Rosie O’Donnell just had a great night out on Broadway. Taking to social media, she raved about the brilliant Broadway debut performance of singer Nicole Scherzinger in the stripped-back revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, calling it so “riveting” that it moved her to tears.
The Masked Singer alum takes on the role of the immortal Norma Desmond in the Jamie Lloyd-directed musical. Originally a critically-acclaimed film noir from director Billy Wilder in 1950, Webber adapted it for the stage in 1993 with Glenn Close performing the lead on Broadway. Lloyd’s adaptation is stripped down compared to Webber’s — the lack of pomp and pageantry on the costumes and stage design was evident, in keeping with his expressionist and modern minimalist directing style.
A captivating performance as Norma Desmond
O’Donnell was enamored and rained praise on the former Pussycat Dolls lead in a lengthy video she posted on her TikTok, which was reshared by a Scherzinger fan on X.
The 62-year-old said it was “the best performance” she’s seen on the Broadway stage in “the last 15 years,” adding that she was left captivated by what she believes is a Tony-award-winning performance by the singer that she was left speechless when they met. She called her “lovely” and noted that while she barely knows the pop star, she “started to cry like an idiot” when they met backstage.
“Imagine having that much talent and never getting a chance to have a venue like this until this time in her life. Now, she is gorgeous, she has a most amazing voice, she moves beautifully, she can act, she was riveting, absolutely riveting.”
In the clip, she also encouraged others to get their tickets and experience the musical for themselves. She likewise praised Lloyd, the choreographer, the cinematography, musical score, and all those involved in what she called a “historic Broadway” performance.
Meanwhile, others on X chimed in with their compliments for Scherzinger. One wrote: “Agreed. Pussycat Dolls aside, we shouldn’t have had to wait this long for Nicole. She is super, super, off-the-chart talented. Hopefully now the world will listen and watch and offer her many more opportunities in the future. Respect to her for believing in herself.”
Another thanked O’Donnell for the review: “I was vacillating between Sunset and Cabaret, and was going to wait to see what the Times said on the 20th. But this was all the review I needed to buy Sunset Blvd. tickets!”
Going “full Scherzy” on Sunset Boulevard
Scherzinger previously opened up about wanting to go back to theater and was given the opportunity by Lloyd, who straight-out told her during a meeting in London that she would make the perfect Norma Desmond in his Sunset Boulevard revival.
“So I read the script, listened to the music and there was no looking back. Jamie was bold enough to see me in this daring, iconic role,” she told The Guardian, adding that she “never dreamed” she would be playing such an iconic character, but that in a “bats**t crazy way it makes complete sense.”
Scherzinger gave her all in the musical and worked her butt off to the point of having physical injuries. She has bruises on her body from Norma’s dancing and quipped, “I’m bringing Scherzinger to the table. We’re going full Scherzy on this.” Broadway previews for Sunset Boulevard at St. James Theatre in New York kicked off on Sept. 28 and will continue until an opening night on Oct. 20.
Published: Oct 16, 2024 05:10 am