Your own private jet to take you around the world, perhaps to one of the many homes you own. A designer wardrobe and the latest technology to match. You spend your days being adored and your evenings at the hottest restaurants and clubs, where your every whim is catered to. These are the fantasies of stardom that most of us have indulged in at some point in our lives. Even knowing the heavy price many celebrities pay can’t tarnish the allure of such a heady dream.
Sunset Boulevard – now on at the Sydney Opera House after debuting at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in May this year – juxtaposes the idealism and dreams of youth against the mercenary nature of Hollywood, where people are used and discarded once they lose their value. In this new Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment production, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical score is deftly and beautifully handled by musical director Paul Christ and the Opera Australia orchestra; repetition of motifs is used to pull us back and forth between these two worlds.
A chance meeting between struggling writer Joe Gillis (played by Tim Draxl) and forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond (Sarah Brightman) asks the question, “what happens when the spotlight fades?” Initially opportunistic, Joe quickly finds himself losing control of his life as he’s pulled further and further into Norma’s delusions and learns just how addictive fame can be.
The musical is a faithful adaptation of Billy Wilder’s iconic 1950 film, although this sometimes works to its detriment. Scenes such as a high-stakes car chase work well on film but struggle to translate to the stage. Clever use of staging and projections is largely successful at solving this issue, but some aspects of the story remain clunky and difficult to follow.
Norma Desmond is an iconic and multifaceted character who has been played by countless theatre greats including Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley. A surprising choice for the role, Brightman’s Norma is fragile with an almost childlike innocence. “You don’t yell at a sleepwalker,” Joe sings as he studies Norma, a perfect description of Brightman’s characterisation. Her lines are delivered in a measured, somewhat affected manner with dramatic gestures that give the impression Norma exists on a plane somewhere between reality and fantasy. Brightman is at her best during more introspective moments, but fails to reach the emotional highs of Norma’s jealousy and anger. Vocally, her classical soprano has a lovely tone and works well to further suggest that Norma is living in the past, however, with songs more suited to a mezzo-soprano or alto belter, her voice is noticeably lacking in power. Overall, this results in a performance that leans heavily into Norma’s vulnerability, but is somewhat underplayed.
Tim Draxl (Into the Woods, Jagged Little Pill, In Our Blood) gives a standout performance as Joe Gillis, deftly navigating his journey from calculating to desperate, with a dash of romance and heartbreak along the way. His rendition of the title song, Sunset Boulevard, is an impassioned and cynical manifesto about shattered illusions and selling out.
Draxl’s natural likeability helps his chemistry with Brightman as the complex, dark nature of Joe and Norma’s relationship develops and she begins to exert control over him despite his attempts to break free. The contrasting relationship between Joe and aspiring writer Betty Schaefer (Ashleigh Rubenach) is a highlight of this production, bringing much-needed warmth to an otherwise brutal story.
Rubenach (Groundhog Day, An American in Paris) has a talent for bringing depth and personality to ingénue roles, including Johanna in Sweeney Todd. With a beautiful voice and wonderful energy, she is a delight to watch every time she’s onstage.
The musical’s Hollywood setting is brought to life by Morgan Large. In particular, Norma’s palatial mansion is the perfect visual representation of her mental state, both too large and clearly falling into disrepair. This is paired with clever lighting design by Mark Henderson to contrast Norma’s monochromatic existence with the bright lights of Hollywood sound stages. Large’s costume design also reinforces the lavishness of this production and Norma’s vanity as she appears in a seemingly endless array of beautiful gowns.
Sunset Boulevard remains as relevant today as it was in 1950, as Hollywood continues to seduce and exploit in equal measure. But, in a world where social media makes it easy to present a highly curated image of yourself to the world, perhaps the greatest message is a cautionary tale about the dangers of blurring that line between fantasy and reality. We are all capable of becoming a Norma Desmond, obsessed with image over authenticity. But in a story of contrasts, we have equal capacity to become a Betty Schaefer: stubborn, passionate and idealistic enough to push back against the jaded cynicism of those around us.
Sunset Boulevard is now on, throughout September and October, at the Sydney Opera House after debuting at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in May 2024. Find out more and get tickets over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.