappointing and I kept wanting her to be bigger or more dramatic to match her outfits, sets and dialogue.

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….🤔

Omigod hey! I'm seeing Sarah next week. The talk has been that Silvie is much better than her, so I might have to go again to see her. Silvie is well regarded musical theatre performer here, she performs at the annual Christmas carols etc. I think I last saw her as the Mum in Fun Home and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.

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! 😂 🎭

As someone who can now not go to the theatre as often, due to pricing, I would not waste money to see Sarah Brightman. Despite the irony of her casting in this role I don't think she is up to it, as has been proven by her, already, missing shows. With an alternate as great as Sylvie Palladino why would you waste money on Brightman. Sylvie is as much an actor as well as singer, unlike Sarah who has extremely limited actin skills. after saying these things though, Sunset Boulevard is not a well known show in Australia where the original production had Debra Byrne as Norma and Hugh Jackman as Joe. Even in that production Debra missed shows and was replaced by Maria Mercedes who got fabulous reviews for her performance.

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

Yes. Australian productions, indeed, do tour.

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

English guy living in Australia here. I've got tickets for Sydney at the end of September on a Wednesday night. Really hoping they don't cancel , but from the beginning I've thought that the casting of Sarah Brightman was questionable to say the least and none of those reviews come as any surprise to me, but I love the show and saw the original London production (ironically with an understudy playing Norma) Looking forward to finding out for myself and I'll report back when I -hopefully - do!

I went to see Sunset Boulevard at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne last Friday night, June 15, and was very disappointed with it. Sarah Brightman was supposed to perform but it was announced that Sylvie Paladino would take her place. People were very focal about their disappointment. It was, after all, a Friday Night that is a major time for the leading star to be singing the part. However, Sylvie Paladino was tremendous in singing and acting the difficult role of Norma Desmond. Tim Draxl was also very good and the supporting cast were excellent. The sets and costumes were very good, but the overall production just didn't work and didn't have the emotional depth and necessary sad tragedy of the Billy Wilder film. Many of the songs and dance numbers were not very memorable. Sylvie Paladino's songs were wonderfully sung and the outstanding songs of this production. There were many empty seats for a Friday night. Sylvie Paladino and the entire cast and the orchestra received a standing ovation, but I should comment that Australian audiences tend to applaud and cheer whether the show is actually that good or not.

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.

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 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

Sarah Brightman is not as well known in Australia as she is in the UK. Not a name guaranteed to drive ticket sales.

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.

I managed to see the show; And while I adore Sarah Brightman, this was not a role suited to her voice unfortunately... I still have to applaud the supporting cast, set design and choreography! Absolutely stunning work!

