Sarah Brightman
308851
225407976
2008-07-13T14:58:32Z
78.151.186.136
/* Personal life */
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Sarah Brightman
| Img = Osaka07 Opening Sarah Brightman.jpg
| Img_capt = Sarah Brightman at the opening ceremony of [[2007 World Championships in Athletics]]
| Background = solo_singer
| Born = {{birth date and age|1960|8|14|df=yes}}
| Origin = {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Berkhamsted]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]]
| Genre = [[Crossover (music)|Classical crossover]], [[operatic pop]]
| Voice_type = [[Soprano]]
| Occupation = [[Singer]], [[actress]]
| Years_active = 1976–present
| Label = [[A&M Records]] (1993)</br>[[East West Records]] (1995-1997)</br>[[Angel Records]]/[[EMI]] (1998-2007)</br>[[Manhattan Records]]/[[EMI]] (2008-Present)
| URL = http://www.sarah-brightman.com
}}
'''Sarah Brightman''' (born [[14 August]], [[1960]]) is an [[English (people)|English]] [[Crossover (music)|classical crossover]] [[soprano]], [[actress]], [[songwriter]] and [[dancer]].
Brightman debuted as a dancer in troupes such as [[Hot Gossip]] and later released a string of [[disco]] singles. She achieved greater fame as a [[musical theatre]] performer and partner of theatre composer [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], with whom she originated several roles including [[Christine Daaé]] in ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. Her 1984 marriage to Lloyd Webber, which ended in 1990 in divorce, attracted [[tabloid]] coverage.
After her divorce, Brightman became a crossover artist with former [[Enigma (musical project)|Enigma]] producer [[Frank Peterson]]. Her style, a blend of classical vocals and pop-inspired instrumentation and arrangement, earned her further success. Brightman has received over 150 [[Music recording sales certification|Gold and Platinum]] awards in 34 countries<ref name="video">Official video biography. [http://www.sarah-brightman.com]</ref> and is the only artist to hold #1 spots on the [[Billboard charts|Billboard]] Classical and Dance charts simultaneously. She has sold over 26 million albums worldwide.<ref name="cbsnews">[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/earlyshow/leisure/music/main3764357.shtml Brightman Gives "Symphony" After 5 Years], [[CBS News]], 29 January, 2008. Retrieved 29 January, 2008/</ref>
==Biography==
Sarah Brightman was born in [[Berkhamsted]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]] to Paula and Grenville Brightman, the eldest of six children. At age three, she took [[ballet]] lessons at the Elmhurst School<ref name="dailymail">Paton, Maureen. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=533758&in_page_id=1908 Soprano Superstar: How Sarah Brightman turned her life around], [[Daily Mail]], March 22, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.</ref> and appeared in local festivals.<ref name="billboard">Price, Deborah Evans. [http://www.sarah-brightman.com/BillboardJan2008/ Genre-Bending Brightman Seeks Crossover Success With 'Symphony'.] [[Billboard Magazine]], January 19, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2008.</ref> At age eleven Brightman attended the Arts Educational [[boarding school]] for jazz and acting<ref name="dailymail" />, an experience she recalled in an interview with ''[[The Independent]]'' as troublesome. Brightman was teased by other students and ran away once, but nevertheless she remained at the school. Later, she auditioned for [[London]]'s [[Royal Ballet]] but was rejected.<ref>"Wrapped up in her gift". ''[[The Independent]]''. [[November 8]], [[1997]].</ref>
At sixteen, in 1976, Brightman joined the dance group [[Pan's People]], a staple on the [[BBC]] series ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. She left a year later to lead [[Hot Gossip]], a mixed dance act who appeared regularly on ''[[The Kenny Everett Video Show]]''. The group, whose routines were more provocative than those of Pan's People, had a chart-topping disco hit in 1978 with "[[I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper]]", a space-themed track which sold half a million copies and reached number six on the [[UK charts]]. The group released a follow-up single, "Adventures of the Love Crusader", six months later, but it was less successful, failing to chart on the UK's top 50.<ref>Clayton-Lea, Tony. "Call me Ms. Dependable". ''[[The Irish Times]]'', [[February 6]], [[1999]].</ref> Brightman, now solo, released several more disco singles in subsequent years under Whisper Records; these included "[[Not Having That!]]" and a cover of the song "[[My Boyfriend's Back (song)|My Boyfriend's Back]]".<ref name="chin">Chin, Siew May. Official biography, part one. [http://www.sarah-brightman.com].</ref> None of these, however, were as prominent as "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper".
