Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony-winning musical, Sunset Boulevard, will begin its debut season at the Sydney Opera House this month.
From Wednesday, August 28, Sydney’s most iconic venue will welcome the dazzling production for the first time.
Transforming the Joan Sutherland Theatre into a glamorous ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood, Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of Billy Wilder’s classic 1950 film attempts to capture the size and scale of this complex tale, which follows down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis and his volatile relationship with Norma, a faded Hollywood star attempting to claw her way back to the limelight.
Renowned Soprano Sarah Brightman takes the lead as Norma, standing opposite Australian actor Tim Draxi who sinks his teeth into Gillis with support from Robert Grubb, Ashleigh Rubenach, Jarrod Draper, Paul Hanion, Troy Sussman, Regan Barber, and a whole host of accomplished local and international talent.
The iconic role of Norma places Brightman in the same league as legendary performer Glenn Close and multi-hyphenate Nicole Scherzinger, whose recent performance scored her an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in the West End.
Brightman, who rose to fame in the lead role of Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, has earned herself the title of the “world’s best-selling soprano” and will work alongside a 28-piece orchestra to bring this story to life.
The production played earlier this year at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, conceived by Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment as one of the year’s most anticipated stage shows. Reviews have noted Lloyd Webber’s stunning set pieces and elaborate costumes, evoking the swagger of vintage Hollywood, complemented by big, dramatic hits like “The Perfect Year” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.”
The last time a production of Sunset Boulevard toured Australia was 30 years ago, featuring a young Hugh Jackman and playing to sold-out audiences across the country. It’s hoped that Lloyd Webber will be able to recapture some of that magic as the musical is shaped for one of the country’s most emblematic theatres.
Ironically, it also marks Brightman’s first theatrical role in just as long, bringing her to the Sydney Opera House for the first time and resting on her undeniable chemistry with Lloyd Webber, which sparked when they first worked together on The Phantom of the Opera.
Sunset Boulevard pemieres at the Sydney Opera House from August 28, with the official opening night on August 31.
Sunset Boulevard
Where: Sydney Opera House; Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
When: From August 28, 2024
Tickets: From $69
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