Okay so here's what up: the show is awful. It's so annoying since as a superfan of Sunset I enjoyed myself hearing it live, but the production is dated, boring, badly staged and just too camp for its own good. It feels like a relic of yesteryear, especially when the intended draw factor is literally the worst part and the fact we have Nicole blasting the roof off in Jamie Lloyd's stripped back production. The best part of the show is the orchestra - it's lush and we're lucky to hear it performed properly, and as intended. The ensemble sound great, Ashleigh Rubenach playing Betty is really good (the show also uses the revised lyrics which was a big relief), Robert Grubb played Max in the og Australian production (!) and sounds great for 70+. The set looks good (?) especially in the mansion. All the best songs in Sunset have the huge belt, showy moments - so Sarah is a severe miscast any moment in the show she's on stage time stops because you just want it to end but she warbles her way through it in her headvoice. It sounds so shit. No one wants to hear that, and that wasn't how the show was concieved. Silvie Palladino is excellent in the role and performs the songs in the original keys (!) at full belt (if you're a fan of Sunset, she sounds similar and slightly better than Linda Balgord) but she's hampered by Sarah's robotic staging. The director doesn't seem to unstand the need to make Norma into a horror figure - she should be Nosferatu praying on Joe but the production is trying desparately to make her a dotty old woman we should feel bad for. I thought seeing Silvie would also fix the show but it doesn't, it's just an absolute flop. One of the biggest problems is that the staging has been compromised to fit Sarah. She literally just stands there and delivers a song and can't move around - so the lighting state is lit to a very tight part of the stage, so when Silvie gets to actually perform the role as intended, she can't exactly move around as required because it's confined to what Sarah needs. But it's not exactly interesting or inspired direction, and some of it is flat out wrong - it's like the director tried to make it 'fresh' by making some unusual choices but they suck. In the finale, Joe tells Betty to leave - for some reason she looks at him, locks eyes and says "I can't look at you anymore". Hello??? The stage directions are even in that line??? There are some other tasteless moments in the finale of the show she sings "WITH ONE LOOK I'LL BE-" and on the last "ME!" the whole cast on stage do these ridiculously camp twirls and there are lights up on the supporting memebrs?? Why would I want a fuckin close up of Artie in the finale??? Earlier, Cecil DeMille hugs Norma and says "Goodbye, young fellow" to NORMA. The line is obviously for Joe?? The choreography in general is hammy and stupid, like it was summoned directly out of the original staging but doesn't mesh when it has so many variants in styles. The Princess Theatre holds around 1500 patrons - on average Sarah is bringing in 500 pax per performance. Sadly, the matinees (staring Silvie) are bringing in about 300 at most. Monday and Tuesday (and Sundays) are mostly dead air for theatre in Melbourne so it's not a surpirse they got cut. Some extra tea from the rehearsals - the whole cast began rehearsals without ever seeing Sarah for the first few weeks. Silvie was not allowed in the room when Sarah was in rehearsals (LMAOOOO), and Sarah didn't want anyone to talk to her and had a chaperone to pass on messages. It is almost like she's living Norma Desmond but it's a shame she can't perform it. The worst thing is that Toni Collette (!!!!!!) was in talks for the role before have to turn it down and that would have been literally everything they wanted. Opera Australia is burning through money and keeps screwing up investments - it is a huuuuuuuuge misfire to cast Sarah because 1) Australians in general don't really care about culture and theatre and 2) people don't know Sarah over here. OA just staged Phantom not so long ago so I think they were hoping their aging subscribers would put two and two together, but it's not like they have over 5000+ subscribers. OA seasons usually run for like, a week at most, and banking on a name like Sunset Boulevard wasn't going to help. I am embarrased to tell pepole to go since even with Silvie, she can't save the show from being so lame. But I'm begging people to go and see Sarah - this is legendary, like maybe one of the greatest flops of all time.

I saw the show last night, and we had Silvie Paladino as Norma. Silvie was absolutely amazing! It was a Thursday night, a night that Sarah Brightman is scheduled to perform. And from talking to the people around me, apparently Silvie has been going on more and more lately. I’m definitely not mad we saw Silvie (I was kinda hoping to see her based on the reviews I heard beforehand tbh). I also booked that show 2 days before and there was still so many seats left. The tickets sales just aren’t there. I think it’s definitely true that Sunset Boulevard is a lot less well known in Australia, and people are probably less likely to go see it, especially when something like Wicked is also playing.

Hello. Australian here. Can’t wait to see this production in Sydney. Tickets for this production are ridiculously expensive in Australia. Melbourne is slightly cheaper than Sydney, but it’s still extremely expensive and therefore I believe that is a major factor in the shows struggle. While I’m excited to see Sarah, I think a big name Australian would have been a better choice for this production.

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.

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

In Australia shows tend to start in Melbourne or Sydney, then tour around the country (pending theatre availability), with many continuing around the Pacific region. Theatres are typically 1500-2000 seaters, and I've heard that unless you can hit 5 cities you can't make your money back. Pricing has gotten out of hand, the post-lunch "grab a matinee" is going to cost you more than an interstate flight. Stunt casting doesn't really work here. For example, the current production of &Juliet is scheduled to finish mid July, but the current Angelique (Casey Donovan) is stepping out to head up Sister Act. As a result they've called in Keala Settle to cover for those last few weeks, and all the advertising has been about seeing the show before Casey goes, rather than come check out the movie star. Any plans to head up to Leicester in April and catch Muriel's Wedding?

If you go to Australia, Chicago, Grease and Wicked are STRONG revivals

I have tickets to see this production in September at the Sydney Opera House. I have seen Glenn Close perform the role in New York and Elaine Paige in London - both were sensational. When Sarah Brightman was announced to be playing Norma, I immediately thought she was miscast - she has the wrong vocal range needed and she's not a great actress (I saw her as Christine in Phantom in London - yawn). I was hoping when Sunset Blvd was announced to be "making its return" to the Australian stage that Caroline O'Connor would be cast as Norma ... sadly for us she wasn't! Tickets aren't selling as expected as they are quite expensive and there is a cost of living crisis gripping the country (and the world).

