Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist - Nicole Scherzinger on Her Tony Win and New Netflix Show, "Building The Band"

Episode Date: July 27, 2025

Willie sits down with actress and singer Nicole Scherzinger, fresh off of her Tony win for Best Leading Actress in a Musical with her Broadway debut in "Sunset Boulevard". She also looks back at her time with The Pussycat Dolls and talks about her new Netflix show "Building the Band”. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down podcast. My thanks, as always, for clicking and listening along. Very excited to bring you my conversation this week with Tony-winning actress Nicole Scherzinger. She stars as the lead, Norma Desmond, a Hollywood has been, in the classic Broadway musical and movie before that, Sunset Boulevard. You probably met Nicole first way back in the Pussycat Dolls, going back almost 20, years ago. They sold something like 50 million albums. The girl group, she went on to be a judge on shows like The X Factor, The Masked Singer, and now she's got a new series called Building the Band on Netflix. So she's had this career as kind of a pop star and then a judge on these talent

competitions. But inside of her, she's always been a theater kid with incredible talent and an incredible voice that was on display in the Pussycat Dolls, but not quite as a little. the way that it's been in Sunset Boulevard. So she has been an absolute revelation on Broadway. The show just closed, Sunset Boulevard, recently, and she walked away with that Tony Award for leading actress in a musical. She was stunning in that show. So we got together kind of as a valedictory interview. It was the week the show was closing to reflect on this performance, this character in this show that has really changed her life. And as she says, given her a chance to truly, after all these years, show what she is capable of doing.

Lovely to talk to. We got together a place called Mineta Tavern, very famous place in New York City, and really got to just let her exhale after this, about a year's run almost on Broadway. And before that, she had Sunset Boulevard on West End in London. She's seen a lot in her career, but nothing quite like this.

And it was a great moment to catch up with her. So please sit back, relax, and enjoy. Nicole Scherzinger, right now on the same. Sunday Sit Down podcast. Nicole, thank you for doing this. Thank you so much for having me. Last time I laid eyes on you, you were standing on a stage covered in blood and tears in the middle of a massive standing ovation. So I have to like reorient myself right now. Bring in the blood and the tears and the snot. We can do it again. Let's recreate it here. Although you're doing again tonight, so I'll give you a break today. As we sit here,

You have only eight shows left of Sunset Boulevard. This is kind of the beginning of your last week that ends on a Sunday. How are you feeling about that, given what this show has meant to you and has meant to so many people and how well received it's been and you won the Tony and the reviews have been unanimously great? Fair to say it's changed your life. So how do you feel about the end coming here? I mean, it's definitely changed my life. I'm, it's bittersweet, you know, I'm also very tired. I think I'm still in it because these last eight shows are just going to be such a joy for me.

I think actually now just talking about it, I'm starting to tear it. I'm excited for the freedom that we're going to get to have on stage and share as a company together. But this is actually, the sunset journey has, you know, taken over my life for the past two years. So I'm kind of ready, you know, but at the same time, I'm just, I'm ready for the chapter to be closed and I'm excited for a new chapter to open after this. And I think like with Norma, she has really. changed my life and I've grown and evolved so much that I feel like it's not good. I don't feel like it's goodbye. I feel like somehow I'll be saying as if we never said, singing as if we never said goodbye another time. Maybe that's up my Royal Albert Hall show and my Carnegie show, but I'm taking

a big part of, I'm taking Norma with me. And I'm excited. So yes, Basically, we have been doing the sunset boulevard journey for the past two years. So it's been a long journey. It's been the most fulfilling thing I've ever done in my life. And yeah, so it's definitely going to be bittersweet. I'm just going to be crying always. I have been crying, actually, the past few weeks. Yeah.

I'm actually always crying, actually. Just another day in the life? As Norma, I know. She's so complex and I feel so plugged in and in tune with her character. But it's just going to be happy tears and tears of like, wow, how this role has just changed my life, this opportunity, like you said, has changed my life. And I feel really in the best place I've ever been in my life because I finally feel like I'm living fully to my fullest. purpose and potential and being able to share all of me, which is any artist knows if you've not

been able to do that. It's difficult to live in your skin, right? When you don't, you feel like you don't get to give all of you. And this has afforded me that and blessed me with that opportunity. And man, do you give all of yourself on that stage every night, eight times a week? I was saying to you, when I watched your performance, the emotion of it, all you give, the power of your voice and all those songs thinking, my God, she has to do that again tonight in a couple of hours. It's sort of a cliche old Broadway question, but I think especially in your case, I'm just curious what it's like to get up and do that every single day. Like you said, for two years almost now. I have a really strong faith, to be honest with you, and that keeps me super grounded.