===1981–1989: Stage career===
In 1981, Brightman auditioned for a role in the new musical ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'' and received the role of Jemima. In rehearsals she met her future husband, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The two married in 1984 and Brightman starred in several of Lloyd Webber's musicals, including ''[[Song and Dance]]'' and the [[mass (music)|mass]] ''[[Requiem (Webber)|Requiem]]'', the latter expressly written for her voice. With ''Requiem'' she earned her first [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]] nomination.<ref name="video"/>
Brightman achieved even greater success with her starring role as [[Christine Daaé]] in Lloyd Webber's adaptation of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. The role of Christine, like ''Requiem'' before it, was written for her.<ref name="video"/> Lloyd Webber refused to open ''The Phantom of the Opera'' on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] unless Brightman played the role of Christine. Initially, the American [[Actors' Equity Association]] balked, due to their policy that any non-American performer must be an international star. Lloyd Webber had to agree to cast an American in a leading role in his next [[West End theatre|West End musical]] before the Equity would allow Brightman to appear (a promise he kept later in the casting for ''[[Aspects of Love]]'').<ref>''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Brightman performed the show on Broadway for six months "[http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966470,00.html Chills, Thrills, and Trapdoors]" [[18 January]], [[1988]]. Retrieved [[15 October]], [[2006]].</ref>
After leaving ''Phantom'', Brightman pursued several projects. Immediately after her departure, she performed in a tour of Lloyd Webber's music throughout England, [[Canada]], and the United States, and performed ''Requiem'' in the Soviet Union. She also released studio recordings, including the single "Anything But Lonely" from ''Aspects of Love'' and two solo albums: the 1988 album ''[[The Trees They Grow So High]]'', a compilation of traditional [[folk song]]s accompanied by [[piano]], and the 1989 album ''[[The Songs That Got Away]]'', a musical theatre compilation of songs which were cut from shows by composers such as [[Irving Berlin]] and [[Stephen Sondheim]]. By 1990, Brightman and Lloyd Webber separated. After the official divorce, Brightman was given a lead role in Lloyd Webber's ''[[Aspects of Love|Aspects]]'' in [[London]] opposite [[Michael Praed]], before transferring to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. It would be her last theatre role.<ref name="chin"/>
===1990s: Solo career===
Her stage career curtailed, Brightman pursued solo recording in [[Los Angeles]]. In 1992 she sang the song for the Olympic Games, "[[Amigos Para Siempre]]" with [[José Carreras]], written by Lloyd Webber. She was inspired to go solo by the [[Germany|German]] band [[Enigma (musical project)|Enigma]] and requested to work with one of its members. Her request was answered and in 1991 Brightman traveled to Germany to meet her future producer, [[Frank Peterson]]. Their first major label release was ''[[Dive (Sarah Brightman album)|Dive]]'' (1993), a water-themed pop album that featured the hit "[[Captain Nemo (song)|Captain Nemo]]", a cover of a song by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[electronica]] band [[Dive (Swedish band)|Dive]].<ref>Demalon, Tom. "[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:si2m96oodepc Review: Dive]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved [[February 10]], [[2007]].</ref>
''[[Fly (Sarah Brightman album)|Fly]]'' (1995), a pop/rock album and her second collaboration with Peterson, propelled Sarah Brightman to fame in [[Europe]] with the hit "[[A Question of Honour (song)|A Question of Honour]]". The song, introduced at the World [[Boxing]] Championship match between [[Germany|Germany's]] [[Henry Maske]] and [[Graciano Rocchigiani]], combined [[electronic dance music]], [[rock music|rock]] elements, classical strings, and excerpts from the aria "Ebben? ... Ne andrò lontana" from [[Alfredo Catalani]]'s opera ''[[La Wally]]''.<ref>Malich, Daniel. "[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:txeb97r0kr0t Review: Fly]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved [[February 10]], [[2007]].</ref>
"Time to Say Goodbye" ("''[[Con te partirò]]''") was the second Brightman song debuted for Maske, this time at his retirement match. This duet with tenor [[Andrea Bocelli]] sold more than 3 million copies in Germany alone,<ref name="video"/> became Germany's best-selling single, and was successful in numerous other countries; the album eventually sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Due to the song's success, a 1996 re-issue of ''Fly'' featured "Time to Say Goodbye" as the first track.
