celeb news Lin-Manuel Miranda: ''Nicole gives one of the most electrifying perfomances''

[UnderratedVocalist]

 

 

Nicole Scherzinger was interviews by Lin-Manuel Miranda for Interview magazine, talking about her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard

Some highlights:
 

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MIRANDA: It will be very difficult to keep this from being me singing your praises for 30 minutes, because I was lucky enough to see it on the West End, and I thought I knew Sunset Boulevard and I thought I knew your voice—I realized I knew ******* nothing. You give one of the most electric performances I've ever seen onstage, which is why I was so thrilled to get to talk to you about it. How did you first talk to Jamie Lloyd, your director, about this piece? How the **** did this happen?

SCHERZINGER: First of all, this is a dream come true. I can't get into it because then I'll start crying that you even agreed to do this. I know you're so busy, so thank you. What was the question?

MIRANDA: The question is, how did the conversation about Sunset Boulevard start? What was your history with the show, and how on earth did you pull the entire thing apart and put it together in this incredible new way?

SCHERZINGER: Well, we have Jamie to thank, or to blame, for all of this, because he came to me. He wanted to work with me a few years back and I wasn't able to work it out in my schedule. So he was like, "When are you coming to New York next? Because I need to speak to you about something in person." We actually met at the Savoy, if you can believe it, and he said, "I've got this amazing idea. I had this dream and it's for you to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard." Babe, I was like, "I'm trying not to be insulted right now." I showed up cute. I think I had an entourage. [Laughs]

MIRANDA: In the original movie, it's this faded movie star in the twilight of her life. That does not describe you.

SCHERZINGER: Well, I didn't know the musical. I only knew the film, and I was like, "That's your big idea? That's how you see me? As a strange, old, faded, discarded movie star?" I think my reaction was like, "Honey, I still look good under bright lights." He said, "Can I send you the script?" I'm thinking, "Yeah, I guess you could send it, but whatever. I've seen the film." He said, "Don't think about the film. Read the script. It's different." So when I read the script, I empathized with her, I understood her. It wasn't at all the interpretation that I had of her from the film. In the film, it was a depiction through someone else's perspective, it wasn't Norma's real story. When I read the script, I understood her story. Then I listened to the music and I couldn't believe it. That's when I fell madly in love with her.

MIRANDA: "With One Look" was what I remembered from the score, walking into your production. But also, what I remember from the production I'd seen on Broadway, all those years back, was the huge set.

SCHERZINGER: I heard that it got a standing ovation, the set alone.
 

 

 

 

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MIRANDA: You are in a nightie slip of a dress, which makes you so vulnerable onstage. I want to talk a bit about that vulnerability. What does it feel like to be that vulnerable onstage for that much of the time? Because you don't have a lot of armor.

SCHERZINGER: That was all in the prep work that we did, Lin. I really trust Jamie. I have a very strong, deep relationship with him. We must be brother and sister from another life. Before we started this journey, I'd speak to him for hours about my life, so when I got there, the first thing he said was, "Two words: Be open." We workshopped a lot of things, but there came a time where—I hate my feet and I abhor anyone looking at my feet, it's just not my jam—and he was like, "You're barefoot." I was like, "When are my cute shoes coming?" I'm a Pussycat Doll. I carry myself differently in heels. He was like, "No, you're barefoot." That really pushed me. Then he introduced the camera. The first day, I was like, "We need to focus on this side, okay?" And he immediately moved the camera to the other side. I was like, "I'm not even myself when the camera's on that side, I don't know what to do." But he challenged me. I still fight with him and say, "Can't I have a piece of jewelry?" And he's like, "No." He was like, "You're not going to be wearing this stuff when you're a sleepwalker. Norma's a sleepwalker." So we stripped it all back and that is how I was able to build my armor up.

MIRANDA: Oh, wow.

SCHERZINGER: Yeah, when I'm onstage and I'm super bare, it's important to not have the armor because that's not what it's about. It's the opposite. I always say I cut my heart completely wide open and flip it inside out so that you see the ugly, so that you see those many different facets and crevices of the inner workings of where she's from. Maybe that's why he has me in that damn slip, because you have to be fully exposed to tell the ******* truth.

MIRANDA: It's an astonishing performance, Nicole. How are you feeling having this dazzling triumph? Now, you have other gigs, like being a world-famous pop star. You go be Hannah Montana for a while and then you come back to this. What does it feel like?

