Watch Sarah Brightman: In Concert For Free

Thanks for the memories!

Sick Product of a Sick System

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Frankly she has a voice like a penny whistle with absolutely zero emotion attached. I have subsequently seen her singing in a cathedral sized church which simply emphasized her shortcomings. Not a wet eye in the place. A thin champagne masquerading as Dom Perignon.If one is in show biz masquerading as an operatic then the effort must be backed up with a 300% wow factor which, I suppose, is the same reason Sir Bruce Forsythe never succeeded as a one man show when Sammy Davies Jnr was around.

I have nothing but admiration for the quality of SARAH BRIGHTMAN's high soprano voice, but have less complimentary things to say about her stage presence (she looks like a frightened fawn with staring eyes and awkward hand gestures). Surely, she is someone who has spent a great deal of money on coaches and someone could certainly have pointed out that her limited gestures and unchanging expression (no matter what song she sings) detract from the luster of her singing voice.She appears to be humble and modest about her own talent, however, and this does come through--also, she appreciates those who were enormously helpful in her career, such as ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, who joins her in one rather brief segment at the piano while she sings his show tune, "Whistle Down the Wind". And, of course, she does a brilliant vocal job on his songs from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.She also joins forces with ANDREA BOCELLI in a couple of duets, does a fine job on "Les Filles de Cadiz" (one of my favorite songs for soprano voice), and does some compelling work on numbers from WEST SIDE STORY.But the overall effect is offset by her lackluster and very one-dimensional stage presence--which must have been somewhat a handicap when she played Christine opposite Michael Crawford in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. At least there, her frightened expression made more sense...but it was Crawford who won all the awards and stole the show.Nor is it possible to close without remarking that her enunciation of words is hindered by the pear-shaped tones she produces so diligently. Most of her words, however, are obscured.

Sarah Brightman's voice is truly heaven-sent. In this special that aired on PBS, she shows her talent again. The duet that she sings with Andrea Bocelli, "Time To Say Good-bye", as well as "Who Wants To Live Forever" are wonderfully sung! I wish PBS would rerun it!