''[[Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Timeless]]'' (released in 1997, with the title ''Time to Say Goodbye'' in the United States) contained "Time to Say Goodbye" and other classical-inspired tracks such as "[[Just Show Me How to Love You]]", a duet with [[José Cura]] (originally sung by [[Dario Baldambembo]] with the title "Tu Cosa Fai Stasera?"), a cover of the [[Queen (band)|Queen]] hit "[[Who Wants to Live Forever]]", and "[[Tu Quieres Volver]]", (originally recorded by the [[Gipsy Kings]]).
Brightman's mainstream exposure in the United States also began around this time, starting with an appearance on Bocelli's December 1997 [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] television special, duetting "Time to Say Goodbye"; later, in March 1998, her own PBS special, ''Sarah Brightman in Concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]]'', marked the point when she crossed from Billboard's [[Top Heatseekers]] chart to the [[Billboard 200]] chart, with ''Time to Say Goodbye''.<ref name="billboard_PBS">{{Citation | last1=Reece | first1=Doug | last2=Spahr | first2=Wolfgang | author-link= | year=[[4 April]], [[1998]] | title=PBS gives big boost to Brightman's Angel set | periodical=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | volume=110 | issue=14 | pages=7-8 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= }}</ref> Despite this, however, attempts to market songs from the album to U.S. [[Top 40 (radio format)|Top 40]] and heritage radio formats were mostly unsuccessful. <ref name="billboard_PBS" /> In 1999 she appeared on the album ''I Won't Forget You'' by [[Princessa]], another artist with whom Peterson had worked.
===2000–2003: Further mainstream success===
Later albums included ''[[Eden (Sarah Brightman album)|Eden]]'' (1998) (the title track of which was a cover of a song by Belgian band [[Hooverphonic]]), and ''[[La Luna (album)|La Luna]]'' (2000). These albums, unlike ''Time to Say Goodbye'', incorporated more pop music elements. Reviews were mixed - [[LAUNCHcast]] deemed ''Eden'' "deliriously sappy",<ref>Dumpert, Hazel-Dawn. "[http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/12040849 Album Review: Eden]". [[Yahoo! Music]]. [[March 6]], [[2000]]. Retrieved [[August 4]], [[2006]].</ref> while [[Allmusic]] called ''Eden'' "a winning combination"<ref>Phares, Heather. "[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dqk0ikckbb39 Review: Eden]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved [[August 4]], [[2006]].</ref> and ''La Luna'' "a solid, stirring collection".<ref>Buss, Bryan. "[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:om2tk6gxekrw Review: La Luna]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved [[August 4]], [[2006]].</ref>
''Eden'' reached #65 on the Billboard 200 charts (certified Gold for selling over 500,000 copies), and ''La Luna'' peaked at #17. In addition, both albums reached #1 on Billboard's Classical Crossover charts. At the end of 2001, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine noted Brightman as one of four classical crossover artists from the UK (the others being [[Charlotte Church]], [[Russell Watson]], and [[Bond (band)|bond]]) with albums on both the Classical Crossover and Billboard 200 charts, a phenomenon which, it said, contributed to a resurgence of UK music in the U.S. after "a historic low" in 1999.<ref name="billboard_ukartists">{{Citation | last1=Masson | first1=Gordon | last2=Newman | first2=Melinda | author-link= | year=[[22 December]], [[2001]] | title=Reversal of fortune: U.K. artists see U.S. sales rise | periodical=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | volume=113 | issue=51 | pages=1, 51 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= }}</ref>
In 2001, Brightman released ''Classics'', an album of [[opera]]tic [[aria]]s and other classical pieces including a solo version of "Time to Say Goodbye". Its reviews were somewhat better than its predecessors: ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', although calling Brightman a "stronger song stylist than a singer", gave the album a grade of B-.<ref>Bernardo, Melissa Rose. "[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/music/0,6115,253355_4_0_,00.html Music Review: Classics]". ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved [[5 August]], [[2006]].</ref>
