I was a swing in the original Australian cast of Sunset Boulevard. I remember during tech in the theatre, my fellow swings Amanda Levy, Graciano Debeljuh & Michelle Slater were all on stage at one point, and I was sitting in the auditorium saying to my self allowed “I’m never going to go on”. When a voice behind me said “Tim, when I was a swing in a show with Barbra, Barbra Streisand, my best friend who was in the cast said to me “ don’t bother learning my plot, I never go off. Next day, he broke his leg and I was on”. Two things from that conversation stay with me. Bob Avian knew my name. And I was in the same conversation as Barbra Streisand! It was an honour to work with him and proud to be part of that amazing production! Vale Mr Avian
This is wonderful - thanks for uploading. My favourite musical, and having now been in a production, the behind the scenes ensemble rehearsals were fascinating to me
simon c ! It was, wasn’t it! I remember them telling us on our first day in the theatre that you had been technically running the show for a week before we got there!
@@trminturn Ah, the life of a swing. I remember my first swing job on Carzy for You. Tech was hell. Also, I was very young and almost naturally impatient for someone that age. I've had those stair moments. But then Opening Night happened en BOOM, there I was, wishing for an off-show!
Wonderful. Thank you for posting. I think everyone, if they look deeply enough inside, can understand the characters, especially and including Norma Desmond.
Yes I saw a one night special from the royal Albert hall in London about 5 months ago 2024. The orchestral arrangements are fantastic. I live in Yorkshire in England and travelled down worth every penny
It's never too late to thank you for posting this, Tim - I'm a big fan of the show, and I've never seen anything of the Australian production. This was absolutely brilliant. I only wish I'd been able to see it live, or that there existed some recordingof it in full (which i assume there's not?). Thanks again! 👏👏👏
Thank you! We all wished there was a recording made too! But alas,no. 😢 But this is documentary they made is such a great piece of history to have & share!
This is the first I've ever really seen of the Australian production, and it's a great documentary. I love Trevor's comments about Hugh. And this Debra Byrne is wonderful. I read a little bit about her on Wiki and what an interest life, and I wonder if she's among the youngest of the Normas - she's only 60 now, at least 10 years younger than most of that era.
This is always been my favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber musical the music is fantastic. I've seen it three times the Alhambra in Bradford West Yorkshire. The palace theatre in Manchester in the UK. I'm the one night special at the royal Albert hall in London. Oh I forgot yes and at the yedon town hall in Yorkshire. And the king's theatre Ilkley West Yorkshire England..
She didn't make opening night. The doctors wouldn't let her. But she was back soon enough and in a way, we were able to have another "opening night" to celebrate!
NO ANDREW! YOU WROTE THE MUSIC! THE PRODUCTION ETC IS BECAUSE OF AMAZING TALENTED PEOPLE WHO CREATE SOMETHING FROM YOUR MUSIC!! Eg HAROLD PRINCE & MARIA BJORSON PRESENT .. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
remember also you're seeing the stage makeup up close, it's not intended to be seen at such a vantage point. The distance of sitting out in the theatre (and The Regent is huge) means that the makeup has to "read" across that divide and often in quite dim lighting.
