‘Sunset Boulevard’: A magnificent piece of musical theatre

It’s no small feat to expertly produce a show that pays deep respect to both a classic Billy Wilder film and a revered Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, but Opera Australia have gone above and beyond with the revival of Sunset Boulevard to create one of the most remarkable musical theatre productions to grace Sydney this year. 

Joe Gillis (Tim Draxl) is a jaded screenwriter who finds himself in the driveway of Norma Desmond (Sarah Brightman), an ageing silent-film star with immense wealth who happens to need a script cleaned up, after an escape from debt-collectors. 

Soon after, Joe moves into Norma’s house on the iconic Sunset Boulevard to assist her with script editing full-time, where he is watched like a hawk by the actor and her butler Max (Robert Grubb). As Joe feels Norma’s grip on him tighten, he looks for a way to escape his increasingly peculiar situation while forming a relationship with aspiring writer Betty Schaefer (Ashleigh Rubenach).

It’s an intricate setup, but that’s exactly what makes Sunset Boulevard such a remarkable piece of musical theatre. It’s a show unafraid to explore the darker side of showbiz, rife with commentary on the ruthless nature of the Hollywood machine. Director Paul Warwick Griffin openly tackles the moral ambiguity and tragedy of Boulevard, making it a thematically rich show that still manages to delight thanks to its astounding cast and crew. 

The remarkable cast of Sunset Boulevard

Sarah Brightman is revelatory as Norma Desmond, and her being cast in this production is a brilliant move. The layers to her performance run deep; like Norma, she is an older woman in the entertainment industry, which has evidently given her deeper understanding of the character. 

Her real-life skills as a classically trained vocalist also synthesise incredibly well with the material; compared to Joe’s smooth and jazzy vocals that feel extremely contemporary, Brightman’s quasi-operatic voice representing the fact that Norma is from a different era of Hollywood is a brilliant decision. 

Her rendition of the already-iconic As If We Never Said Goodbye is even better than you’d expect, and you can go to the show assured that Norma’s famous final scene has been absolutely knocked out of the park. 

Meanwhile, Tim Draxl is an absolutely perfect fit for Joe Gillis. This is an extremely difficult role, with Joe required to be on-stage for pretty much the entire show, but Draxl bears the weight in a way that feels genuinely effortless. It’s such a vast performance, and Draxl is able to switch between conniving and kind-hearted with the ease of pushing a button. 

Whether he’s swaggering through one of the show’s many incredible set pieces or taking breaths away with his big solo, the song Sunset Boulevard at the beginning of Act 2, Draxl’s take on Joe Gillis is absolutely remarkable and stands as one of the best musical theatre performances I’ve ever seen. 

The rest of the cast are also phenomenal – Robert Grubb is perfect as the extremely gruff butler Max, and Ashleigh Rubenach’s Betty lights up the stage every time she walks on from the wings. Jarrod Draper leaves his mark in the minor role of Artie Green, and the ensemble are absolutely delightful; they really get to shine in The Lady’s Paying and Eternal Youth Is Worth A Little Suffering. 

Incredible all around

Given how much praise I’ve given to the vocal performances so far, it shouldn’t be too much of a shock that the music of this show is equally phenomenal. Though not the Opera Australia orchestra’s regular wheelhouse, they nonetheless play the incredible, jazzy score to magnificent effect. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the remarkable stagework of this show; many scene transitions left me scooping my jaw off the floor. 

Every aspect of Sunset Boulevard combines to create a production that’s seemingly destined for enshrinement in the annals of Australian theatre history. This is an electric production that pays homage to its dual legacies while simultaneously carving out its own identity as a sublime musical theatre production, and shouldn’t be missed under any circumstances.

Sunset Boulevard
Until November 1, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
https://opera.org.au/productions/sunset-boulevard-sydney/