Her 2003 album ''[[Harem (album)|Harem]]'' represented another departure: a [[Middle Eastern music|Middle Eastern-themed]] album influenced by dance music. On ''Harem'', Brightman collaborated with artists such as [[Ofra Haza]] and [[Iraq]]i singer [[Kazem al-Saher]]. [[Nigel Kennedy]] contributed violin tracks to the songs "[[Free (Sarah Brightman song)|Free]]" and "The War is Over", and [[Jaz Coleman]] contributed arrangements.<ref name="video"/>
The album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 charts (with sales tracked by [[Nielsen SoundScan]] figuring at approximately 333,000, or about one-third the total sales of ''La Luna''),<ref name="billboard_haremtour">{{Citation | last=Ault | first=Susanne | author-link= | year=[[April 10]], [[2004]] | title=Brightman's Harem Tour A Welcome Surprise | periodical=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | volume=116 | issue=15 | page=17 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= }}</ref> #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart, and yielded a #1 dance/club single with the remix of the title track. Some time later, another single from the album (the ballad "Free", cowritten with [[Sophie B. Hawkins]]) became a second Top-10 hit on this chart. Nevertheless, radio airplay for the album's singles, at least in the U.S., was almost nonexistent.<ref name="billboard_haremtour" />
The albums ''Eden'', ''La Luna'', and ''Harem'' were accompanied by live tours which incorporated the theatricality of her stage origins. Brightman acknowledged this in an interview, saying, "They're incredibly complicated...[but also] natural. I know what works, what doesn't work, all the old tricks."<ref>"Reesman, Bryan. "Siren Soprano". Yahoo! Music. [[9 April]], [[2001]]. Retrieved [[4 August]], [[2006]].</ref> In both 2000 and 2001, Brightman was among the top 10 most popular British performers in the U.S., with concert sales grossing $7.2 million from 34 shows in 2000 and over $5 million from 21 shows in 2001.<ref name="billboard_ukartists" />
Most recently, the Harem tour grossed over $60 million and sold over 700,000 tickets,<ref name="video"/> $15 million and 225,000 sales of which came from the North American leg, although with ticket prices raised 30% from previous tours, average sales per venue were up 65%.<ref name="billboard_haremtour" /> In North America, Harem tour promoters Clear Channel Entertainment (now [[Live Nation]]) took the unusual step of advertising to theatre subscribers, in an effort to reach fans of Brightman's Broadway performances, and also sold VIP tickets, at $750 each, that included on-stage seating during the concert and a [[backstage pass]].<ref name="billboard_haremtour" />
Tour reviews were mixed: one critic from the ''[[New York Times]]'' called the La Luna tour "not so much divine but post-human" and "unintentionally disturbing: a beautiful argument of emptiness."<ref>Powers, Ann. "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502E7DF133AF934A1575AC0A9669C8B63 POP REVIEW; An Ethereal Voice From On High (Up Where the Loudspeakers Are)]". ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[27 September]], [[2000]]. Retrieved [[24 November]], [[2006]].</ref> In contrast, a reviewer from the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' deemed the Harem tour "unique, compelling" and "charmingly effective."<ref>Morse, Steve. "[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/02/02/sarah_brightman_literally_soars_in_a_unique_compelling_show/ Sarah Brightman literally soars in a unique, compelling show]". ''[[The Boston Globe]]''. [[2 February]], [[2004]]. Retrieved [[December 28]], [[2006]].</ref>
Television specials on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] were produced for every Brightman album in the U.S.; a director of marketing has credited these as her number-one source of exposure in the country.<ref name="billboard_ukartists" /> Indeed, her concert for ''Eden'' was among [[PBS]]'s most grossing pledge events.<ref name="detroit">Chin, Siew May. [http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=947 To the moon and back], [[Metro Times]] Detroit, 19 November, 2000. Retrieved 1 September, 2007.</ref>
===2006–present===
Brightman released a DVD collection of her music videos on [[3 October]] 2006 under the title of ''[[Diva: The Video Collection]]''. ''[[Diva: The Singles Collection]]'' is the accompanying CD, released on the same date. The album marked the first time Brightman has released a greatest hits album in the United States; it reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart. (''Classics'', from 2001, featured seven new recordings in addition to the previously-released material, and her other reflective offering, ''The Best of 1990-2000'', was a European-only release.)
