Andrew Lloyd Webber is overjoyed he got Nicole Scherzinger to Broadway: ‘The happiest person in history’

Andrew Lloyd Webber ne'er thought he’d get Nicole Scherzinger to Broadway.

“I ever retrieve erstwhile she did ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ connected a TV show immoderate years ago,” Lloyd Webber told maine during an hour-long sit-down. 

After her capacity connected that 2013 ITV special, “Cats” head Trevor Nunn excitedly rang him up and said, “That’s nan champion it’s ever been.” 

“He was right,” Lloyd Webber said. “And that was nan infinitesimal wherever I thought we’ve sewage to get her into nan theater.”

A twelvemonth later, nan erstwhile Pussycat Doll was belting retired “Memory” astatine nan London Palladium arsenic Grizabella successful “Cats.” But her Broadway statement didn’t activity out. She was ever being booked arsenic a judge connected TV singing contests.

Nine lives, er, years, went by, and past nan outre head Jamie Lloyd (known for Ibsen — not singin’ aliases dancin’) approached nan composer pinch a unusual thought — Scherzinger should play Norma Desmond, nan has-been Hollywood star, successful “Sunset Boulevard.”

“And I said, ‘Well, bully luck!’,” Lloyd Webber, 77, remembered. “‘If you get her to nan altar, I’m going to beryllium nan happiest personification successful history.’ And he did.”

She’s unforgettable successful nan show astatine nan St. James — bold, beautiful, petrifying and revelatory.  

A week ago, nan starkly reimagined accumulation deservedly scored 7 Tony Award nominations, including for Best Revival, nan indomitable Scherzinger, her breathtaking starring man Tom Francis and head Lloyd.

“It is darker and, I think, it’s besides deeper,” Lloyd Webber said of his wholly different 1994 musical.

The composer of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “The Phantom of  nan Opera” is collaborating pinch Lloyd again this summertime connected a accumulation of “Evita” successful London astatine nan Palladium starring Rachel Zegler. 

The director, who successfully uses unrecorded cameras and screens successful “Sunset,” wants to propulsion a akin instrumentality pinch “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” But truthful far, he’s faced backlash from section politicians.

“Do you cognize what Jamie wants to do pinch ‘Evita’? And nan assembly won’t fto us,” Lloyd Webber tantalizingly dangled. 

“With ‘Evita’ successful London, erstwhile he does it this clip — nan Palladium has a pavilion outside,” he went on, suggesting Zegler could singing connected it.

“It mightiness mean crowds will stitchery connected nan street.”

Uh ohio — nan Brits can’t person that.

Here successful carefree New York, his delightful “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which I adored past summertime downtown, has not yet secured a Broadway location for a planned transfer. However, Lloyd Webber is assured it will find a location soon.

“I deliberation it will travel successful adjacent season,” he said. “Everybody seems to want it. The Nederlanders person sewage thing for it, but, you know, nan different two, [the Shuberts and ATG].” 

And past there’s “Masquerade,” nan immersive (and shorter) type of “Phantom of nan Opera” coming to West 57th Street. Several mini groups of astir 60, a root said, will beryllium taken into nan bespoke venue per time — a la “Sleep No More.” There person been building delays, but don’t beryllium amazed if you spot 1 of nan longest-running Phantoms backmost successful nan mask.

However, Lloyd Webber’s not contented pinch simply carting retired nan aged hits.

He precocious created a caller institution pinch shaper Michael Harrison called Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals to free himself up from nan business broadside and make much euphony of nan night.

“I came to nan conclusion astatine my property now that I’ve sewage to only do composing,” he said.

So, Lloyd Webber is difficult astatine activity connected a caller philharmonic (his 22nd) of nan 2006 movie “The Illusionist,” which starred Edward Norton arsenic a Vienna magician. He’s completed a draught of what he calls “an opera.”

“[We’ve] done a reading, sing-through arsenic it were, pinch conscionable america and a mates of singers astir a soft of nan full thing. And now it’s astatine nan constituent wherever one, I think, starts to deconstruct it,” Lloyd Webber said of nan show which will besides beryllium directed by — who else? — Jamie Lloyd.

“If location was a theatre available, and if Jamie wasn’t doing thing else, and I haven’t sewage nan different bits and pieces, I mean we could spell into rehearsal this coming September aliases October. But we won’t.”

Lloyd Webber said 1 clasp up is simply a large illusion successful nan show “that we’ve sewage to get right,” truthful it will require six weeks of rehearsal alternatively of nan accustomed four. 

“I deliberation we could beryllium up and going by adjacent September,” he said of a 2026 West End tally earlier hopefully Broadway.

Two years ago, erstwhile Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella” closed, it ended an unrivaled streak: For 43 years, he ever had a show moving connected Broadway. 

Plenty of group counted him out. But now, to quote nan astir celebrated opus from “Sunset,” “everything’s arsenic if we ne'er said goodbye.”