Her character, Norma Desmond, may be ready for her close up, but Sarah Brightman the star of the stage production of Sunset Boulevard, has been missing from the spotlight for more than two weeks.
Brightman is the star casting in Opera Australia’s production of Sunset Boulevard, which opened at the Princess Theatre on May 29.
While Brightman is the box office drawcard as the show’s celebrity leading lady – and is the promotional face of the show – a calf injury has seen her sidelined for more than a fortnight.
While the injury is unfortunate given the number of stairs Brightman has to dash up and down as Norma, it is becoming Melbourne theatre’s biggest guessing game as to when she might return to centre stage.
Fans are openly voicing their discontent on social media about Brightman’s absence while also celebrating the excellent work of Melbourne’s Silvie Paladino, who was cast as the alternate Norma and promoted as playing the role in Wednesday matinee shows.
Sarah Brightman has been missing from the stage for more than two weeks. Picture: Jason Edwards
Paladino has performed as the fragile yet beguiling faded silent movie star for 20 shows in a row, including the matinee performance on Saturday.
Extract Herald Sun