Brightman was one of the artists featured on the January 2007 series of the prime time [[BBC One]] show ''[[Just the Two of Us (series)|Just the Two of Us]]'', partnered with English [[cricket]]er [[Mark Butcher]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/justthetwoofus/about/about.shtml BBC page]. Retrieved [[14 December]] [[2006]]</ref> The pair finished the competition in third place.
Subsequent appearances include the [[Concert For Diana]] in July 2007, where she sung "[[All I Ask of You]]" from ''The Phantom of the Opera'' with [[Josh Groban]]; the [[7 July]], 2007 [[Live Earth concert, Shanghai|Chinese leg]] of [[Live Earth]] in [[Shanghai]], where she performed four songs ("[[Nessun Dorma]]", "La Luna", "[[Nella Fantasia]]" and "Time to Say Goodbye") and debuted her single "[[Running (Sarah Brightman song)|Running]]" at the 2007 [[International Association of Athletics Federations|IAAF]] [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|Championships]] in Osaka, Japan on 25 August.<ref>[http://liveearth.msn.com/artists/sarahbrightman Sarah Brightman at Live Earth]</ref> She also participated at the 2007 [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]], where she performed "[[The Journey Home]]" on the [[Jolly Polly Pirate Ship]].<ref>[http://www.macysinc.com/pressroom/macys/macyseast/media_kits.asp?strAction=ShowItem&itemid=6083 Macy's Press Release]</ref> She recorded a duet with [[Anne Murray]] singing "[[Snowbird (song)|Snowbird]]" on Murray's 2007 album ''Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends''.<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Sarah Brightman News: Sarah duets with Anne Murray
| publisher = Contactmusic.com
| date =12 January 2007
| url = http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/murray%20records%20duets%20with%20top%20girls_1052004}}</ref>
On [[29 January]], 2008, Brightman released her first album in five years: ''[[Symphony (album)|Symphony]]'', influenced by [[gothic music]].<ref name="cbsnews" /> Featured on the album are artists [[Fernando Lima]], Andrea Bocelli, and [[Kiss (band)|KISS]] vocalist [[Paul Stanley]], who duets with Brightman on "[[Where the Lost Ones Go|I Will Be With You]]", the album version of the theme song to the 10th [[Pokémon]] motion picture, ''[[Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai|The Rise of Darkrai]]''. To accompany ''Symphony'', Brightman will embark on a tour in Autumn 2008.<ref>Price, Deborah Evans. The song "Symphony" is a cover version of the song "Symphonie" by the German band Silbermond.[http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSN1232056520080113 Sarah Brightman releasing first album in 5 years], [[Reuters]], 12 January, 2008. Retrieved 29 January, 2008.</ref> Brightman made several appearances on television in the United States to promote Symphony, including Fashion on Ice on [[NBC]] on [[12 January]], [[The View]] on [[30 January]], [[Martha (TV series)|Martha]] on [[31 January]] and [[Fox and Friends]] on the [[Fox News Channel]]. She performed two songs at the United States [[Memorial Day]] concert on [[25 May]], [[2008]] held on the [[United States Capitol#Grounds|west lawn]] of the [[United States Capitol]] in [[Washington D.C.]].<ref name="pbs-performers">
{{cite news
| title = [[Public Broadcasting Service]]
| publisher = The Performers: Sarah Brightman
| date = [[2008-05-25]]
| url = http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/concert/performers.html#sarah
| accessdate = 2008-05-26 }}</ref> Brightman stars as Blind Mag in the [[rock musical]] film ''[[Repo! the Genetic Opera]]'' due to be released on [[8 August]], 2008.<ref name="CNN001">
{{cite news
| title = REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA: Principal Photography Underway On Twisted Pictures' And Lionsgate's Musical Thriller
| publisher = [[CNN]]
| date = [[2007-09-24]]
| url = http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LAM01624092007-1.htm
| accessdate = 2007-10-11 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.fearnet.com/MCNewsDetailPage.aspx?catid=30&mid=13396
| title = 'Repo!' Release Date Pushed Back | publisher = FEARnet |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2008-03-29}}</ref>
==Music and voice==
