CNN
—
Nicole Scherzinger had a big night at the Tony Awards on Sunday.
Scherzinger, a former member of the musical group Pussycat Dolls, won her first-ever Tony Award for her performance as Norma Desmond in the Broadway revival of “Sunset Blvd.,” which also won an award for best musical revival.
An emotional Scherzinger said in her acceptance speech that the award was “a testament that love always wins.”
Earlier in the night, Scherzinger gave a gorgeous performance of the ballad “As If We Never Said Goodbye” that showed anyone who hadn’t gotten a chance to see the production why she’s been earning so much praise.
Appearing barefoot on a smoke-filled stage in a simple black dress, Scherzinger’s powerful performance earned a standing ovation from the audience, which included Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music for the production.
Stage and screen icon Glenn Close, who played the role of main character Norma Desmond in the original 1994 Broadway production, introduced Scherzinger’s performance.
Close earned a Tony Award in 1995 for her work in the musical, along with several other accolades. She went on to reprise the role in the 2017 revival of the show.
Earlier this year, Close was among those to give the production rave reviews, calling the show a “thrilling experience” on her Instagram.
“Sunset Blvd.” is based on the Oscar-winning 1950 Billy Wilder film “Sunset Boulevard” and follows a fading screen star who lives in the past when she was queen of the silent film era, languishing in her decrepit Los Angeles mansion located on the titular boulevard.
The original stage production opened in London in 1993.
“Sunset Blvd” won three Tonys Sunday.
