Nicole Scherzinger’s Tony Win Was a Beautiful Moment — and Absolutely Deserved

That message was a direct reference to the skepticism Scherzinger faced at the start. When it was first announced in 2023 that Scherzinger would be starring as faded screen star Norma Desmond in a revival of “Sunset Boulevard,” it was not a sure thing that her journey was going to end onstage in one of the most competitive Tony Awards races in history. The role had previously received rave reviews and accolades for the likes of Gloria Swanson, Glenn Close and Patti LuPone. Many were skeptical about the former Pussycat Doll, whose biggest film credit to that point was as playing the leather-clad girlfriend to an alien in “Men In Black 3,” following in such impressive shoes. So perhaps it’s fitting that she did it barefoot, in a stripped-down production that found her onstage in only a black slip dress without the painted makeup and turban generally associated with the character. 

By now, most people are aware that Scherzinger’s performance is a triumph, that Jamie Lloyd’s production reimagined and reinvigorated the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and that the unconventional casting paid off. Scherzinger not only took home the Tony Award for best lead actress in a musical, but she did her competition was staggering, even by Broadway standards. Consider this: the star-making performance by Helen J. Shen, the lead actress in best musical winner “Maybe Happy Ending,” failed to make the cut. While most of the buzz seemed to position this as a battle between Scherzinger and six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald for her stunning turn in “Gypsy,” the entire lineup was an embarrassment of riches. All the nominees — Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard in “Death Becomes Her” and Jasmine Amy Rogers in “BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical” — were worthy. 

But Scherzinger’s work didn’t just surpass expectations – it was nothing short of miraculous. Forgive me if I’m prone to hyperbole, but we are talking about the theater here, a place of big swings and bigger emotions. And there aren’t enough words in a thesaurus to define how breathtaking she is, more than earning her place as one of our great Normas.

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Yes, she’s beautiful, but it was never about that for Norma, a character obsessed with youth and days of glory. While some complained Scherzinger was too young for the role, she is now only 4 years younger than Swanson was when she played the part onscreen. What matters is how Scherzinger embodies the emotional breakdown of a woman whose entire worth was based on her youth and beauty, accepting that time has passed. 

The level of difficulty in playing Norma is deceptively difficult and a constant balancing act. Scherzinger is perfectly believable as a silent film star with her wide eyes and broad expressions. She walks the fine line between camp and tragedy with her overpronounced dialogue, the way she elongates her words for dramatic effect, often seeming to add syllables where they don’t belong. And it’s a performance that has to be modulated from show to show, responding to how the audience reacts on any given night. 

And that voice. It can be easy to dismiss her as a pop singer from a girl group while leaving out the fact that Scherzinger has always had a powerhouse voice and that the Pussycat Dolls were a worldwide phenomenon (and one of the best-selling girl groups of all time) for a reason. 

And let’s be honest: “Sunset Boulevard” was never considered a great musical. The original 1994 Broadway version earned praise for the performances and spectacle, but the sentiment expressed in the Variety review was not uncommon: “Lloyd Webber embellishes ‘Sunset’ without improving it, steamrolling the Billy Wilder satire with a lowbrow sensibility that owes more to burlesque than to film noir.” In theater lore, “Sunset Boulevard” was often better known for its off-screen drama — one legal battle included LuPone suing the production when she was cut from the Broadway run, and headlines highlighted the epic running costs — than its songs or staging. 

An Oscar-winning screenwriter once told his secret to a great adaptation was to “never take on a great book – look for a mediocre one.” Knowing you weren’t competing with the memory of a beloved property took the pressure off. “Sunset Boulevard” is tricky as the Billy Wilder film is a classic, so the musical adaptation was already starting at a bit of a disadvantage. At the same time, the response to that show set up Lloyd’s vision to rewrite the rules. Gone was the spectacle – Norma Desmond’s decaying mansion, the dazzling costumes. Instead, Lloyd employed a bare stage and an ensemble of actors dressed all in black. Okay, he upped the ante with some impressive staging (setting the title number backstage and in the streets of Broadway before ending on the stage) and camera work. But this was in many ways a bare-bones show about a world of excess and artifice. 

And it gave the cast, particularly Scherzinger, a chance to shine. Her Norma isn’t just the tragic fallen figure I saw her as in my youth. She is funny, she is clever, she is monstrous, she is pathetic — in short, she is all too human. And her portrayer had to defy all expectations to get here. 

In her speech, Scherzinger thanked those who made “this little Hawaiian-Ukrainian-Filipino girl’s dream come true.” She and I share a similar heritage, and I thought a lot about what it would have meant to me if I had seen someone like her triumphing in an iconic role like this when I was young. “I always felt like I didn’t belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong, and I have come home at last,” she said through tears. “So if there is anyone who feels like they don’t belong or your time hasn’t come, don’t give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and light more than ever.”

As it turns out, it’s a message that still resonates as an adult.