And that I just plug into that and it gives me the energy and the power. And I just always say a prayer, meditation at the top of the show to just be used. Because, you know, even though it's eight shows a week for that audience, it's their closing and their opening night shows. So you really want every show to be the best that it can be. You really want to give your all. So it does take a lot out of you. I just, anyone on Broadway, anyone in the theater, like so much, all the respect. I always say it's like the Olympics for theater and it's, it's, it can be relentless, right?

I always say I'm so exhausted, but I've never been more fulfilled. But it's like the dream. It's like, right now I'm on steroids, right now I'm on antibiotics. I feel like I'm slowly falling apart, and I've never been happier in my life. I've never been more confident. I've never been more at peace. I've never been more, like I said, fulfilled. So this is the dream.

And is that owed to this show? Is that why you're feeling that way in this moment? It is. It's owed to this show, this new radical production that Jamie Lloyd dreamed up, Andrew Lloyd Weber, this brilliant masterpiece of a school. Gore, Christopher and Dawn with these lyrics. It really is. It's, it's great to be a part of such a beautiful work of art and to be able to express the deepest parts of you in your art to be able to connect with people. I'm a cancer, so I'm an empath, and I'm an empath. And I'm, and,

I just like that you desire, that's the dream, right? To be able to connect with others on the deepest levels possible. And to, I don't know, to make people not feel alone. That's why I do this, because I know what that feels like. I don't know if I'm making any sense. My brain's kind of gets discombobulated sometimes. No, I'm right with you. Yeah, I mean, one of the things that struck me going to the performance was when you first

appear on stage, you got a standing ovation before you even uttered a word or saying a note. And then, you know, after several songs, you got standing ovations. People, you moved people in such a way that was sort of this like up and down, up and down, people rising up out of their seats. As a performer, that has to probably the first time it happened to be a little bit surprising, but also now so gratifying to know that you've hit somebody that hard. Yeah. that they're sort of interrupting the show to get up and tell you right away how they feel. Yeah, like I said, I honestly just feel so grateful that I can be used in that way.

I feel like that is my gift to be able to communicate in this way through this ARF, through theater, musical theater, through song through music. And it's just an unbelievable connection. like the audience makes that magic as well. Like you have to like, you know an avatar when they, like, um, they, their tails kind of like that or something.

You make that connection. It's just to be able to, um, just make that otherworldly, soulful, spiritual divine connection is, um, it is the most gratifying.

And I feel I'm so beyond grateful when I'm singing with one look or as if we never said goodbye or even at the end, when you just know that you are connected with the audience, that you know that together you are right here. And then when, I mean, it's also full circle for me because I feel like, wow, little Nicole has come so far. like little lanky, awkward, insecure Nicole, who felt like she didn't have a voice, is standing up there with her hands like this in a triumphant pose and being brave and bold and courageous. And hopefully I can inspire other people to do that too. Because it wasn't always like that for me. And that's why it's so important. to follow your heart's whisper and what you really want to do in life and your passion in life

because that's like your gift. And when you follow that, that's your superpower. Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Nicole Scherzinger right after the break. Welcome back now more of my conversation with Nicole Scherzinger. I've heard you say in other interviews along those lines, this sense of belonging that you didn't really feel as a kid until later on when you kind of found your people at a performing arts high school. But talk about belonging. This is your Broadway debut. I'm sure there are some people saying, all right, let's see. Let's see how she does. And then you come out and just kill it. And you are not just part of the Broadway family, but now one of the leaders. You won the Tony. That must be a

thrill to have been so accepted by Broadway. I really feel like I have come home at last. I really feel like I am back where I was born to be. These are lyrics from Norma's songs, right? I feel like those songs were written for me. And a lot of people don't know that I come from a musical theater and a theater background, like you said, and I went to a youth performing arts high school. And there's a quote that I used to have. One of my favorite quotes is when you feel like you don't belong, it's because you were born to create. When you feel like you don't fit into the world or that you don't belong in the world, it's because you are meant to create a new one. And that's always stuck with me because I have, for the most part of my life, felt like I just

