A brand-new, lavish production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning ‘Sunset Boulevard’ will premiere in Melbourne before a season in Sydney, in 2024.
This newly-imagined revival will mark ‘Sunset Boulevard’’s first return to Australia in almost 20 years. When last here, it played to sold-out audiences.
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. She meets struggling Hollywood screenwriter Joe Gillis and their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.
Musical theatre and international recording superstar Sarah Brightman will make her global debut in the role of Norma Desmond. It’s her first theatrical role in more than three decades.
Norma Desmond is an iconic role in musical theatre, requiring a true legend to fill her shoes. Sarah Brightman first originated the role of Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ in the West End and on Broadway. Since, she’s becoming the world’s best-selling soprano, topping the charts across the world and racking up streams.
“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’,” Sarah Brightman says.
“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!”
Based on the Billy Wilder film, the musical version of ‘Sunset Boulevard’ had its world premiere at London’s Adelphi Theatre in 1993. It premiered in American in December of that year, and opened on Broadway in November 1994.
This new production features stunning sets and costumes, evoking the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood. Songs include ‘With One Look’, ‘The Perfect Year’, and the anthemic ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’.
Tickets for the Melbourne season are on sale 13 October.
‘Sunset Boulevard’ plays Princess Theatre (Melbourne) from May 2024, and Sydney Opera House from August 2024.