Groundbreaking production, a stellar cast and an iconic score, it’s no wonder that Jamie Lloyd’s thrilling reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical Sunset Boulevard is lighting up London’s West End. And there’s one music superstar who is winning over the hearts of audiences and fans … Nicole Scherzinger!
Throwback to 2005, I’m hopping through the music channels on the TV, dancing to tracks from the likes of Rihanna and Sugababes when a music video catches my eyes and ears: The Pussycat Dolls – ‘Don’t Cha’. This is where my love and appreciation for Nicole Scherzinger began.
You’ll most likely know her for being the lead of the band The Pussycat Dolls who dominated the early 2000s with hits including Buttons and When I Grow Up and for carving a successful career as a TV personality on shows including The X Factor and The Masked Singer US. Whilst most of you will know her for these endeavors, her talent and passion for theater has been overlooked and underrated! If you’re not one of the 29 million views that have watched her incredible performance of ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ on YouTube, I urge you to stop reading, watch it and then come back to me.
When it was finally officially announced that Nicole Scherzinger would be starring in a revival of the classic musical Sunset Boulevard as the infamous Norma Desmond, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. This was an incredible chance for Nicole to be center stage, showcase her powerhouse vocals and prove to doubters that she was made to be a star of the stage too.
Last month, my time finally came to witness Nicole and the cast in action during its limited run and see this extraordinary show in all its glory. Seeing her name up in lights, adorning such an iconic theater, The Savoy, was a sight to behold and I already felt proud before even setting foot into the doors.
It’s hard to really express just how captivating and clever this show is, but I was blown away. This is truly Nicole’s finest hour, her performance as movie star Norma Desmond, who yearns to return to the big screen, is magnetic. Nicole takes center stage and lays her soul bare as Norma, portraying exquisitely Norma’s frustrations and intoxicating need for fame and adoration. This really feels like a career-defining role for Nicole and one that will go down in history.
Her breakout numbers of With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye are incredible, demonstrating her incredible vocal talent, so much so they made me cry happy tears. Her compelling and fearless performance earned her many standing ovations throughout the show and during the encore you can really see the gratitude exuding from Nicole as she takes in the overwhelming applause and cheers from the audience. She is back where she was born to be.
I’m so proud and pleased that Nicole is finally getting the flowers she so rightly deserves and receiving critical acclaim and highly coveted accolades. As fans, we have been praising her powerhouse performances for years and knew this is what she was destined for. For me, it’s been inspiring to see Nicole conquer new heights and prove the doubters and cynics wrong.
We often can be discouraged when it seems as though our dreams and aspirations are too far to reach but Nicole has proven that true greatness takes time and not to put a time limit on your dream as the golden opportunity could be just around the corner. As Norma in the show sings “We gave the world new ways to dream” and for Nicole this couldn’t be more true!
Sunset Boulevard is playing at London’s Savoy Theatre for a limited run, until January 6, 2024 so if you can, I’d strongly recommend snapping up a ticket. But if you can’t, fear not, as there are strong rumors (and ones I’m hoping that are true) that the show is heading to Broadway next year. I’ll be first in line to catch the show again in New York’s iconic theater district to see Nicole make her dream come true and debut on Broadway!
ROARA Magazine 