didn't belong. And I just, this community is very special because, um, the arts are just so magical when you when people don't put restraints and put you in a box and boundaries on you you can really fly you know and i feel like um i'm just so grateful that i've been able to share what i've been that what i've had inside of me for my whole life and never gotten to share that and this community this community has been so beautiful. Like, it's, it's a different energy. It's like not competitive. It's not like, they don't put you down. They lift you up. They're excited. They want you to, you know, um, you know, thrive in your highest calling in your highest power. And that's really inspiring. And I'm,

I want to be able to give that to people to, you know. And the culmination of all that was when you won the Tony Award. First of all, you performed. First of all, you perform. You and Glenn Close introduces you, right? I mean, that's pretty cool. Also, wait, I want to say something really fast. I've never said before. And I like what you said. And hopefully this inspires somebody,

whether you guys use it or not. But it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you. Because, like you said, people have been shitting on me my whole life, kind of, right? And just kind of like dismissing me and discarding me or overlooking me. And it didn't matter.

because I knew what I had to give was so much greater and even beyond me. So if you just like follow your hearts whisper and your passions, then it doesn't matter you're going to be able to live in your purpose and be your happiest and your most fulfilled and live a really meaningful life. And I just, like you said, I know that people were already when I was coming out with this role. even Jamie Lloyd, our director said, they were like, who, what, Nicole, Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard, can she even sing, you know, act? And it doesn't matter because as long as you believe it. And it comes from the right place. And it comes from a place of truth and heart and soul and honesty. Then you're going to blow them all away. That's beautifully said.

I mean, do you feel, given what you just said, like you had something to prove here, like when you sing, I see a woman maybe with a little chip on her shoulder, somebody who wants to blow you out of the back of the theater a little bit and just lift you up and inspire you. But because of everything you just said, where to the casual Broadway,

I feel like, oh yeah, I know her from the mass singer or the pussycat dolls or like, okay, let's see how this goes. And then you're like, whoa, there's almost an element of like, and to you, what you're saying is, no, that's always been there. Yeah. I just need it somewhere to display it.

I think it just adds just more fuel to the fire. It's not why I do it, because that would come from the wrong place. It always comes from a place of heart and soul and spirit for me. But it definitely gives me my superpowers and my strength to, like, really dig deep. I'm just so passionate about what I do. I care so much at the very end, Willie. of the show when she's kind of going mad. She says, this is my life.

It always will be. There is nothing else. And every night, it's like I'm saying it for the first time. I just love it. And I do. I love this so much. And I'm so happy to be, like I said, to have come home at last. So then what did that Tony mean to you?

I think you were happy to be on Broadway and to be accepted. And they're saying, not only you're accepted, but here's our biggest award. What was that night like for you? Well, if you go on my Instagram, I actually wrote what it meant to me. I had to think about it because when you win, you're just, it's such an out-of-body experience. You're like, what is happening? And they asked, they were like, what is this mean? And I'm like, I don't know.

Like, I haven't really fully taken it in yet. I went away that week after the show's coming home and thinking like, oh, my God, what does this truly mean? And it just means, you know, just all of the sacrifice and all of the love and all of the perseverance and everything. It's just, it wasn't for nothing. It's not for nothing. And it didn't go unnoticed. And I'm so grateful because there are. are so many unbelievably talented people out there who have never even been nominated for Tony,

let alone who's been nominated and hasn't won one. So to just be acknowledged and recognized in that light with all the other grades and legends is like, I will tell you I worked for it, though. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Nobody handed that to you. No. I fought for it and I worked for it. And it's nice to know that when you put your head down and the work town and you make the sacrifices that you make in the silence, that it will come back to you. I told you a minute ago what my wife said and I'll sanitize it. She came home for the show. And I said, how was it? She said, if she doesn't win the Tony, they should cancel the Tonys. So she was right. She predicted this accurately. I love your wife. Thank you. So you were talking about the little girl who you were and was trying to figure out who she was. Born in Hawaii, you moved to Louisville, Kentucky.

