\t\t\t\t\tNicole Scherzinger in Sunset Blvd.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarc Brenner<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tYou have already achieved so much success as a part of one of the most popular girl groups, and now you\u2019re nominated as the lead for an Andrew Lloyd Webber show. Where does this stand in your mind?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI feel so very blessed for the many careers that I\u2019ve had. (Laughs.<\/em>) I feel like this is not only a reinvention but a rebirth for me. And I will have to say, I\u2019ve been very blessed, I\u2019ve worked very hard, and I\u2019ve had a lot of beautiful things happen to me in my career, but this is the one thing that I\u2019ve never been more proud of in my life. This is the one thing that has truly changed my life. And I feel like we\u2019re always becoming and we\u2019re always evolving, but this really showed me what I\u2019m made of and who I truly am and I get to share that, share all of my gifts and all of my talents and share all of me in my whole heart every night, now eight times a week.<\/p>\n \n\tGlenn Close and Patti LuPone have come to see your performance. What did that mean to you, and what did they say to you after seeing it?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tPatti has been so kind. She publicly spoke<\/a> about how she really was invigorated by this new concept of Sunset Boulevard<\/em>. She, in particular, said that I was audacious and a force and I broke her heart. And it\u2019s so funny, because one of Norma\u2019s lyrics, the first line to With One Look <\/em>is \u201cwith one look, I can break your heart.\u201d So I mean, that\u2019s the ultimate, greater than any achievement, from the ones that you have learned from and respected and admired, to get their recognition, to get their connection, to get to know that they\u2019ve connected with your storytelling and they see the truth within you is, I think, the ultimate recognition.<\/p>\n \n\tAnd then with Glenn, you know Patti didn\u2019t come backstage, but I did see her after and spoke with her, and I got to see her in interviews speak about our production and my role. But Glenn was able to come backstage afterwards, and she just had this brilliant light about her. And I could tell how much she just truly loved Norma Desmond and the character, and we really bonded on that: our deep love and understanding for Norma, and to be able to share that with the world is, as she said, \u201cThis is arguably one of the greatest roles ever written for a woman.\u201d It doesn\u2019t get any better than that. My friend Laverne Cox was in the house that night, and she said she should be knighted, and we should be calling her Dame Glenn Close, so to get that compliment from Dame Glenn Close, it\u2019s exactly where I\u2019m supposed to be, right? I\u2019m truly living in my purpose.<\/p>\n \n\tAlso, shortly after your debut, Andrew Lloyd Webber said <\/a>it was, \u201cthe best performance of anything I ever had.\u201d What\u2019s it like to receive not only his stamp of approval but also for him to give you such high praise?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tAndrew has supported me for many years. It\u2019s been almost 15-to-20 years now, and so I\u2019ve always wanted to make him proud, because he\u2019s been such a believer in me and so to hear those words, it\u2019s still \u2014 it makes me speechless because I just want to make him proud. And if I\u2019m doing that, then I\u2019m where I\u2019m supposed to be. It\u2019s just always a privilege to work with him. He\u2019s such a giving maestro and composer, and I\u2019m so happy for him, because we get to breathe new life into this masterpiece of Sunset Boulevard<\/em> for new generations and in a modern way. And he deserves that because when you listen to the music every night, it\u2019s so cinematic and it just soars. I\u2019m so happy that we were able to give him a new platform to be able to share it with the world in this new invigorating light.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tNicole Scherzinger in Sunset Blvd.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarc Brenner<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tDo you see this as the beginning of a long Broadway career? A lot of people\u2019s reactions to seeing this show have been them wanting to see more of you. Are there any more shows that you\u2019d love to be the lead in?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI mean growing up as a musical theater brat I definitely had dream roles in mind, and what people don\u2019t realize is, that I realize now, it\u2019s kind of crazy. This is like over 30 years in the making for me, working towards this and fighting for this and preparing for this moment. I started out in musical theater and in middle school, I was doing theatrical stuff. I did my first role in a play when I was like 14, and then I would later on play Maureen [in Rent<\/em>] at the Hollywood Bowl and then sing Evita<\/em> and Phantom of the Opera<\/em> for Andrew and some concerts for him. So people could see me, and I could share this other side of me with people, this other passion that I had.<\/p>\n \n\tTruth be told, I was wanting to audition for some filmed musicals and some film, TV shows, some musical TV shows, and I wasn\u2019t able to audition because they didn\u2019t want to see me. And so what I did is in 2019, I created my own show. And I funded it, and I put it on and I flew myself to New York City with my band, a 10-piece band, and I put on my own show at the Django at the bottom of the Roxy [hotel], just to share it. And it was invite only, to share it with the Broadway community, because I wanted them to know this is a part of me, a deep part of me and I want to come home. So I shared that show in 2019, that was in October, I did a couple shows around Halloween. Then in November, I brought the same show to London. And then two years later, in 2022, I brought that show to L.A., so I manifested this moment. Now, six years later, after performing at the Roxy saying, hey, will someone pay attention? I want to be Aurora in the Kiss of the Spider Woman<\/em>. Will you let me audition for this? Now it\u2019s come full circle, and I\u2019m able to play one of the greatest roles ever written. At the very end of my show, I say, \u201cThis is my life. It always will be. There is nothing else.