Nicole Scherzinger was at BBC Radio 2 on Friday, September 8, promoting “Sunset Boulevard”. The reimagined version of the renowned musical premieres in just 2 weeks in London’s West End. Check the transcribed interview below or listen to the audio here.

Zoe, interviewer: How did you feel when you got this role?
Nicole Scherzinger: “Well, Jamie is a friend of mine. And he actually just called me up and asked me to meet, ironically, at the Savoy. Years ago. Said he wanted to work with me and that he had this idea for a show. And, a lot of people don’t realize I love musical theater. I grew up doing musical theater. And there’s so many roles that I’ve dreamed of playing. And this was not one of them, Zoe. I was like, excuse me? [She laughs] And he said, ‘just look at the script and listen to the music’. And I just fell in love with her [Norma]. And I’m in love with her. And, it’s an honor. It’s truly an honor to be working with Jamie Lloyd and to be working again with Andrew. I mean, this is a master, one of his greatest masterpieces, I think. Musically, and the lyrics, I feel like they’re my songs. I could have written them and it’s a completely different interpretation. It’s not what anyone’s going to expect. We’re re-imagining the entire show. And I feel, for the first time, Norma Desmond is finally going to share her story.
Because it is an incredible story, you know. She [Norma] was such a star on the huge screen. And this happened to so many actors and actresses from that time. They were everywhere. They were the biggest stars in the world. And then everything changed and talkies came in and, you know, and so for many of these stars… it was quite tragic what happened to them, that they were sort of discarded and… It was quite tragic and it is still quite tragic. I don’t think the industry has changed much. It’s quite parallel to today in the industry, you know, I think especially for women and ageism and everything. It’s difficult to stay on top, you know. And so, a lot of similarities. I mean, I think when you watch the show now, it’s very modern. It’s almost as if it’s set in modern day. And I think a lot of people will be able to relate.
You know that this is going to bring a whole new vision. We messed some stuff up.”

About pairing with Tom Francis:
Nicole Scherzinger: “Oh my God, my Tom Francis. He is a star. God, I don’t, he’s so young. He just has that heart, he has that intuition. Um, he’s brilliant. He’s absolutely brilliant. I adore him. Such a giving actor, beautiful singer and musician. And I’m so happy. He is the one I am sharing that stage with, and along with 30 other cast members that are amazing.”

About the set:
Nicole Scherzinger: “It’s not what you expect. I heard someone was like, oh my God, the set got a standing ovation alone on Broadway. And I was like, that’s not our set. As Jamie Lloyd would say, is in your mind, it’s inside. So it’s very minimal, very stripped back. But we’re adding some new things. Jamie’s adding some new elements that I personally, my love for theatre, I’ve never seen. I mean, we are adding cameras as well. We are combining the world of theatre and cinema. Together, look together. That’s how his mind works.”

About the songs:
“You know, I didn’t know this song actually and I had to learn in it. I’m still learning the notes “As if we never said goodbye”. It’s such a very honest song. One thing you’re going to get from this performance is completely honest. Everything’s stripped back. It’s so minimal. No smoke and mirrors. Everything is fully exposed. You are fully exposed. So it’s like it’s as raw as it gets.”

About the costumes:
“I don’t have all my costumes. Just one. It’s very simple. It’s quite simple. It’s amazing because the audience becomes psychologically a part of it. They become emotionally invested. They are a part of everything. It’s like reading a read a book, you know? So your imagination goes wild.”

Watch “Sunset Boulevard” on Savoy from September 2023. Limited 16 weeks run. Tickets available now.