Last December, insiders of the critically acclaimed West End production of the Jamie Lloyd-directed "Sunset Boulevard" revival said that it would be crossing the pond this year.
Now, it has been confirmed that the hit show is indeed coming to New York City and that Nicole Scherzinger is reprising her role as "Norma Desmond," consequently making her Broadway debut through the musical.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 14: Nicole Scherzinger attends the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Nicole Scherzinger's Performance in the Successful Revival
Last Thursday, Jan. 4, Lloyd and his theater company announced the revival's transfer on their Instagram account with dates and theater location yet to be confirmed.
The jaw-dropping run that gave a new life to Andrew Lloyd Webber's original 1993 musical is also set to hold its final show in London this Saturday, Jan. 6.
Scherzinger, known for being an "X-Factor" judge and the former Pussycat Dolls lead vocalist, has proven she is capable of taking over the famed role of "Norma" from the likes of Glenn Close, Betty Buckley, and Patti Lupone as she won the 2023 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance.
The actress's chilling portrayal has also earned her roses from a handful of critics, with the New York Times praising her "career-defining performance" as echoed by the Washington Post describing her as "the perfect Norma Desmond."
This performance benefits heavily from Lloyd's laid-back approach which has also received an accolade from the ES Awards that granted him the Best Director award. The show itself has also won nine nominations during the WhatsOnStage Awards ceremony.
What to Expect in the Upcoming Broadway Run of 'Sunset Boulevard'
Joining Scherzinger in the eventual transfer to New York are fellow cast members from the London production, including Tom Francis who played "Joe Gillis", Grace Hodgett-Young who played "Betty Schaefer", and Olivier Award-winner David Thaxton who starred as "Max Von Mayerling".
Would-be theatergoers should expect the same "stripped" aesthetic for the upcoming Broadway run of "Sunset Boulevard" as it had done in its previous iteration, shedding away the baroque visuals that Billy Wilder's 1950 film adaptation had popularized.
Instead, Lloyd's version is much more "sleek-looking" as actors are adorned in silky modern clothing with the stage mirroring the overall "bareness" of the production contrasted by the striking and "bloody" finale.
In terms of the performance of its lead, critic Nick Curtis from the Evening Standard said that Scherzinger "brings not only an operatically powerful voice but shrewd comedy, harrowing pathos, and a dancer's physical precision" in her portrayal of "Norma."
Variety's David Benedict similarly praised the headlining actress' acting and its congruity with the captivating technical ingenuity in the show's staging, which included the utilization of cameras, projections, and a large screen.
"Scherzinger plays both to the audience and the camera with elaborate knowingness. She's at least as arch as the character, but since Lloyd rarely lets her relax it's hard to empathize," said the critic.