\u201d And my heart is truly exposed at that moment. When I sing \u201cAs If We Never Said Goodbye,\u201d it is my love letter to the theater, my love letter to music that has saved my life. I will never stop singing, never stop being creative and performing. I hope that with the right projects I can create and be a part of, I\u2019ll be able to bring even more to Broadway and continue to be a part of this beautiful community that I\u2019ve always dreamed of being part of.<\/p>\n \n\tHave you received any offers for what\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tNo, I haven\u2019t. There\u2019s been some talks of a few different roles and things that people have asked me about and would like me to be a part of but nothing formal. And I think because the role is so demanding, to be honest with you, especially now doing eight shows a week, it\u2019s just I have to be in the moment now more than ever. This is a limited run. It\u2019s nine-and-a-half weeks. I have to make sure I\u2019ve finished this properly, and I have devoted all of my heart and soul and my time in this moment to Norma Desmond. Then the right thing will come along after that.<\/p>\n \n\tYou were instrumental in bringing this show back to Broadway. Has there been any talk about you starring in a potential film adaptation?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThere has been some talk. That is my dream, so I\u2019m manifesting that right now.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat would this Tony mean to you? <\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tOh my gosh, what would this Tony mean to me? Just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. It would just mean, I guess, like in some ways, for Norma Desmond and for a lot of us in this industry and in life, we really seek that validation from others. We struggle with our own issues and self worth, and you would really want that praise and that validation to be seen by others. So, it can relate to Norma in those ways.<\/p>\n \n\tBut I think in the other way, it would just note on the bigger scale, just that I am finally living in my highest purpose, and I\u2019m living in my highest calling of what I\u2019m supposed to do. That is the most fulfilling dream, I think, for anybody \u2014 that is to be successful, to be able to do something that is your purpose and your gift and to be able to share it with the world. And that it makes a difference or makes an impact, to be able to do art and to make an impact in this way, it is the greatest dream, better than any recognition. It\u2019s the ultimate award.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tTom Francis as Joe Gillis and Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd<\/em>. on Broadway.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarc Brenner<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThe show had a technical difficulty recently, and you sang with a bullhorn<\/a>. What went through your mind then and led you to want to do that?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tTruth be told, that\u2019s the pop star mentality in me. When I came out and I heard the sigh of sadness from the theater, I was heartbroken for everyone. And I was like, well, I can\u2019t let them go home empty-handed. So someone yelled out, \u201cSing!\u201d And I was like, OK, I want to give them a sliver of this experience. So I went out, and I had to think on my feet. It was all happening so fast. Mind you, we didn\u2019t know that the show was going to be canceled up until we had to cancel it because they\u2019d been waiting for 40 minutes. So we didn\u2019t want to leave this audience waiting any longer. So I ran out, I asked my conductor, please send me the track. We had one track of \u201cWith One Look.\u201d It\u2019s the only song. And then I asked my dresser Tracy to give me my little speaker that I do my rehearsals warm-ups with every day. And my brain was just trying to think, how can I reconnect and reach everyone in that theater? Because I didn\u2019t want to just go out there and have them say, like, \u201cI kind of hear her.\u201d I wanted so deeply to be able to give everybody the experience. So I said to Johnny, our stage manager, \u201cgive me the bullhorn.\u201d And I was like, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s gonna work, but I need something to amplify my voice. So I just went out there with my little speaker and tried to make my own little makeshift mini concert for three-and-a-half minutes and, at first, I kind of felt foolish. I was like, oh my God, you\u2019re singing such a serious song in the theater with a megaphone, like, are you crazy Nicole? (Laughs.<\/em>) And then I kept thinking, and then it was silent, and this magic kind of took over. And I was like, wait I think they\u2019re listening. I think this is working. And then, honestly, by the end, when I was singing the song, I was like, this thing\u2019s got great reverb! (Laughs.<\/em>) I just did it from my heart, because what a wonderful audience to show up and come out on a Wednesday afternoon anyway. Hopefully they felt the love from us and were able to take something home unique, especially a performance that not can many say they\u2019ve ever seen: me singing with a megaphone.<\/p>\n \n\tLastly, what are you gonna miss most about playing Norma when the show is over?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tFortunately, I played Norma for four months in the West End, worked on her for two months before that, so then that\u2019s six months. I\u2019ve been working on her, with her, in her, for over two years now. But I think what I\u2019m going to miss is \u2014 I\u2019m going to miss my cast, my company, this experience. I\u2019m going to miss that Broadway audience with this production. I will miss singing these songs every night to the audience and giving my final speech after her mad scene. I definitely will miss those pieces. But other than that, Norma will always be with me, so I\u2019ll take her everywhere. She lives within me.<\/p>\n \n\tSunset Blvd.<\/a> is playing at the St. James Theatre through July 13. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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