![Sunset Boulevard Review: Sarah Brightman Stuns As Faded Star In This Haunting Hollywood Tale](https://images-sg.girlstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/8861c8c7.png?auto=format&w=718)
Sunset Boulevard Review: Sarah Brightman Stuns As Faded Star In This Haunting Hollywood Tale
If you’re a theatre enthusiast or a devotee of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musicals, chances are you’ve already marked your calendar for Sunset Boulevard. The legendary musical — filled with opulent drama, a tragic storyline, and a soundtrack that has defined musical theatre — has landed at Singapore’s Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, running until 23 February 2025.
But what truly makes this production a must-see is its luminous leading lady: the incomparable Sarah Brightman as Norma Desmond, the forgotten silent film star clawing at the scraps of her former glory. For those who have long admired Brightman’s celestial soprano since her days as the original Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, seeing her return to the stage in this thrilling role is nothing short of a theatrical event. But if you're still on the fence about grabbing your ticket, read on to find out more about what you can expect!
Taking on the role of 'the greatest star'
Photo from Daniel Boud
From the moment Brightman makes her entrance — swathed in silk, expression burning with unhinged ambition — she commands the stage like a true Hollywood relic who refuses to be erased. It’s a performance drenched in decadence and desperation, but also incredibly sympathetic in its delivery.
Photo from Daniel Boud
Vocally, Brightman is a revelation. While Norma is traditionally played with a brassy belt, Brightman’s ethereal soprano gives the character an almost ghostly quality, adding layers of fragility to her delusions. There’s something deeply unsettling and mesmerising about her take on the role. She is less of a washed-up diva and more of a haunted specter, lingering in the shadows of a Hollywood that has long moved on without her. While her airy vocals cause the lyrics to be a little difficult to make out at times, it's a choice that works beautifully on the aesthetic front!
The magnetic chemistry
Of course, a Norma Desmond is only as good as her Joe Gillis, the cynical screenwriter who stumbles into her decaying mansion and quickly becomes ensnared in her web of dreams and delusions. And it's hard to imagine a Joe who can hold his own against Brightman as well as Tim Draxl, who is utterly magnetic in the role.
Photo from Daniel Boud
This leading man keeps all eyes on him throughout every scene, making the audience laugh, sigh, gasp and even drawing a few calls in protest at one point of the performance. And his chemistry with Brightman? It crackles with an electric tension, in part seduction and part horror story. Draxl's nuanced expressions and powerful vocals (plus his fantastic physique) helps cement his spot as one of this writer's favourite stage actors, effective immediately!
Photo from Daniel Boud
Then there’s Robert Grubb as Max Von Mayerling, Norma’s devoted butler and secret keeper. If Brightman’s Norma is a ghost haunting her own past, then Grubb’s Max is her eternal, loyal phantom. His voice booms with gravitas, and his quiet heartbreak adds a chilling undercurrent to the show’s darker moments.
A visual spectacle
Photo from Daniel Boud
At its core, Sunset Boulevard is a fever dream of Hollywood grandeur and decay, and this production does not disappoint. The set design is nothing short of breathtaking: Norma’s mansion is a crumbling cathedral of lost fame and really feels like a character in itself, looming in the background like a gothic nightmare. The spiral staircase, the fluttering curtains, the whole organ built into the set and eerie flicker of old movie reels projected onto the walls makes everything feel both intoxicating and suffocating.
Photo from Daniel Boud
And the costumes! Norma’s wardrobe is a parade of opulence: luxe dressing gowns, sequinned evening dresses, fur-lined statement pieces. Every outfit screams grandeur, a stark contrast to Joe’s sharp suits and Betty Schaefer’s (delightfully played by a radiant Ashleigh Rubenach) crisp, post-war wardrobe.
A haunting score
Photo from Daniel Boud
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lush, sweeping score remains as hypnotic as ever. There’s also something spine-tingling about hearing 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' echo through the theatre, and Brightman’s rendition is nothing short of spellbinding. The orchestra is in top form, delivering each note with the kind of cinematic grandeur that reminds you why Webber’s music remains timeless.
And while Sunset Boulevard isn’t as fast-paced or singalong-friendly as The Phantom of the Opera or Evita, its melodies burrow deep into your soul. The music swirls around you, seductive and tragic, much like Norma herself.
A modern take on an old Hollywood tragedy
Photo from Daniel Boud
What makes Sunset Boulevard so enduring is its themes of fame, obsession, and the relentless passage of time. In an age where social media can create and destroy stars overnight, Norma Desmond’s story feels more relevant than ever. This production leans into those contemporary echoes: Norma’s desperate attempts to remain relevant, Joe’s moral compromises for the sake of success and profit, the industry’s ruthless disposal of once-great talent. It’s a cautionary tale dressed in silk and diamonds, and it still cuts deep.
This production is grand, gothic, and gut-wrenchingly beautiful. If you love tragic theatre, old Hollywood, or simply want to witness a performance that will haunt you long after the final bow, then grab those tickets. Because when Sarah Brightman sings “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small”, you’ll believe every single word.
Sunset Boulevard will show at Sands Theatre from now till 23 February 2025. Book your tickets on marinabaysands.com or sistic.com.sg from $88.
More music and entertainment news: