‘Don’t Ever, Ever Give Up’

Nicole Scherzinger is celebrating her Broadway era … and Broadway is celebrating her back.

Scherzinger was nominated for her first Tony Award on May 1 for her work as Norma Desmond, a faded Hollywood actress longing for a comeback, in Jamie Lloyd’s revival of “Sunset Boulevard.”

“I’m overjoyed with gratitude. My heart is completely full,” the former Pussycat Dolls singer told TODAY.com shortly after nominations came out.

“Don’t ever, ever, ever give up because you never know when your time is coming. I feel so grateful right now,” she added.

Shortly after nominations were announced, Scherzinger surprised her former “Masked Singer” co-host Ken Jeong on TODAY with Jenna & Friends. The day ushered in a time of celebration for Scherzinger as former colleagues, like Jeong, and friends have rooted for her star turn, which has been praised by critics, audiences and Oprah Winfrey.

“One of my best friends from high school was the first person to call me, and he said, ‘Babe. I can’t believe it. This is what we dreamed of,'” Scherzinger said. “I can’t wait to speak to my mom.”

Scherzinger rose to fame as a member of the Pussycat Dolls but always harbored dreams of Broadway. Back in December, she shared a video to Instagram — recorded 16 years ago — of herself standing in New York’s Theater District in the get-up of a pop star.

“Growing up, I thought I’d be doing that. I’d be on that side of the street not this side of the street,” she said in the video, while pointing to a theatre marquee of “Wicked.” “But one day I’ll make it back home.”

Reflecting on the full-circle moment, Scherzinger pulled out lyrics from the showstopper song “With One Look,” which her character Norma sings after she returns to a film set after decades away.

“As Norma Desmond would say, ‘I’ll be back where I was born to be. With one look, I’ll be me,'” she said. “She also says, ‘I’ll come home at last.’

“I guess a lot of people didn’t know that side of me because they’re so used to seeing the pop star side of me or me in the Pussycat Dolls. But this is home for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better dream role,” she added.

It’s not lost on Scherzinger that her moment is coming while playing a character who never got to have a second act. “Sunset Boulevard” is a tragedy. For Norma, both trapped in her own delusions and punished by Hollywood for aging, a comeback remains a dream.

“It’s interesting because playing Norma Desmond, it’s like, where does Norma Desmond end and Nicole begin? And vice versa? I always dreamed of wanting to share all of my gifts and all of my talents and my whole heart with the world. Now I’ve gotten to because of this,” she said.

“Sunset Boulevard” leads the Tony nominees among musical revivals this year, receiving seven total, including for director Jamie Lloyd and stars Scherzinger and Tom Francis. The production was notably lauded during its run on London’s West End in 2023. Scherzinger won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for best actress in a musical.

“I’m so proud of everyone in this production because we’re all in it together,” Scherzinger said.