Iconic landmark venue, the Sydney Opera House, entertains Sydneysiders with the showing of Tony Award winning musical Sunset Boulevard.

Crafted by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the film by Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard is an internationally loved musical production, winning six Tony Awards, and being nominated for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book.

Blending glamourous costumes and sets from the Golden Age of Hollywood with musical scores that feature the hits “With One Look”, “The Perfect Year”, and “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, Sunset Boulevard is on stage at the Sydney Opera House from the end of August to the 1st of November 2024.

Presented by Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment, Sunset Boulevard tells the tale of discarded Hollywood silent movie star, Norma Desmond. Desperate to relive the glory of the big screen, Norma meets Joe Gillis, struggling Hollywood screenwriter. Together, their passionate relationship devolves into tragedy and madness.

Sunset Boulevard had its world premiere in London, 1993, before travelling to America and astounding audiences, breaking 90s Broadway ticket sales.

This production is directed by Paul Warwick Griffin with Set and Costume Design by Morgan Large, Choreography by Ashley Wallen, and Musical Supervision by Kristen Blodgette.

The talented Ashleigh Rubenach is taking on the supporting role of Betty Schaefer, a script-reader with ambitions to become a writer.

Ashleigh has her roots in Mona Vale on the Northern Beaches. Growing up in community theatre productions with Chatswood Musical Society (now North Shore Theatre Company), Ashleigh attended the Manly Selective Campus, where she admits she developed the theatre “bug”.

After studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, her career has taken off, performing in musicals Anything Goes: The Musical, An American in Paris, Groundhog Day, and Cry Baby.

Alongside Ashleigh is English star Sarah Brightman as the leading lady, Norma Desmond, Australia’s Tim Draxl in the role of Joe Gillis, and stage veteran Robert Grubb as Max Von Mayerling.

‘All departments have given it their all, and are putting all of their heart and soul into everything,’ gushes Ashleigh. ‘Costumes, sets, the orchestra sound absolutely insanely beautiful… You don’t hear these big, sweeping, lush, cinematic scores like this one very often.’

Tickets are available for Sunset Boulevard. The production will be at the Sydney Opera House until the 1st of November, 2024.

Visit sunsetmusical.com.au