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

Mickey-Joe There are several clips from the Australian production on KZfaq at present. Most feature Draxl, but in one case Ms Brightman sings, and has the voice typical of an opera singer who has aged, producing a woofy sound, somewhat unfocussed, with limited agility. Nobody can blame her for this, although she might have refused the contract had she known how she sounded. Brightman's Norma does not match any of the previous Normas thus far as it is quasi operatic. Opera Australia is heavily funded to produce Opera in Sydney and Melbourne, yet they seem to produce more musical theatre as that makes more money, prompting the question whether government funding should be spent elsewhere? Surely an Opera company would know whether Ms Brightman's voice were appropriate for the music she has to sing. Sydney may appear to be a better seller, the reason for that being the Opera Theatre at the Opera House only seats 1,300, rather small for a commercial show and easy to get a full house. We in Australia know Sunset B Boulevard as the Conductor of the original was killed the night before opening night. Sylvie Paladino has a history of roles similar to Ms Lupone, so I doubt whether she would be the reason for low ticket sales. Her performances are probably being cancelled si that they don't have to pay her out of a low box office.

When Phantom opened on Broadway, the ABC TV critic said "Sarah Brightman could not act scared on the D trainOne of the scariest NYC subways at the time) at 4:00 a.m. One other note... Petula Clark played Norma on the West End and starred in the U.S. tour. She sang the score beautifully.

A lot of aging classical singers-especially sopranos-tend to go flabby and breathy in the middle register. I can see why Brighman would not try and belt from the middle register like in traditional musical theatre. The register is just not there anymore to carry it.

I haven’t seen the show yet…but low ticket sales could have something to do with the fact that Wicked is playing round the corner at the Regent, and the Australian market does lean more towards the mega musical. We also have The Odd Couple and The Woman in Black playing at the Comedy and the Athenaeum…with strong Australian casts. I think as amazing as Sarah Brightman is (or was), there are a lot of Australian theatre fans who would prefer to support an Australian cast. Of course having said that, Groundhog Day was pretty popular and we had Andy Karl. Also, I think our ticket prices are quite high, so people are usually only likely to choose one show a month or so (or less), and at the moment Sunset is playing quite a distant second fiddle to Wicked.

I was intrigued with her as Norma, especially after seeing her during her Holiday concert tour. After hearing those clips from the trailer, it sounds like she's struggling, but it sounds nasal. She might be in the right age group for Norma, but her voice just doesn't seem to line up. Again, that's just from listening to clips. Can't fully judge as I haven't seen the show.

Most major shows that come to Australia are sponsored by either the New South Wales government to start in Sydney, or the Victorian government to start in Melbourne. They then pretend they're not going to tour, so that people from around the country (and beyond) go to that city. The fact that they've been doing it this way for decades seems to suggest it works. They then announce the tour. In this case everyone knew from the start that it was going to Sydney, which limits the number of people that will travel to Melbourne. I think the biggest factor here is the price. It is way above what I spent on Groundhog Day, Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins in the last year, which were already pricey (yes I have an 11 year old). If you come see it in Sydney you have to come to Melbourne as well, we have much better theatres. (Sorry not sorry)

This is only my opinion as an Australian, and I’d love to see if others agree! I think that because it often takes 2-3 years for the latest West End or Broadway musical to come our way, shows such as Hamilton, & Juliet or Six have incredible runs here. So perhaps it is the case that the current demography that goes to the theatre are more willing to see contemporary and new shows? That’s not to say that classic shows aren’t successful, as you did mention Miss Saigon did really well at the Opera House. It’ll be interesting to see how it does in Sydney, as Sydney is a lot more central for most Aussies. I live in Canberra, which is a 3 hour drive to Sydney vs Melbourne is about an 8 hour drive, so it’ll be interesting to see if that affects ticket sales.

After watching Nicole in Jamie's production, it's hard to imagine Sarah playing Norma, since her voice is operatic and lighter.

I saw opening of Sunset in London and enjoyed it, friends who have seen it in Melbourne where I'm based ... I was going to be musically directing community production of Sunset Boulevard but our rights got revoked due to this production so we're doing Into The Woods now. My friends who have seen this have said this production is quite amazing, although i haven't got to it yet ... Although none of my friends went to the ones played by Sarah Brightman ...