Unfulfilled Hollywood ambition and silver screen glamour will be laid bare by the essence of Sunset Boulevard as the noir musical arrives at the Sydney Opera 30 years behind schedule.
Based on the 1950 Billy Wilder film of the same name, the classic tale tells of outsized film industry dreams and nostalgia for simpler times before the invention of talkies.
Theatregoers will be able to watch the story come alive on an Australian stage outside Melbourne for the first time, following a failed eight-month Victorian production in 1996 starring a young Hugh Jackman which never quite made it to Sydney.
Director Paul Warwick Griffin's revival of the award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is notable as soprano Sarah Brightman's long-awaited return to the theatre in the lead role.
Known for playing Christine in Webber's Phantom of the Opera, a role he created for her when they were married, Brightman's turn as Norma Desmond will mark her debut at the Sydney Opera House.
"Apart from doing this fabulous part of this beautiful musical itself, it's a pleasure to be here," she said on Thursday, standing outside the iconic landmark with a smile on her face.
Controversy surrounded the opening leg of the 2024 Australian production (again in Melbourne) after the English star took an unexpected leave of absence in June to nurse a calf injury.
She had disappeared from the stage without public statement at the time, much to the confusion of fans and amid speculation over when and if she would return to the show.
Almost two weeks after arriving in Sydney for rehearsals, Brightman said she was more than eager to explore the city during a tightly controlled media appearance where she took few questions.
"Being here and looking at the water and seeing the Opera House and all the beautiful homes around and the ferries ... that actually, for the moment, has been enough for me," she said.
Joining Brightman in the spotlight is Tim Draxl as Joe Gillis and Robert Grubb returns as Max von Mayerling, a role he played in 1996.
"I feel like a good wine ... I've settled into this role (perfectly)," Grubb joked on Thursday.
The musical opens at the Sydney Opera House on August 31.
