Celebrity Travel: Go away with Sarah Brightman

Last year, Sarah Brightman had to cancel her tour due to the coronavirus pandemic. But this holiday season, the British singer known for her work in “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” will kick off her tour (https://sarahbrightman.com/tours/) of the United States on November 26. But she’ll be back home in time for Christmas. “My traditions always include my family,” Brightman said. “There can be more than 22 of us around a table – it’s a large family with all the nieces, nephews, friends and my siblings. On Christmas Eve, my mother normally holds a party. There is always the Christmas Day of eating turkey and British Christmas pudding, mince pies – all the usual Christmas things. We even enjoy Boxing Day, which many places around the world do not have. It is a very British thing. We have a large buffet for lunch with yet even more family and friends. That is really our Christmas tradition. We also have all the other things that most families celebrate with the decorating of the tree and unwrapping of presents.” The soprano’s first-ever Christmas special from London, “Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphony,” is currently airing on PBS stations.

Q: Do people freak out when you go Christmas caroling and they realize it’s you?

A: Even if people know that I am there, the experience is always more about the Christmas message. It’s about the birth of Jesus Christ, it’s about the three kings … so all of that kind of thing usually goes out the window whether you have a singing star there singing with everybody or not. People just enjoy the message of what we are singing about and maybe the fruit punch or whatever you are drinking on that evening. (Laughs) So, no, I have never experienced anyone freaking out.

Q: What was a memorable holiday trip for you?

A: One New Year’s Eve – it was actually the millennium coming into 2000 – I was in Hong Kong and I was performing at (Happy Valley Racecourse) where the horse racing goes on right in the middle of Hong Kong. I was asked to be the guest performer and represent Hong Kong at that monumental time, and it was amazing. I was singing on a very high sort of mountain in the middle of this horse-racing venue, there were thousands of people and we all celebrated the new year in that way.

Q: You’ve told me before you’d love to get to India someday. Where else would you like to visit?

A: I want to go to Hawaii! I have never been there! When I was very young, my uncle got married to this very glamorous lady who was an airline hostess, who managed to arrange tickets to Hawaii for their honeymoon. People in those days didn’t travel that far. We are talking about the ’60s here. We knew that Hawaii was some magical group of islands and they flew all the way there from little England. I was absolutely fascinated and thought, “One day, I will be able to get to Hawaii.” That is where I want to go!

Q: Besides walking around a new city, what's the best way to explore a new destination?

A: I always follow the food because I love food! (Laughs) Most singers do! So, when you follow the cuisine, you generally get to see all of the culture that is going on. So, if you go to an interesting restaurant or street vendor, you will find yourself in an interesting square, and that square could be a palace, or a store or an art gallery.

Q: Many of your fans travel to see you perform. If time wasn't an issue, what would you love to see performed and where?

A: I love (Richard) Wagner, so my dream is to go and watch the Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival in Bayreuth, Germany.

Q: What do you remember about your first performance?

A: When I was little – maybe 3-1/2 or 4 years old – I did a lot of dancing and singing competitions around London. I was dressed up as an Autumn Fairy (in) the first one that I did. My mother made my costume. I had sort of holly leaves and holly berries around in my hair and I did this dance, which she created for me. My mother was a dancer, too. It was amazing! That was my first taste of really going on a stage in front of people to dance and I have never really looked back.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)