EX-PUSSYCAT ACCEPTS LOCAL HONOR
I’ve seen a lot of performances on local stages over the years, but I’ll never forget Nicole Scherzinger as Velma Kelly and Julie La Verne in Wright State University’s respective productions of “Chicago” and “Show Boat.” Both star-making portrayals, a stellar extension of her sizzling stage presence full of captivating magnetism and breathtaking maturity, contributed to the foundation which set her on the course to becoming an international triple threat and duly receiving the 2017 Alumna of the Year Award from the Wright State Alumni Association Monday, Aug. 27, in the Festival Playhouse.
A student at WSU from 1996 to 1999, Scherzinger, who was unable to attend the ceremony last fall, has fashioned an impressive career including a Grammy nomination as lead singer of the cheeky Pussycat Dolls, one of the world’s most successful pop girl groups, and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination as the downtrodden Grizabella in the 2014 London production of “Cats.” She’s also collaborated with acclaimed Italian classical tenor Andrea Bocelli and 16-time Grammy-winning music producer David Foster (“The Bodyguard”), served as an ambassador for UNICEF and global ambassador for the Special Olympics, won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010, and can lay claim to forming pop sensation One Direction while a judge and mentor on the U.K. version of “X Factor.”
“Nicole Scherzinger was the hardest working person in her class and is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met in show business,” said Joe Deer, chair of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures and director of 1997’s “Chicago.” “She’s also one of the most genuine, sweet, available people you’ll ever meet. For someone as successful as she is, that is very rare. It’s been a thrill to see her rise in her work.”
“It’s been pretty amazing watching her career develop since she left Wright State,” added W. Stuart McDowell, artistic director and professor who served as department chair from 1994 to 2016 and staged 1998’s “Show Boat.” “Watching her career progress has been pretty remarkable. (Audiences) saw the seeds of it here at Wright State, but she took advantage of it the rest of the way with good opportunities.”
After she received her award from WSU Executive Director of Alumni Relations Greg Scharer and WSU President Cheryl Schrader, Scherzinger, 40, participated in a very informative questionand-answer session with Deer. Topics included her humble beginnings as a native Hawaiian growing up in Louisville within a strong musical family, being influenced as a young girl by Whitney Houston’s rendition of “The Greatest Love of All” and counting Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, and Michael Jackson as additional influences, taking as many classes as possible at Wright State to fully develop her artistry, and her varied professional experiences from theater and live concerts to memorable TV appearances.
“I did ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for my mom,” she humorously noted. “I told (choreographer and dance partner) Derek Hough every performance we did had to be an event. I wanted every dance to have a real story, a passion. It was so hard to make it look so easy. I didn’t have a lot of dance training.”
On the heels of her “Dancing with the Stars” reign, she appeared as Maureen in director Neil Patrick Harris’ Hollywood Bowl production of “Rent” opposite Vanessa Hudgens and Wayne Brady. Although she felt she was more suited to the sexier role of Mimi, she found a way into the kooky heart of Maureen that brought a new level of self-discovery as an actress and glowing reviews from the critics. “I think it was important for that character to be lighthearted and be goofy and have more fun,” she said. “You have to bring your own self to (a role). If it comes from a truthful place it will move people.”
When Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber approached her to star in “Cats,” she admitted some reluctance but instinctively knew she wanted to give Grizabella more than anyone had ever seen before. She researched what T.S. Eliot wrote about the character and simply made the role her own, specifically insisting on more backstory and music from the composer. In fact, Lloyd Webber has called her recording of “Memory” the “best recording of anything of my music ever done.”
“Andrew is a dear friend of mine, so trusting and loving, and he wanted me to bring my whole self to it in my own way,” she explained, adding she ended a long-term relationship at the time which fueled her emotional fire. “All Grizabella wanted was a new beginning, a new life. And I really wanted that as well.”
Looking back on her time at WSU, Scherzinger acknowledged insecurities, but remains pleased to have been showcased on the Festival Playhouse mainstage with credits including “Guys and Dolls” and “Harlem Renaissance in Black and White” as well as the experimental, black box Herbst Theatre, which she regarded as her “safe place” where she could simply explore.
“I felt like the outsider sometimes, which was hard,” she said. “I had to face adversity but it made me tougher. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my teachers. My faith has also kept me grounded. I’m nothing without God and my family.”
To the throng of students continuing to hone their craft as actors, designers, directors, writers, and technicians, she offered sound advice reiterating the importance of being committed, determined, daring, and authentic.
“You get out what you put in,” she reminded.
“No one is going to do it for you. It’s great to have a dream and a vision of what you want but only you can make it happen. Let your work speak for itself. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Anything is possible. When you leave here, you never stop growing, you never stop learning. I let the music do the talking. Musical theater is my first love and always will be. The most important thing is authenticity. It will make all the difference.”