In
one of PCM's first ever interviews, Lauren spoke with Sarah
Brightman, a legend on the stage and in dance.
Sarah Brightman: Hi Lauren, How are you?
Lauren: I'm good Ms. Brightman, How are you?
SB: Good, I'm alright thank you.
L: Good, glad to hear it. Thank you for taking the time
to talk to me today.
SB: That's ok!
L: It's my first official interview so bare with me.
S:. Ooo, that's absolutely fine.
L: Congratulations on having the Singles Collection:
Diva hit number one on its debut week.
SB: Ok. That's great. Thank you very much. Yes it is, actually
it is nice since I have two different types of albums going
on around the world and they both seem to be hitting the
number one spots in classical crossover or classical which
is really, really nice.
L: First I have to let you know that when I was 13 and
began voice lessons, the first song my voice teacher gave
me was Think of Me (Phantom of the Opera), so I have grown
up with you and your talents.
SB: That's great.
L: So you are best known as a singer but I read that
you began performing as a dancer at a young age.
SB: That's right I was about three when I started ballet.
And that's was actually how I learned about classical music.
We danced to a pianist playing bits of Rach Maninoff and
Chicovski and all the ballets and it was really where my
love started for it.
L: Did you perform on stage, did you compete in competitions?
SB: I went through the competition thing probably when I
was at the age of four. It was school in the day, ballet
classes, drama classes, after school and then competitions
were held usually on Saturday's.
L: You were a pretty busy young girl I see.
SB: Yes I was. But it wasn't through being pushed by my
mother. It was just that I wanted to do it.
L: At what point did it occur to you that singing was
your true talent or are there any other hidden talents we
are all unaware of?
SB: NO, I always felt that singing was going
to be my strong point of all of them. The dance was only
a way to a means if you know what I mean.
L: Did you take dance or voice lessons?
SB: I trained as a classical ballet dancer
and I went to a pretty high power ballet school in Britain
and then really I suppose till I was about fourteen I went
to a school, a kind of arts school with a concentration
in many different things and that's when the voice thing
really started to come in.
L: And do you still dance today?
SB: I stopped when I was in my early thirties. I went to
ballet class. I had an amazing ballet coach who took classes
in London and she worked with all of the Ballerinas, all
over the place, and she would teach this one class in the
morning in which I would go to. And I remember I went and
did bar and after bar she looked at me and I looked at her
and I said I'm going to go now, I think I've had enough.
And she said, yes you go now and you enjoy yourself. And
I never went back. And that was it. I just had enough.
L: Well that's a wonderful story. Star ship Trooper was
your first single and first break into show business?
SB: As a singer yes. I was doing pretty well in these kind
of commercial dance groups which were a quite hit by the
end of the 70's. They were doing a lot of TV and it was
just a thing that was happening in Britain at that time
and I was doing a lot of that. And then I had this hit and
then I thought, ok, and now I want a recording career.
L: So it was during the disco era. Were you really in to
that scene?
SB: It's difficult to say. Well of course, I was a teenager
then and I was very aware of what was going on and very
into music and that time. But at the same time, I had a
very open mind to everything else, classical music and everything.
L: You starred in Phantom of the Opera and Cats, two
major classics on the Broadway scene. After accomplishments
like that, what else do you do to bide your time now?
SB: My life is so busy. I was sitting here with my computer
and there are a pile of papers everywhere. And the difficulty
I have actually, and it is a wonderful difficulty, is trying
to get myself all over the world at any one given time and
its very difficult because there is a wonder to having a
career in only one country, at least you only travel in
that country. What has happened with me, cause I have this
international career I'm trying to kind of , well since
everything gets released at one time nowadays, so you kind
of have Japan saying we need you for TV, and then you've
got Russia saying can we have you for something and I'm
like listen I'm here in America, and then Mexico says we
need you now. And it's like ruhhhhhhh (laughs).
L: You go crazy I'm sure!
SB: Yeah!! (Laugh) And at the moment we are trying
to work it out because especially before Christmas and when
your album goes to number one slots suddenly lots of people
want you, which is healthy but its quite hard to get everywhere.
~Phone rings in the background~
SB: I'm going to ignore that call. I'm not going to take
it.
L: Ok! Well I hope you get time in between all of those
things to get time for shopping.
SB: (Lots of Laughter)
L: So, is there major difference when performing Broadway
shows versus operas. And if so, what are the differences?
SB: There is never really any difference in performing because
it is all about particular things, you know even when your
going on as yourself there are obviously roles within the
songs that your singing from song to song and from performance
to performance you have to be focused, you have to be practiced,
you have to be giving, and have the right attitude. All
of those things wherever you may be may come into play so
there isn't really any difference to that. The only difference
is, that what I do now when I'm performing generally is
that I'm either in an arena somewhere or a TV studio so
obviously the ambiance of things are different.
L: And what is that like walking out on stage and seeing
millions of people in front of you?
SB: It is actually easier then being in a theatre to tell
you the truth. Because, although your giving out to that
audience you've built your own little world with in that
blank space. When you're in the theatre, the audience is
totally in your space. They're in it. And they are very
close and very involved so it's actually more scary in a
way.
L: Are there any singers who have inspired you to perform?
SB: Well when I was younger, you're talking about when I
was growing up in the sixties, I mean the people that were
kind of big then were obviously Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland
as classical singers. There was the Beatles and later on
Pink Floyd. I grew up in a time that was very fresh and
very alive and many music genres were mixed together and
radio was great and there was a lot of it. People were very
optimistic. I was very lucky to be brought up in the sixties.
And in dance there were people like Margo Fonteyn in our
country whom were amazing. It was lots of things that influenced
me at that time which I am still bringing through now and
they are still very much apart of me.
L: Are there any new artists that you enjoy listening
to or who inspire you?
SB: Not that I could say now that would inspire me to do
something different. I enjoy a lot of what is going on now
and see everything for what it is. The only thing that does
worry me, but I don't think it is so much in America because
its always been a very professional type of country when
it comes to the arts, but definitely in Europe there is
this whole Reality TV thing that has gone on and a lot of
kids wanting to be in the public eye just to be famous.
And it is not an ethic I have been brought up with and the
thing is that it is fine but there is no longevity to anything
and that is the only thing that does bother me. Everything
is very superficial. Which is a shame because they miss
out because when you really work at things the depth of
it and what you achieve just in the enjoyment of going through
something very deeply is very satisfying and I think the
kids really miss out on that.
L: Is there anything else that you'd like to accomplish
in your life time that you have not already accomplished?
SB: O, there are a million things. As I get older I want
to do more and more things and sometimes they are all creative.
Everything is creative with me but I couldn't be very specific.
I do want to be very happy in my work and that's very important
to me. What I have found is that, especially vocally, that
it doesn't work if you're not spiritually happy. And you
have to keep that, and that is very important through out
life.
L: Are there any inspirational people that keep you grounded
and keep you focused?
SB: Yes, I do have a wonderful family; I have a wonderful
boyfriend as well, and a few friends who have always been
there for me. So those are the people that keep me together.
I'm pretty kinds of hands on with most things anyway. I'm
not scared to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty
with anything. I like getting back to basics with many certain
things. I feel quite secure with myself in that way and
I am pretty grounded.
L: I appreciated everything you have offered today.
SB: Thank you! And I wish you luck in your future career.
L: Thank you very much.
SB: Ok, thank you for asking good questions.
L: I tried!
SB: Bye. Bye!