Brightman has undergone vocal training first with [[Elizabeth Hawes]], head of the [[Trinity College of Music|Trinity Music College]] in London, and later with [[Ellen Faul]] of [[Juilliard School|Juilliard]]. She currently studies with internationally known voice teacher David Romano. She has a three-octave vocal range<ref>Alter, Gaby. "[http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_sarah_brightman/index.html Tour Profile: Sarah Brightman]". [[1 April]], [[2004]]. Retrieved [[August 22]], [[2006]].</ref> that extends to an F above Soprano C.<ref>Perusse, Bernard. [http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=4bdb6e52-c810-47a9-8860-812e608627b2&k=42491 Sarah Brightman: The original angel of music hits the high notes in Symphony], [[Times Colonist]], [[4 February]], [[2008]]. Retrieved [[4 February]], [[2008]].</ref>
David Caddick, a conductor of ''Phantom'', has stated:
<blockquote>"What is amazing about Sarah is that she has two voices, really. She can produce a pop, contemporary sound, but she can also blossom out into a light soprano. The soprano part of her voice can go up to an E natural above high C. She doesn’t sing it full out, but it is there. Of course, she has to dance while she is singing some of the time, so it’s all the more extraordinary."<ref name="chin"/></blockquote>
She sometimes deploys both her pop and classical voices in the same song. One example is "Anytime, Anywhere" from ''Eden'', a song based on [[Tomaso Albinoni]]'s ''[[Adagio in G minor]]''. In the song, she starts out in classical voice, switches to pop voice temporarily, and finishes with her classical voice.
Brightman's music is generally classified as classical crossover. According to [[Manhattan Records]] GM Ian Ralfini, she is largely responsible for the popularity of the genre.<ref name="billboard"/> In a 2000 interview with ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'', Brightman dismissed the classical crossover label as "horrible" but stated she understood people's need to categorize music.<ref>Charaipotra, Sona. ''[[People (magazine)|People Weekly]]'', [[6 November]], [[2000]].</ref> Her personal influences include 60s and 70s musicians and artists such as [[David Bowie]] and [[Pink Floyd]],<ref name="video"/> and she incorporates aspects of genres from pop/rock to classical and contemporary. Her work has also been compared to that of [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], [[Cher]], and [[Celine Dion]].<ref>Selvin, Joel. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/03/07/DD56374.DTL Brightman Lights Up Civic], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', 7 March, 2001. Retrieved September 1, 2007.</ref> The material on her albums ranges from versions of opera arias from composers such as [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]] (on ''Harem'', ''Eden'', and ''Timeless''), to pop songs by artists such as [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]] ("[[Dust in the Wind]]" on ''Eden''), [[Dido (singer)|Dido]] ("[[Here with Me]]" on ''La Luna''), and [[Procol Harum]] ("[[A Whiter Shade of Pale]]" on ''La Luna'').
==Personal life==
At age 18, Brightman married Andrew Graham Stewart, a music manager. This marriage ended in divorce. She met Lloyd Webber while performing in ''Cats''; [[Andrew Lloyd Webber| Lloyd Webber]] later divorced his first wife, [[Sarah Hugill]], to marry Brightman in 1984. During their partnership, the couple faced intense media and [[tabloid]] scrutiny. The marriage lasted until 1990, when they divorced. Brightman acknowledged the marriage in a 1999 interview as a "difficult time" but also one of much creative output.<ref>Clayton-Lea, Tony. "Call me Ms. Dependable". ''[[The Irish Times]]'', [[6 February]], [[1999]].</ref> Currently they are on friendly terms; at the 20th London anniversary of ''The Phantom of the Opera'', Lloyd Webber publicly pronounced Brightman a "wonderful woman" and "absolutely beloved mentor".
Later, Brightman became involved with Frank Peterson, a relationship that lasted for several years.<ref name="detroit" /> In 2003, Brightman split with Peterson, though he continues to act as producer on her albums. She is currently dating Louis Oberlander{{fact|date=April 2008}}.
