“SUNSET BOULEVARD” –STARRING INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR SARAH BRIGHTMAN
MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY SEASONS CONFIRMED
GWB Entertainment & Opera Australia by special arrangement with The Really Useful Group
SUNSET BOULEVARD
Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Book & Lyrics by DON BLACK & CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON
Based on the BILLY WILDER film
A brand-new lavish production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award winning musical masterpiece, SUNSET BOULEVARD will premiere in Melbourne in May 2024 at the Princess Theatre followed by a season at the Sydney Opera House in August. This newly imagined revival will mark SUNSET BOULEVARD’S first return to Australia in almost twenty years, where it played to sold out audiences.
Making her global debut in the role, musical theatre and international recording superstar Sarah Brightman will star as Norma Desmond in what marks her first theatrical role in more than three decades.
Norma Desmond is one of musical theatre’s greatest roles and it requires a true legend to fill her shoes. Sarah Brightman is the iconic artist who originated the role of Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera both in the West End and on Broadway. Since then, she has become the world’s best-selling soprano, topping the charts across the world with global sales of 30 million units, more than 180 gold and platinum awards in over 40 countries and over 1 billion streams worldwide.
“I am so delighted to be returning to Australia after many years, and to be marking my return to the stage in a musical after so long, it is only fitting for it to be with such an exquisite production as SUNSET BOULEVARD. I have always admired Andrew’s work on this musical and I very much look forward to exploring the incredible score and also the iconic character of Norma Desmond. Mr. DeMille, I’m Ready for My Close Up!’”, said Sarah Brightman.
Based on the Billy Wilder film, the musical version of SUNSET BOULEVARD had its world premiere at London’s Adelphi Theatre on July 12th 1993. The show received its American premiere in December 1993 at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles starring Glenn Close as Norma Desmond. The show subsequently opened on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre in November 1994 with the highest advance ticket sales in Broadway history at the time. The original Broadway production won six Tony Awards of the eleven Tony Awards for which it was nominated including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book.
This spectacular new staging features stunning sets and costumes, evoking the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood. The thrillingly atmospheric score features the hits ‘With One Look’, ‘The Perfect Year’, and the anthemic ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’. The search has just commenced for an Australian cast to join Sarah.
Presented by GWB Entertainment and Opera Australia by arrangement with The Really Useful Group. ‘We are thrilled to be presenting Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece SUNSET BOULEVARD in Australia. This newly imagined version starring undeniable superstar Sarah Brightman will delight Australian audiences and we look forward to introducing this lavish new production in Melbourne and Sydney in 2024.‘ said the producers.
SUNSET BOULEVARD has Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Book and Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, and is based on the Billy Wilder film. This brand-new production will be Directed by Paul Warwick Griffin with Set and Costume Design by Morgan Large. Choreography by Ashley Wallen with Musical Supervision by Kristen Blodgette
SUNSET BOULEVARD weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Having been discarded by Hollywood with the advent of “talkies”, legendary silent movie star, Norma Desmond, is tortured by her longing for a return to the big screen. When she meets struggling Hollywood screenwriter Joe Gillis in a dramatic chance encounter, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.
SUNSET BOULEVARD is the theatrical event of the year. Don’t miss this strictly limited season at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from May 2024.
TICKETING/RESERVATIONS
-MELBOURNE – Princess Theatre MAY 2024
Pre-Sales Commences Tuesday 10th October
General Public Tickets on Sale Friday 13th October
-SYDNEY -Sydney Opera House AUGUST 2024
Waitlist Now!
ABOUT SARAH BRIGHTMAN
Sarah Brightman, the world’s best-selling Soprano and UNESCO Artist for Peace Ambassador, has amassed sales of more than 30 million, receiving awards in over 40 countries and garnering over 1 billion streams worldwide. She originated the role of Christine Daaé in the world-renowned The Phantom of the Opera on both West End and Broadway stages and has performed at such prestigious events as the Concert for Diana, The Kennedy Center Honors and the Barcelona and Beijing Olympic Games. Sarah’s albums Eden, La Luna, Harem, Symphony and Dreamchaser were each chart-topping Billboard hits and were all accompanied by world tours. Her most recent full length studio album HYMN was released in 2018 and debuted at #1 on the Classical and Classical Crossover Billboard charts.
The HYMN World Tour began in South America in September 2018 and concluded in her hometown of London, England in November 2019. Brightman has been recognized for her outstanding contribution to music and theatre with a ‘STAR’ on the world-renowned, majestic Hollywood Walk of Fame, in addition to receiving an Honorary Doctor of Arts (Hon DArt). In October 2022, Sarah entertained her first exclusive 3-night Las Vegas engagement at The Venetian Resort® with “A Starlight Symphony…An Evening with Sarah Brightman” before taking her holiday tour “A Christmas Symphony” internationally to Japan and Southeast Asia in November/December of 2022 for the very first time. Now an annual tradition, Sarah’s 2023 “A Christmas Symphony” tour will return to North America for 22 enchanting shows beginning in Laval (Montreal), Quebec on November 21st, and concluding on December 20th in Sugar Land, TX.
