Nicole Scherzinger described the moment a sound malfunction during a performance of Sunset Boulevard forced her to sing one of the show’s most iconic numbers—through a bullhorn.
On the red carpet at the TIME100 Gala in New York City on April 24, the 2025 honoree recounted how the technical difficulties struck during Wednesday’s matinee, just before the show was set to begin.
She described the moment she and her co-star Tom Francis went to inform the crowd that the performance was being cancelled, and she heard a “sigh of sadness” from the audience.
The former Pussycat Dolls frontwoman said her “heart broke into a million pieces” as she watched the audience await her performance, and so she decided to give them a “sliver” of the experience of seeing the full show.
“These people came to see my show and I don’t want them to leave empty handed,” Scherzinger said, adding that she “cared so deeply that I reached everyone in the audience.”
She recalled that someone in the audience yelled out for her to still sing, so she grabbed her bluetooth speaker and a bullhorn and began to sing “With One Look,” one of the show’s most-beloved and famed songs—and a pivotal moment in the musical for her character Norma Desmond. Scherzinger won an Olivier award for her portrayal.
“I was like this thing had great reverb! This was unprecedented, I’ve never gone through anything like this before,” Scherzinger said. But, “The show must always go on!”
While the matinee was ultimately cancelled after the performance, the issue was resolved by Wednesday’s evening show, according to Playbill.
Scherzinger also reflected on being honored by Patti LuPone, saying the Broadway legend’s words were “everything” she could dream of.
“She means so much to me,” Scherzinger said of the multi-Grammy and Tony award-winner who originated the role of Desmond in 1993. “She’s a legend, and I’m eternally grateful to the queen herself.”
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The TIME100 Gala is TIME’s annual celebration of the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people. The Gala brings together icons, leaders, change-makers, and celebrities from across industries and nations for one lively evening of meaningful dialogue and celebration.
TIME is teaming up with ABC to bring viewers inside the exclusive TIME100 Gala with a special television event. TIME100: The World’s Most Influential People, produced in partnership with P&G, airs Sunday, May 4 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu, featuring host Snoop Dogg, a performance by Ed Sheeran, and appearances by Demi Moore, Serena Williams, and more.
The 2025 TIME100 Gala was presented by Booking.com, Circle, Diriyah Company, Prudential Financial, Toyota, Amazon, Absolut, Pfizer, and XPRIZE.