SCHERZINGER: It's crazy because you're right, I do wear many other hats. But everything in life is all about connection and being of service. And so sometimes, you're like, "How can I best connect in this medium?" I haven't thought about it at all, Lin, because I'm not trying to hype myself up. By the grace of god, it was well received on the West End. My brain is a bit neurotic. It spirals like Norma's. I call myself the real-life modern Norma Desmond and nothing is ever good enough. Poor Jamie always has to hear me say, "It can be better." He's like, "It's good where it's at." I'm like, "We can make stronger choices." I have to go fly and be a pop star and do a couple shows before I start rehearsals. But once I start, it's like in Avatar, I'm going to be plugged in, and then Norma will get all of me. But I'm scared because this is my Broadway debut, Lin. I'm 87 years old and I've never done Broadway. I can't believe it.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Full interview: "I Carry Myself Differently in Heels": Nicole Scherzinger, by Lin-Manuel Miranda (interviewmagazine.com)

 

 

 

[IBeMe]

Some would call it an electric chair performance

[popmusicisdead]

i came for future 2 time Oscar winner Nicole Kidman

 

Edited October 18 by popmusicisdead

[tost1]

Who else but our generation's underrated vocalist

[Save-Me-Oprah]

The dramatics over not being able to wear heels or jewelry when she's supposed to be portraying someone sleepwalking

[Odette Violet]

Legend. Nicole finally getting her flowers when hellweird has been so nasty towards her 

[UnderratedVocalist]

3 minutes ago, popmusicisdead said:

i came for future 2 time Oscar winner Nicole Kidman

 

And you can stay for Olivier award winner and future Tony award winner Nicole Scherzinger

 

 

1 minute ago, Save-Me-Oprah said:

The dramatics over not being able to wear heels or jewelry when she's supposed to be portraying someone sleepwalking

Norma is not sleepwalking It was a metaphor.

She just gave some examples of how incredibly raw and vulnerable Jaime has Nicole be. You need to watch the show in order to understand what I'm saying.

[UnderratedVocalist]

Just now, Odette Violet said:

Legend. Nicole finally getting her flowers when hellweird has been so nasty towards her 

I hope she stays permanently away from Hollywood. I hope she stays in New York and becomes the certified LEGEND of Broadway that she was always destined to be.

Although I do want this to be recording (which is rumored to be) and released either theatrically or as a TV special. I want her to collect ALL the awards possible. But she should definitely stay far away from L.A/Hollywood.

[Odette Violet]

8 minutes ago, UnderratedVocalist said:

I hope she stays permanently away from Hollywood. I hope she stays in New York and becomes the certified LEGEND of Broadway that she was always destined to be.

Although I do want this to be recording (which is rumored to be) and released either theatrically or as a TV special. I want her to collect ALL the awards possible. But she should definitely stay far away from L.A/Hollywood.

Has there been any prominent Asian performers in Broadway after Lea Salonga? I've heard Broadway has history of being racist / discriminatory towards non whites 

 

Nonetheless Nicole deserves this, she finds her calling 

[UnderratedVocalist]

27 minutes ago, Odette Violet said:

Has there been any prominent Asian performers in Broadway after Lea Salonga? I've heard Broadway has history of being racist / discriminatory towards non whites 

 

Nonetheless Nicole deserves this, she finds her calling 

I think Daniel Dae Kim is also currently on Broadway, but I don't think here's been another Asian performer to reach Lea Salonga's status - or anything close to that. But I think that's about to change with Nicole.

[fridayteenage]

1 hour ago, Odette Violet said:

Has there been any prominent Asian performers in Broadway after Lea Salonga? I've heard Broadway has history of being racist / discriminatory towards non whites 

 

Nonetheless Nicole deserves this, she finds her calling 

It's a lot less racist than Hollywood

Audra has like five tonys

[Inverted]

On 10/18/2024 at 12:25 PM, Odette Violet said:

Has there been any prominent Asian performers in Broadway after Lea Salonga? I've heard Broadway has history of being racist / discriminatory towards non whites 

 

Nonetheless Nicole deserves this, she finds her calling 

 

On 10/18/2024 at 12:54 PM, UnderratedVocalist said:

I think Daniel Dae Kim is also currently on Broadway, but I don't think here's been another Asian performer to reach Lea Salonga's status - or anything close to that. But I think that's about to change with Nicole.

They are quite a few Asian origin actors on Broadway, but they definitely don't have Lea's status and most aren't in lead roles. Ashley Park (Korean) of Mean Girls is probably the most well-known newer actors. Most of the leads in Aladdin (playing Aladdin and Jasmine) are usually Asian also. The latest ones are Filipino, Indian or Chinese.