Nicole Scherzinger is ready for her Tonys closeup.

Scherzinger scored her first Tony nomination last week for playing Norma Desmond, a former film star who enlists Joe Gillis (played by Tom Francis) to help with her planned comeback, in director Jamie Lloyd’s reinvention of the musical and film Sunset Boulevard, with Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s music.

The show, titled Sunset Blvd. in this iteration, is also her Broadway debut, and she’s nominated alongside 11-time Tony nominee Audra McDonald (Gypsy), Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her), Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP! The Musical) and Jennifer Simard (Death Becomes Her). Scherzinger tells The Hollywood Reporter she feels like she is “with the greats.”

However, for Scherzinger, who rose to fame as the lead singer of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls, this moment has been a journey of more than 30 years “home” to the Broadway stage. And despite being proud of the “many careers” she’s had, she says, “this is the one thing that I’ve never been more proud of in my life.”

Beyond the rave reviews she’s received for her performance, Patti LuPone and Glenn Close, who previously played Norma, have both supported Scherzinger with “Dame” Close, as Scherzinger calls her, even coming backstage after a performance where they “bonded” over their deep love and understanding for the character.

Below, in THR‘s conversation with the star, she opens up about how this role is helping her to live in her “purpose,” how her “pop star mentality” helped her with the show’s recent technical difficulty, what’s next for her and what winning a Tony would mean.

What was your reaction when you found out you were nominated for your first Tony?

I was overjoyed. My heart was full. I was just grateful to be recognized in this way; in this particular season, I feel like I am with the greats. I know that I’m in a category with true masters. There’s many performances that are well deserving of Tony nominations or even Tonys. It’s just such a difficult season because there are so many brilliantly talented people this season. So, to be alongside these names and be in this season, I’m very grateful.

I also wanted to share that being a woman of Hawaiian, Ukrainian and Filipino descent, I’m very proud, because I can represent my family, my people and my heritage. I’m so proud to be a representation of that for people of brown skin.

What about this role appealed to you, and why did you want to make your Broadway debut with this show? 

I was actually shooting a music video for The Pussycat Dolls called “When I Grow Up” and you see me look across the street, and we’re shooting this video on Hollywood Boulevard, and across the street is the Pantages Theatre and Wicked was playing, and I said, “I always thought I’d be on that side of the stage, but that’s OK, one day, I’ll make it home.” And it’s just I always knew, because I’m a musical theater girl at heart, I was so fortunate to go to a wonderful youth performing arts school growing up where I got educated and got to find my own tribe and my own fellow thespians, art lovers and creatives and connect with them. I always knew that I would come back home because I loved the theater. But to to make my Broadway debut and to work with my dear friend Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard musical, but doing Jamie Lloyd’s reinvention of it, I couldn’t imagine — this is bigger than what I dreamed of and what I prayed for. It’s bigger than that and what I worked for and asked for.

When my director asked me to read the script and without looking at any other performances, or watching the film, I really connected on many levels with Norma. Then, when I listened to the music, I really fell madly in love with her, with lyrics like “we gave the world new ways to dream.” She’s so complex. I felt like these songs, these lyrics that Christopher Hampton and Don Black wrote, were lyrics that I had written myself. You know, “I’ll be back. Where I was born to be,” “This world waited long enough. I’ve come home at last,” and “When I speak it’s with my soul.” So, it just was a no-brainer when I took in the material, and at the same part, I did have some reservations, because I had seen the film, and I thought, “Oh, my God, are people going to judge me? Like some old, faded film star and I’m like some has-been,” and I had some reservations about that, and I was scared. But the more that I spoke with Jamie — we brainstormed a lot — I just had this reassurance, and I just had this trust and belief in him that our synergies and the timing of us coming together would be explosive, our collaboration would be otherworldly together. That’s the energy that I got from him. And I guess what I’m trying to say is because I was afraid, because it was something so outside of the box and took me outside of my comfort zone, it was so different and unexpected, that it was all the more reason for me to take on this role.

You have already achieved so much success as a part of one of the most popular girl groups, and now you’re nominated as the lead for an Andrew Lloyd Webber show. Where does this stand in your mind? 

