The CultureMap Interview

Stage superstar Sarah Brightman brings soaring songs to Houston

Would it be weird to begin a Sarah Brightman interview with a plea for her to "sing, my angel of music?" After all, the unmistakably famed line was delivered by the namesake character of Phantom of the Opera at chorus girl Christine Daaé, a character written for Brightman by her former husband and grand poobah of musical theater Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The 58-year-old English artist has had an illustrious career that has included mostly singing and some dancing on many of the world's most fabulous stages such as making her debut in the inaugural production of Cats in London's West End. Then there was performing at a handful of Olympics opening night ceremonies, a duet with Andrea Bocelli that topped most European charts and being named a 2012 UNESCO Artist for Peace. This gal is one busy chanteuse.

Brightman's latest project, her album Hymn, is the main focus of her concert tour that brings her to Houston on February 25 at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land. CultureMap caught up with the singer to get the latest on her pursuits.

CultureMap: Hymn came after your rigorous training in the Russian Space Program. The Big Issue wrote that the album reconciles your fascination with science and a belief that a vacuum of spirituality has resulted in quite challenging times. What are you saying with Hymn?

Sarah Brightman: I withdrew from the space program training for various reasons, not much to do with me. When I left the harsh environment in the Russian military, I had a very long time to focus on what was happening in the world. I took note of what was happening around me. People were unsettled. Situations were chaotic. Economies were crumbling and crises were everywhere. I wanted to offer something that was joyous and uplifting. I found material from all over the world to give people a sense of optimism.

CM: What brings you joy?

SB: The simplest things do. When I lost my father a few years ago and with the realization that his breath had stopped, the simple act of breathing brings me joy. I love my family and simple things like taking a walk by the sea and watching movies.

CM: Let's time travel to your beginnings as an entertainer. Your first break was in Disco, yes?

SB: I was a teenager and disco was the genre of my time. It was the end of an era right before punk came to Britain in the '80s. Easy disco to the likes of Olivia Newton-John. That meant high, girlie and poppy voices.

CM: Has there been a character you’ve played on stage that most resembles your own journey and sensibilities?

SB: There are certainly moments of a character, for example the character of Rose Vibert in Aspects of Love. Rose is a young actress that works hard to gain acceptance and respect in her field. I know what that feels like.

CM: Let’s talk about your former husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom you continue to have a professional relationship after your divorce. Do you have a favorite moment during that marriage?

SB: Lots of them, actually, but that was a long time ago and some of my memory has faded. But being near the beach in the south of France when he was composing and I was singing at the piano. The experience was very personal and more than just work.

CM: You trained with Elizabeth Hawes at Trinity Music College and with Ellen Faull at Juilliard. What were important lessons that you learned from those two influential women in music?

SB: That timing is incredibly important. You have to deliver on time at the right time for audiences to connect with what you have to say. And to never push your voice. To keep the natural quality of your voice, always, to keep it moving and keep it flexible. They also taught me when to let go and let the art take over.

CM: Your Hymn tour is quite demanding, often singing day after day in different cities. Between traveling and performing, how do you take care of your voice?

SB: I plan my tours well, so I rest between a heavy touring schedule and other projects like recording. I do huge amounts of vocal work with coaches around the world. I often perform one-off concerts in between tours just to always remember what it feels like to be on stage. Right before a busy tour, I build up so I'm strong vocally.

CM: What inspires you lately?

SB: I'm grateful that I live an extraordinary life, visit many places and get to meet incredible people. I love learning from different people I meet during my travels.

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Sarah Brightman performs at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land on Monday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $55 and can be purchased online.

Brightman became world famous for her role in Phantom of the Opera.

Photo by Simon Fowler

Brightman became world famous for her role in Phantom of the Opera.

interview

Movie Review

Steven Spielberg captivates with new aliens drama Disclosure Day

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Tommy Martinez, Emily Blunt, and Josh O'Connor in Disclosure Day.

With the release of Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg has now directed 17 feature films over 26 years in the 21st century, the exact same number over the exact same period of time he did in the 20th century. The first half of his career was mostly defined by his blockbuster films, while the second half has seen him exploring a lot more serious material. Disclosure Day marries the two for an experience only he could deliver.

The film starts in medias res, as Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is being pursued by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and a team of henchmen for stealing intellectual property from Wardex, a government contractor for which he works. As the audience gradually discovers, Daniel is a cyber-security programmer who has discovered evidence of alien life in the company’s servers. He and others within the company, including Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), are determined to release the information to the public.

Concurrently, television meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) starts experiencing weird things, including the ability to speak multiple languages and read people’s minds. Without either of them actively trying to seek each other out, Daniel and Margaret are set on a path to meet, with Scanlon (with the help of a mysterious alien device) trying to track their every move.

Directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, the film is an almost even mix between classic Spielberg wonder and a deep story about what it is to be human. By starting the film in the middle of the story, Spielberg immediately ramps up the excitement level. While the movie has relatively little action, that sequence and a few others deliver the type of propulsiveness for which Spielberg is revered, keeping the 145-minute film moving at a brisk pace.

Of the different types of alien movies Spielberg has made over the years, this one is closer to Close Encounters of the Third Kind than E.T. The story ponders the ethical, religious, political, and sociological effects that revealing the existence of aliens could have on the world. The debates had by various characters purposefully take the film out of being a sheer popcorn flick, forcing the audience to grapple with issues that they may have never considered before.

Unlike some other Spielberg films, he and Koepp don’t hold the audience’s collective hand throughout the story. There are a lot of times when viewers have to use context clues to understand exactly what is happening. That especially goes for an extremely important aspect of the world in which the story takes place that could pass you by if you’re only paying attention to the main characters’ dialogue. Spielberg’s using only subtle allusions for an element which would be the main focus of most other films is a fascinating choice.

O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man, Challengers) has that everyman quality that a story like this needs. It always feels like it's him against the world, and does a terrific job of exuding both confidence and fear. Blunt delivers a fantastic performance, switching between confusion and composure with ease. Firth makes for a solid villain, and the story is helped by great turns from Domingo and Eve Hewson.

The idea that the nearly 80-year-old Steven Spielberg is still making blockbuster-style movies over 50 years after he made Jaws is astonishing, and the fact that he still knows how to make them work is even more impressive. Disclosure Day may not be the type of alien movie many were expecting, but it’s another high water mark in a career that has been full of them.

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Disclosure Day opens in theaters on June 12.

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