by Elisa Lichtenbaum
Nicole Scherzinger is ready for her close-up! As part of our ninth annual “Broadway’s Best” line-up, Great Performances presents An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger, now streaming on pbs.org/gperf, the PBS app, and the Great Performances YouTube channel.
The special marks the 2025 Tony winner’s concert debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Accompanied by a full orchestra, Scherzinger sings “With One Look” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard and pop hits from her career as lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.
Before you enjoy An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger, here are some of her memorable musical theater performances.
1) Sunset Boulevard (2024)
Scherzinger won a 2025 Tony Award for her triumphant portrayal of faded silent film star Norma Desmond in Jamie Lloyd’s reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, following her Olivier Award-winning performance in London’s West End in 2023. “Scherzinger’s roof-raising vocal power, especially on the musical’s signature songs, ‘With One Look’ and ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye,’ is astonishing, literally stopping the show with her soaring money notes and dramatic key changes,” The Hollywood Reporter declared in its review of her Broadway debut.
The Broadway newbie also earned rave reviews from Patti LuPone, who originated the role of Norma Desmond in London in 1993, and Glenn Close, Tony-winning star of the original 1995 Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard and the 2017 revival.
“Nicole was unbelievable. She broke my heart. She is a force,” LuPone said in a voice message to NY1 On Stage host Frank DiLella.
Close shared her glowing review on Instagram, calling Scherzinger’s performance “an act of raw artistry and astounding bravery.”
Glenn Close and Nicole Scherzinger are all smiles following a performance of Sunset Boulevard in April 2025. (Courtesy of Glenn Close/Instagram)
2) Rent (2010)
Neil Patrick Harris directed the three electrifying sold-out performances of Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent at the historic, 17,000-seat Hollywood Bowl in 2010. The starry cast included Skylar Astin, Wayne Brady, Vanessa Hudgens, Telly Leung, Tracie Thoms, Aaron Tveit, David Burtka – and Scherzinger as Maureen, the role made famous by Idina Menzel in the original 1996 production. Entertainment Weekly praised Scherzinger’s “slinky and hilarious” performance, while BroadwayWorld reported that the Pussycat Doll “induced the loudest cheers of the night…effectively stealing the show from her more theatrically-experienced peers.”
3) The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Performance (2011)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his blockbuster musical The Phantom of the Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber staged a unique performance of the show’s title number at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance in Manchester, England. As Christine, the musical’s heroine, Scherzinger was serenaded by four celebrated Phantoms: Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter, Ramin Karimloo, and John Owen-Jones. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne and her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence were guests of honor at the gala benefit, which also featured performances by Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, and Il Divo, along with highlights from the West End musical Singin’ in the Rain.
Following their Royal Variety performance, Ramin Karimloo — who has portrayed the Phantom innumerable times throughout his career, including a lavish 25th Anniversary edition at London’s Royal Albert Hall with Sierra Boggess that aired on Great Performances in 2012 – gifted Scherzinger with one of the many Phantom masks stored in his attic. “She did such an extraordinary job,” he explained in a 2020 article in The Guardian. “I said: ‘All right, you get a mask!’”
WATCH: Nicole Scherzinger and a quartet of Phantoms (Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter, Ramin Karimloo, and John Owen-Jones) sing “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Royal Variety Performance in 2011.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=406684033281319
4) The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th Anniversary Tribute (2010)
On October 28, 2010, Scherzinger shared the spotlight with a galaxy of stars in a 35th Anniversary tribute performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Directed by Kenny Ortega, choreographer of the iconic 80s movies Dirty Dancing and Xanadu, the one-night-only event was a benefit for The Painted Turtle camp for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
The evening included a showing of the 1975 cult classic film, with a shadow cast pantomining on stage and celebrities performing the iconic musical numbers. Ricki Lake, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, George Lopez, and Melora Hardin were among the bold-faced names in the cast. Julian McMahon was Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and Lea Michele (Funny Girl, Chess) and Matthew Morrison (Just in Time) portrayed sweethearts Janet and Brad. (Entertainment Weekly reported that the superstars’ amorous smooch freaked out some audience members who remembered them as student and teacher on Glee.)
Scherzinger delivered two showstopping numbers. She exuded B-movie charm as usherette Trixie singing “Science Fiction Double Feature,” and stepped in for Lea Michele to perform Janet’s provocative “Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me” boudoir number.
5) Annie Live! (2021)
In December 2021, two months after Broadway reopened following an 18-month Covid shutdown, NBC presented Annie Live! Directed by Tony winner Lear deBessonet (2026 Best Musical Revival, Ragtime) and Alex Rudzinski, the live broadcast featured newcomer Celina Smith as the musical’s plucky title character; Harry Connick, Jr. as Daddy Warbucks; Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan; Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis; and Tituss Burgess as Rooster. Audiences and critics alike agreed the uplifting musical – continuing NBC’s tradition of family-friendly holiday fare such as The Sound of Music Live! (2013) and The Wiz Live! (2015) – was just what the doctor ordered to clear away the cobwebs and the sorrow of the pandemic.
Scherzinger portrayed Warbucks’s secretary Grace Farrell, who takes the unsinkable orphan Annie under her wing. BroadwayWorld wrote that Scherzinger’s performance “cemented her status as a true triple-threat.” But it was “We Got Annie” – an exhilarating, showstopping jazz dance number lovingly choreographed by Sergio Trujillo as a tribute to Ann Reinking – that earned Scherzinger Broadway brownie points.
“Scherzinger had one of the evening’s highlights with the dance number ‘We Got Annie,’ a song that originated in the 1982 movie as a showcase for that production’s Grace, Ann Reinking, who died last December. Scherzinger’s version was likely a homage — and a sweet one,” The Times wrote in its review.
The ambitious, three-and-a-half-minute dance number — filmed with eight cameras according to this Los Angeles Times article — had Scherzinger sliding on furniture, doing somersaults, and singing while upside-down, among other impressive feats. It was a personal Mount Everest for the self-professed theater nerd and 2010 Dancing With the Stars champion.
“Growing up, Ann Reinking was one of my inspirations, and she’s the only other person who’s ever done ‘We Got Annie,’” Scherzinger told Variety during a dress rehearsal for Annie Live! “I want to do her proud and pay homage to her in the right way. I want to rise to the occasion.”
Listen to Nicole Scherzinger and company sing “We Got Annie” on the Sony Masterworks Annie Live! Original Soundtrack here.
WATCH: Nicole Scherzinger speaks with Broadway.com’s Paul Wontorek about rehearsing Annie Live!, being inspired by former “Grace Farrells” Ann Reinking and Audra McDonald, and more.
Watch Great Performances: An Evening With Nicole Scherzinger.
Great Performances “Broadway’s Best” line-up is part of Broadway and Beyond (thirteen.org/broadway), a special collection of must-see theater and performing arts programs from The WNET Group premiering in May and June for our broadcast, streaming, and YouTube audiences.
Elisa Lichtenbaum | @elisavontap
Elisa Lichtenbaum is a Senior Writer at The WNET Group, where she is editor of the monthly THIRTEEN program guide and writes about arts and culture.