I feel so very blessed for the many careers that I’ve had. (Laughs.) I feel like this is not only a reinvention but a rebirth for me. And I will have to say, I’ve been very blessed, I’ve worked very hard, and I’ve had a lot of beautiful things happen to me in my career, but this is the one thing that I’ve never been more proud of in my life. This is the one thing that has truly changed my life. And I feel like we’re always becoming and we’re always evolving, but this really showed me what I’m 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.

Glenn 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?

Patti has been so kind. She publicly spoke about how she really was invigorated by this new concept of Sunset Boulevard. She, in particular, said that I was audacious and a force and I broke her heart. And it’s so funny, because one of Norma’s lyrics, the first line to With One Look is “with one look, I can break your heart.” So I mean, that’s 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’ve connected with your storytelling and they see the truth within you is, I think, the ultimate recognition.

And then with Glenn, you know Patti didn’t 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, “This is arguably one of the greatest roles ever written for a woman.” It doesn’t 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’s exactly where I’m supposed to be, right? I’m truly living in my purpose.

Also, shortly after your debut, Andrew Lloyd Webber said it was, “the best performance of anything I ever had.” What’s it like to receive not only his stamp of approval but also for him to give you such high praise?

Andrew has supported me for many years. It’s been almost 15-to-20 years now, and so I’ve always wanted to make him proud, because he’s been such a believer in me and so to hear those words, it’s still — it makes me speechless because I just want to make him proud. And if I’m doing that, then I’m where I’m supposed to be. It’s just always a privilege to work with him. He’s such a giving maestro and composer, and I’m so happy for him, because we get to breathe new life into this masterpiece of Sunset Boulevard for new generations and in a modern way. And he deserves that because when you listen to the music every night, it’s so cinematic and it just soars. I’m 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.

Do you see this as the beginning of a long Broadway career? A lot of people’s reactions to seeing this show have been them wanting to see more of you. Are there any more shows that you’d love to be the lead in?

I mean growing up as a musical theater brat I definitely had dream roles in mind, and what people don’t realize is, that I realize now, it’s 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] at the Hollywood Bowl and then sing Evita and Phantom of the Opera 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.

Truth be told, I was wanting to audition for some filmed musicals and some film, TV shows, some musical TV shows, and I wasn’t able to audition because they didn’t 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. Will you let me audition for this? Now it’s come full circle, and I’m able to play one of the greatest roles ever written. At the very end of my show, I say, “This is my life. It always will be. There is nothing else.” And my heart is truly exposed at that moment. When I sing “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” 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’ll be able to bring even more to Broadway and continue to be a part of this beautiful community that I’ve always dreamed of being part of.

Have you received any offers for what’s next?

No, I haven’t. There’s 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’s just I have to be in the moment now more than ever. This is a limited run. It’s nine-and-a-half weeks. I have to make sure I’ve 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.

You were instrumental in bringing this show back to Broadway. Has there been any talk about you starring in a potential film adaptation?

There has been some talk. That is my dream, so I’m manifesting that right now.

What would this Tony mean to you?

Oh 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.

But 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’m living in my highest calling of what I’m supposed to do. That is the most fulfilling dream, I think, for anybody — 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’s the ultimate award.

The show had a technical difficulty recently, and you sang with a bullhorn. What went through your mind then and led you to want to do that?

Truth be told, that’s 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’t let them go home empty-handed. So someone yelled out, “Sing!” 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’t know that the show was going to be canceled up until we had to cancel it because they’d been waiting for 40 minutes. So we didn’t 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 “With One Look.” It’s 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’t want to just go out there and have them say, like, “I kind of hear her.” I wanted so deeply to be able to give everybody the experience. So I said to Johnny, our stage manager, “give me the bullhorn.” And I was like, I don’t know if it’s 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’re singing such a serious song in the theater with a megaphone, like, are you crazy Nicole? (Laughs.) 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’re listening. I think this is working. And then, honestly, by the end, when I was singing the song, I was like, this thing’s got great reverb! (Laughs.) 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’ve ever seen: me singing with a megaphone.

Lastly, what are you gonna miss most about playing Norma when the show is over?

Fortunately, I played Norma for four months in the West End, worked on her for two months before that, so then that’s six months. I’ve been working on her, with her, in her, for over two years now. But I think what I’m going to miss is — I’m going to miss my cast, my company, this experience. I’m 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’ll take her everywhere. She lives within me.

Sunset Blvd. is playing at the St. James Theatre through July 13.