Sarah Brightman brings A Christmas Symphony to the Midland on November 30

Sarah Brightman. // photo courtesy the artist

With the holidays fast approaching, Sarah Brightman brings her now annual A Christmas Symphony to Kansas City at the Midland Theater on Saturday, November 30. Brightman will be joined by an orchestra and choir for the seasonal event that will take her to several cities across the U.S. as well as Mexico. During a break in rehearsal for the upcoming tour, Sarah took some time to speak to the Pitch.

“It’s sort of a relief, I’m feeling free and excited to communicate with the audience through all these lovely Christmas songs that I love and to thread the songs that people know me for into the Christmas theme. We’ve got songs that are religious, some that are not, some sort of poppy holiday songs. It’s also got some classical bits and a Vince Gill song, so that should be nice. It’s not a ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ sort of evening.”

When choosing the songs from her catalog to include in the show, there are of course songs from her Christmas album A Winter Symphony, some of which will be performed. But how does she decide what songs from other albums will fit?

“Time to Say Goodbye can really go anywhere, and I think Phantom of the Opera has a fantasy element that lends itself to a Christmas theme. It’s also lot to do with the arrangement. Adding maybe some sleigh bells, the choir, and the orchestra really help to ‘Christmas things up.’ Lighting is also very important to make it mystical and festive to really get everyone into the Christmas mood.”

Before taking on the holidays, Sarah had her first theatrical role in over three decades, portraying Norma Desmond in the recent run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard in Australia, which proved quite a mountain to climb.

“I looked at all of these great actresses who have portrayed her in the past and knew I couldn’t do it like any of them. I’m not a belter, I’ve got a different kind of voice. And dramatically it was the vulnerable aspect of her that I really wanted to define. I didn’t want to make her this broad and brash “I want this, I want that” sort of ambitious person. She was broken and had been broken most of her life. I tried to play her very real, But my god was it tough.”

The run also proved physically tough as Sarah got COVID during rehearsal and injured her leg during the dates in Melbourne.

“I was away quite a bit there and recovering and I don’t think I really did my best. It wasn’t really until we hit Sydney that I really felt I could get into it. Those were my best performances.”

When she isn’t spreading her love of the holidays all over the globe, or taking on one of musical theater’s most demanding roles, Sarah does enjoy spending time with family and friends back home.

“I love tradition and the season, and I always have a big dinner at my house. I’ve got five siblings, and they’ve all got children, so it’s usually twenty-two or more at the Christmas table. We have a party and then some go off to Midnight Mass if they’re up to it. The next day we have the Christmas turkey and do all that. And then there’s Boxing Day, the day after and everyone is usually getting sick of each other. But I love it so much, this time of year.”

It may not be a tradition, but there is a Christmas musical outing that Sarah mentioned that seems close to her heart, as well as something she enjoys with the family every year.

“I go to a local orchestra and choir near where I live in the South of England every year with the family and we sing along and I just feel so good after.”

One Christmas tradition, however, is quite special, and one the family isn’t in on.

“I do tend to have an eye exam on Christmas Eve. After doing these shows with all the lights in my eyes, I worry and want a checkup. Then I’ll go and have Christmas punch at the Christmas market, that sort of thing … So, I guess that is my very odd Christmas tradition.”

Looking at the entire experience of putting together these concerts she has now done for the past four years and getting to perform them at different places across the world, she reflects, “I feel very privileged that I can do these Christmas shows, and if you love this time as much as I do, it’s a great thing. I seem to have made people all over the globe very happy with this show and I hope people enjoy it. And I hope they have a lovely Christmasy time.”

Sarah Brightman performs at the Midland on Saturday, November 30. Details on that show here.