Video: Hanging with Nicole Scherzinger & the Company of SUNSET BOULEVARD

I've been waiting for this, so I'm ready to give. I'm ready

Honey, I am ready from my close-up. Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Olivier Award-winning director Jamie Lloyd's stunning, reimagining of Andrew Lloyd-Weber's Sunset Boulevard is coming to Broadway from the West End

It begins previews on September 28th of the St. James Theater, and I caught up with some of the cast, including the show's leads

Olivier Award winners Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis high atop the Star Child Rooftop at the Civilian Hotel

I'll be there. So, Jamie, what was it about Angel Lloyd Weber's Sunset Boulevard

that you said, I want to do this? You know what was so weird is that we did a production of Evita

at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre in Lever. London, I think in 2019

And it was one of the best summers of my life. We had the most amazing experience. And it was so hard

It was like it was such a challenge. You know, because the thing about Andrew's work is that it's like his, the shows themselves

are so intrinsically connected with those original productions. You take something like the iconic Hal Prince production of Evita

I mean, it doesn't get better than that. You can't compete with that. So you've got to find a new way to tell the story

You've got to find a new way to chart the psychological and emotional journey. a new way, right? And find a new, a new visual language. And that's part of the sport of it

That's part of the kind of like, that's kind of the kind of like, that's kind of the, what gives you kind of the energy underneath it. So I just was just like so addicted to doing that

that I was like, I've got to do it again. And I was like, this is so fun. Like, we know that

we can reinvent Shakespeare. We know we can reinvent Chekhov. Why don't we reinvent Angeloid Weber Let give it a go So I was like let I was looking at his other pieces I was looking at his other shows I was listening to the material And this sounds so kind of wild and kind of pretentious but it true I had a dream about sunset boulevard

I guess it was like a kind of fever dream. And I was like, I could kind of get a sense of the

production. I knew what I wanted to do. I knew what the approach would be. I woke up in the

morning and I was like, we've got to do Sunset Boulevard. And the next thought was Nicole

shirt singer from the cat dolls. needs to play Norma Desmond. And it was like, I was like, what am I thinking

How is this like, what an unexpected idea? And it turned out to be the best idea that I've ever had

because she is just phenomenal and has become a great friend. So to be here in this city and to share that this production

and her performance with Broadway audiences is just such a thrill. Gosh, I feel like this score

I feel Andrew's music. Christopher and Don's lyrics, I feel like they were written for me

I feel like Norma's soundtrack is my personal soundtrack. It's so cinematic

It's so grand. It's a masterpiece. And I get to tell that story

The way that only I can tell it. Who am I? How blessed am I

And Jamie brought all four of you here together to make your Broadway debuts and to take this journey

together because you have each other's backs, right? It's been a wonderful, the foursome. It's something very sacred

with what we've created. Extremely sacred. It causes, you need a lot of trust

because we're not relying on any sets, any props, any smoke and mirrors

It's just literally our connection on stage and our connection with the audience

And he didn't want to mess with that chemistry. He a very smart man Jamie very open You know that the one thing he always tells us be open That the first day of rehearsals he told us to be open

He's really special, Jamie. He's very intuitive. He almost like feels your heart

I got to really share with him a lot of personal stories and my own journey

and how I connected with Norman personally. And because of that, he got to see the story through Norma's eyes

my interpretation as opposed to maybe how it was interpreted from other people's depiction or does that make sense or perspective

And because of that, he was open. He just, it's such a blessing to work with someone who really trusts you and creates a safe environment to allow you to bring the best of you to that

and I think the best thing about working with Jamie is you feel so safe working with him that you're free as an actor

And I think that's the ultimate goal for all actors is to be on that stage, to trust that you've done the work

to trust that it's in every cell of you, that you can be completely free

and then the theater doesn't become live, it becomes alive in the moment

Oh, my God. I can't remember if it's happening. The whole entire summer

I was just kind of thinking about the fact that I'm not going to believe it's happening until it actually happens

But it is starting to feel more real. Like, we're rehearsing a show

We're like going into tech and things are happening. But yeah, honestly, yeah, what is my life right now

What have you enjoyed the most about working on Jamie's beautiful production of Sunset

I just, I love the fact that it there nothing to hide behind There nothing to hide behind You just have to go out and just do your thing and be yourself and have fun with people on stage And it incredibly freeing every night I mean the four of us we get on like a house on fire

It's been so fun showing the stage and then. They're all equally brilliant in so many different ways

And the really, really lovely thing is you just feel so safe on stage

I could just feel held. If I ever mucked up or, you know, it's live theatre

yeah, if you ever sort of, or you get into your head or anything, everyone rallies around and everyone's there for each other

It's seriously as a beautiful company. Tell me what you've enjoyed the most about working on Jamie's production of Sunset Boulevard

and what you love about the musical. So the musical, I've been a massive fan of the show for a long time

When I was a kid, I was a huge musical theater geek before I got into Radiohead and things like that

And we saw, I came here to New York with my mom and dad in 1996

and the blizzard of 96 happened and the airport shot and we couldn't go home

we had to stay an extra six days or something like that and which meant I got to see all these shows

and one of the shows I saw was Sunset Boulevard with Betty Buckley and George Hearn

my God George Huron, my baritone hero so I've loved the show from a young age

and so when my ancient email me said look this audition's happening

it's an undisclosed Jamie Lloyd musical and he went but I'm telling you at Sunset Boulevard

with Nicole Shezinger as Norman Esman and I thought okay, that's just, I'm instantly interested

because I worked with Jamie before and I'm instantly interested in what his ideas are

and what he's thinking. You know, this is an American musical, it's about Hollywood

you're bringing it back to Broadway. I mean, what does that all mean to you? A lot, I feel a lot of pressure, I think

I want to do this story justice, and I think, I know we will

You know, I can't believe that Little Old Me is here going to make a Broadway debut

It's just incredible. I really am living the dream for sure. You all are together

I know. It's the best thing ever. It really is