Decadently staged and intriguingly cast, the eagerly anticipated new production of Sunset Boulevard makes its Australian premiere in scintillating form.

Arriving at the end of the British mega-musical era in 1993, world attention was keenly focused on new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Sunset Boulevard. The glittering procession of divas to play faded silent movie star Norma Desmond only added to the fascination. The musical later entered a deeper realm of affection with its 2016 London semi-staged revival, which enjoyed a 2017 Broadway transfer. A new, dramatically pared back West End revival in 2023 swept the 2024 Olivier Awards and will open on Broadway later this year.

With two existing revivals available, it is all the more thrilling that Australia has its very own new production of Sunset Boulevard. Lavishly staged and expertly directed, this sees a welcome return to the visual splendour of old Hollywood whilst also exploring the dark psychodrama, capped off with welcome sprinklings of devilish black humour. 

Based on the 1950 Billy Wilder film, Sunset Boulevard the musical is peak Andrew Lloyd Webber, almost sung-through with multiple recurring motifs and sweeping melodies. As an added attraction, Lloyd Webber delivers sumptuous orchestral music that has the sound of a highly atmospheric movie soundtrack. Musical director Paul Christ conducts an orchestra of 16 musicians to bring the musical arrangements to richly expressive life. 

Sharing writing credits on the book and lyrics, Don Black and Christopher Hampton expertly match Lloyd Webber’s musical achievements with pithy lyrics that are, by turns, clever, comedic, and characterful. 

Power ballads “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” deserve their status as high profile hits, taking their place along lesser known gems such as “Surrender,” “New Ways to Dream” and blissful waltz “The Perfect Year.” Matched pair of charm songs “The Lady’s Paying” and “Eternal Youth Is Worth a Little Suffering” bring musical levity to acts one and two respectively. 

Director Paul Warwick Griffin displays keen insight into both the Hollywood studio system and the haunted mind of Norma Desmond. Avoiding any camp indulgences or excesses, the fantastical story is compelling at all moments, swept along with a heady mixture of stirring pathos and leavening humour.

Choreographer Ashley Wallen has crafted a crisp, angular vocabulary of dance, tightly performed by the talented company. The ensemble is in full flight during opening number “Let’s Do Lunch” although it is not clear why it is necessary to have lead and featured characters awkwardly dance while they sing their solo lines. Far more successful are the dance breaks in “The Perfect Year” (Norma and Joe) and “Too Much in Love to Care” (Betty and Joe), which are beautifully staged and performed. 

In a herculean effort, Morgan Large delivers both the set and costume designs, each as splendidly realised as the other. Norma’s world is silvery monochrome while the real world has moved onto Technicolor, a contrast sharply denoted in the shared stage for act one finale “This Time Next Year.” While the Paramount studio set is fairly plain and it is disappointing not to have a proper replica of Norma’s Isotta Fraschini (the focus of a key plot point), the ornate intricacy of Norma’s mansion is a triumph. 

Period costumes for the company are on point, tending more towards the realistic than the theatrical. A fun touch is seen in the menswear associates in “The Lady’s Paying” sporting hot pink socks. Norma’s cavalcade of outfits are nothing short of eye-popping, from her initial black and gold robe to her glittering New Year’s gown to her black ensemble with white fur trim for the studio visit. Large moves Norma away from her traditional turbans, giving her long wavy hair that is clearly meant to be a wig but is curiously never established as such. With signature costumes of his own, Joe enjoys a clear arc from struggling writer to pampered kept man.

Mark Henderson adds significantly to the air of mystery with a lighting design that makes strong use of shadows and glistening half light. George Reeve contributes stirring projections, particularly those depicting cars in motion. Sound design by David Greasley is well balanced, with featured orchestral parts crisply distinguished. 

This new season of Sunset Boulevard centres upon the star casting of Sarah Brightman as Norma Desmond. Much as Norma is described as the face of Hollywood, seen by 30 million fans, Brightman will always be remembered as the original Christine Daaé in all-time mega-hit The Phantom of the Opera, playing the role in the premiere London and Broadway seasons and being heard on the cast album that sold some 40 million copies. Brightman has not played a stage role in more than thirty years, added to the allure of her Australian appearances as Norma. 

Brightman successfully captures the aura and stature of Norma’s stardom, deftly mixing subtle humour into the affecting pathos. While Brightman’s quasi-operatic vocal styling supports the sense of vulnerability and encroaching mania in Norma, there is an inherent difficulty in that this style of singing does not readily support clarity of diction. Also, not belting any of Norma’s singing tends to flatten out the role by removing the danger and drama that can come from bursts of fury and passion. Nonetheless, Brightman cultivates audience attention and finishes strongly with a spellbinding mad scene. 

Still young and yet a stage veteran, Tim Draxl excels as doomed writer Joe Gillis. Crisp and compelling, Draxl’s diction and expression are immaculate, bringing the largely through-sung material to vivid life. In particular, it is very hard to recall a stronger performance of the admittedly repetitive title number, with which Draxl stops act two when it has only just begun. 

Draxl and Brightman work together smoothly to successfully cultivate the unusual “romance” of Joe and Norma. Draxl has a boyish edge that somewhat undermines the potential seediness of Joe but supports the more mainstream romance with fellow screen writer Betty Schaefer. 

Ashleigh Rubenbach is a delight as Betty, singing ever so sweetly and leaning strongly into the character’s intelligence rather than her youthful innocence. In the underwritten role of Betty’s fiancé Artie Green, Jarrod Draper is suitably bright and charming. 

Wielding neatly understated power, Robert Grubb gives manservant Max Von Mayerling a tender, troubled soul tinged with a healthy spirit of assertive protectiveness. Grubb sings “The Greatest Star of All” with authentic reverence, putting Norma’s character and background into clear perspective. 

Paul Hanlon brings warm compassion to iconic film director Cecil B DeMille. Troy Sussman is perfectly cast as movie studio executive Sheldrake. Dean Vince delivers lashings of foppish flair to lead the male ensemble in “The Lady’s Paying.”

A theatrical event that has garnered international attention, Sunset Boulevard is must-see musical theatre for local lovers of old school musical drama and stage spectacle.

Sunset Boulevard plays at Princess Theatre, Melbourne until 11 August 2024. For tickets, click here. 

Sunset Boulevard plays at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House from 28 August 2024. For tickets, click here.

Silvie Paladino plays Norma Desmond at certain performances of Sunset Boulevard. 

Photos: Daniel Boud