Brightman has suffered several personal crises. In 1992, her father committed suicide after divorce and financial issues. Later, she experienced an [[ectopic pregnancy]] and two [[miscarriage]]s with Peterson.<ref name="dailymail" /> In an interview with the British magazine ''[[Hello!]]'', she stated that motherhood would have been "lovely", but she accepted her destiny peacefully.<ref>Barber, Richard. ''[[Hello! Magazine|Hello!]]''. [[December 5]], [[2006]].</ref>
==Stage credits==
===Musicals===
*''[[I and Albert]]'' (as Vicky and street waif), 1973 Picadilly Theatre, London
*''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'' (as Jemima), 1981 New London Theatre
*''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' (as Kate), 1982
*''[[Masquerade (musical)|Masquerade]]'' (as Tara Treetops), 1982
*''[[Nightingale (musical)|Nightingale]]'' (as Nightingale), 1982 Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith
*''[[Song and Dance]]'' (as Emma) , Palace Theatre in London on [[28 April]], [[1984]]
*''[[Requiem (Webber)|Requiem]]'' (as Herself), 1985 New York and London
*''[[The Merry Widow]]'' (as Valencienne), 1985
*''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (as Christine Daaé), 1986 Her Majesty's Theatre London, 1988 Broadway
*''[[Aspects of Love]]'' (as Rose Vibert), 1990
===Plays===
*''[[Trelawny of the Wells]]'' (as Rose Trelawney), 1992
*''[[Relative Values (play)|Relative Values]]'' (as Miranda), 1993 Chichester Festival and Savoy Theatre
*''[[Dangerous Obsession]]'' (as Sally Driscoll), 1994 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
*''[[The Innocents (play)|The Innocents]]'' (as Miss Giddens), 1995 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
*''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'' (as Mary Magdelane)
==Filmography==
*''[[Granpa (film)|Granpa]]'', 1989 animated children's film
*''[[Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'' (as Blind Mag), 2008 feature film
==Selected discography==
{{main|Sarah Brightman discography}}
===Cast recordings===
*''Cats'' - (1981)
*''Nightingale - Original London Cast'' (1983)
*''Song and Dance'' - Sarah Brightman & Wayne Sleep (1984. Re-released 2007)
*''Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem - [[Plácido Domingo|Domingo]], Brightman, [[English Chamber Orchestra|ECO]], [[Lorin Maazel|Maazel]]'' (1985)
*''The Phantom of the Opera - Original London Cast'' (1986)
*''Carousel - Studio Cast'' (1987)
*''Repo! The Genetic Opera!'' (2008)
===Selected albums===
<!-- Do not add other albums to this list. The idea is to avoid long lists. All the albums are split off onto the [[Sarah Brightman discography]] page. Thank you. !-->
*''[[Dive (Sarah Brightman album)|Dive]]'' (1993)
*''[[Fly (Sarah Brightman album)|Fly]]'' (1995)
*''[[Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Time to Say Goodbye]]'' (1997)
*''[[Eden (Sarah Brightman album)|Eden]]'' (1998)
*''[[La Luna (album)|La Luna]]'' (2000)
*''[[Classics (Sarah Brightman album)|Classics]]'' (2001)
*''[[Harem (album)|Harem]]'' (2003)
*''[[Symphony (album)|Symphony]]'' (2008)
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
<div class="references-small">
#<li value="32">"Sarah Brightman – Artist Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved [[August 4]], [[2006]].
#[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:th9fs34ba3xg~T5 Sarah Brightman – Charts & Awards]. ''[[Allmusic]]''. Retrieved [[August 4]], [[2006]].
</div>
==See also==
*[[List of number-one dance hits (United States)]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart]]
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commonscat}}
*{{Official|http://sarah-brightman.com}}
*{{imdb name|id=0109208|name=Sarah Brightman}}
*{{ibdb name|id=33042|name=Sarah Brightman}}
*{{MySpace|sarahbrightman}}
{{Sarah Brightman}}
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{{Persondata
|NAME=Sarah Brightman
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=British soprano, musical theatre actress, dancer
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[August 14]], [[1960]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Berkhamsted]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brightman, Sarah}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:English stage actors]]
[[Category:English female singers]]
[[Category:People from Berkhamsted]]
[[Category:English sopranos]]
[[Category:English-language singers]]
[[Category:Italian-language singers]]
[[Category:Spanish-language singers]]
[[Category:French-language singers]]
[[Category:German-language singers]]
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[[zh:莎拉·布萊曼]]