Is Nicole Scherzinger the Tony Awards’ Leading Lady?
(Photo: Marc Brenner)
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
The reviews are out, and, as expected, everyone is raving about the Sunset Boulevard revival at the St. James Theatre. In nearly every review, critics say that Nicole Scherzinger’s performance as Norma Desmond is a revelation. Such remarks will not only guarantee box office success for this production but also a slew of award considerations as we head into the peak of the theatre season.
Is Scherzinger the favorite to take home a Tony Award? I think it’s a two person race, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
But let me take a moment to praise Scherzinger here. Norma Desmond is one of musical theatre’s most complex characters, and it seems as though Scherzinger has figured her out and put her own spin on it. Under the direction of Jamie Lloyd, this revival of Sunset Boulevard brings a fresh, modern interpretation to the classic tale, emphasizing Norma’s psychological descent.
From what I’ve seen and heard(having not seen the show yet), Scherzinger navigates this nuance with grace, making audiences both empathize with and fear for Norma. Her rendition of the show’s most famous number, “With One Look,” is a highlight, leaving the audience, as one friend told me, “breathless”.
Such a reaction always leads to the same path: awards.
Scherzinger has already won the Olivier Award for the performance, so a Tony nod was always likely. But does this mean that she’s the frontrunner? Normally, yes. But 2024-25 is going to provide us with quite the race. Why?
Because Audra McDonald is coming back to Broadway and starring in Gypsy.
Let’s not mine words, Rose in Gypsy is a master class. Only Broadway’s greatest have played her, and most of them have won a Tony for it(Sorry about that, Ethel and Bernadette). Add that to the fact that McDonald, who has won more Tonys than any other performer, is taking on the role; you can almost imagine the acceptance speech.
With all due respect to Helen J Shen(Most Happy Ending), Katie Brayben(Tammy Faye), Megan Hilty/Jennifer Simard(Death Becomes Her), and maybe even Jasmine Amy Rogers(Betty Boop), this is going to be one of those “Hamilton-eqsue” years where it’s just an honor to be nominated alongside these two powerhouses.
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing the awards campaign that producers and PR firms have planned to earn Tony voter’s favor.
Either way, congratulations to Nicole Scherzinger and the rest of the cast of Sunset Boulavard. Their efforts are going to make this quite the exciting Tony season.