You're of Filipina and Ukrainian and Hawaiian ancestry. And you come to this place, Louisville, Kentucky. You go, okay, where do I fit in here? Is that why you started performing? Was that a way for you to have a voice? Was that a way for you to find a group of friends? Or when did performance sort of become interesting to you? And I think it was something I was born with.

I felt always really awkward when I was little. I was very lanky and was like the brownie in Louis, Kentucky, I call it, in my family growing up. And I always watched my mom hula dancing when I was younger. and she was a part of her family had a group called the Sons and Daughters of Hawaii, and they would sing and dance and my tutu would play ukulele, and she has the most unbelievable voice. So I watched them growing up, and then obviously I would sing in church. But for me, and then when I was six, I discovered Whitney Houston,

and that changed my life. Like the power of her voice was like literally, it was like God singing to me, It just penetrated my heart so deeply. And I think from a young age, I just knew, speaking wasn't really my thing. I was very shy. I was the first girl to always want to hide behind my mom's legs. But music did something else to me.

It just brought something else out in me. And I felt that was a way I knew how to communicate best with people was through music and through singing. So I think it just chose me. I was just something that it was born within me. And then I, we didn't, I come from very humble beginnings. So we didn't have any money. I couldn't take any lessons or anything. So I planned at a very young age. I had found out that there was a youth performing arts high school that was attached to a magnet school in Louisville, Kentucky. And in order for me to get there, I would have to go to the magnet middle school. So as an elementary school, I was planning out, how do I get into that middle school to hopefully be able

to audition to get into that high school? Because, you know, my family, my dad was welder and my mother did like office work and stuff and just took care, did everything to take care of us. So So, yeah, I kind of planned it from a young age of like, what am I going to do to be able to get the education or to be around the people that I want to be around so I can learn? That's amazing. You're like nine or ten years old, sort of blotting out where it's going to land, you hope. Yeah. And you got there. Yes.

And you kept getting there and you kept getting to the next place. When did it become Nicole a career goal to be a performer? Because it's one thing to perform in high school and that's fun. and then I'll go into college and get some other job, maybe. Was it always like, this is it, no plan B? I don't know if I ever was like, I don't know if I ever looked at it as like a career. I obviously was so inspired by Whitney Houston, so you want to become a singer like that. But it was when I was in middle school and I was a part of this, like, fun tour show group.

And I was the understudy for this guy, and he didn't show up that night. And so I had to go out and sing for him. It was my first time singing in front of a real live audience. And when I sang, everyone stood up. And I couldn't believe that because I didn't know what I'd done. I'd just sang for the first time in front of an audience. And I think from there that just kind of gave me the confidence like, this is your lane. This is how you connect with people the most.

And that's kind of just gotten me to where I am today as opposed to like I am, you know. And then obviously, I guess growing up seeing Whitney Houston and then Paul Abdul with her dancing. You could only dream, but it's not like, I guess the career just kind of, I don't know, chose me. Right. If you have the passion for it. Passion. And I just followed. my passions and it's led me to have this career. Thank God. And your first big gig, I think,

was the result of a Whitney Houston audition, wasn't it, for pop stars? Did you do I Will Always Love You? Right? That's a big song to walk in a room. Oh my gosh. That's right. I auditioned for pop stars. It was the whole forefront of this whole talent series search. Yeah. Right, on television. And I'll never forget, I had been recording before that in high school with people and just trying to like, I guess it was high school maybe that I was like around my kind, as I call in my tribe, and being like, I'm going to try to make a career out of this. and I heard about this audition. My mother actually told me about it. And I got together like a resume and a portfolio and I shot a music video with my boyfriend at the time and got it all together. And drove up to Chicago for an audition in the middle of the night and waited.

I was at four in the morning. waiting to be seen for the pop stars. And yeah. And then I earned a place in Eden's crush after that. Sorry, what was the question? No, I mean, just singing of Whitney Houston to sing an iconic song like that. I loved Whitney so much, you know, so I sang, I will always love you because the song spoke to my heart. I don't know if I had any business choosing that song.

That's a big one. I wouldn't sing that probably again, just because it's such a big song. and I think only what you should be singing these songs. Well, that and this artist named Shalea, who's unbelievable. She's one of the greatest singers. But, yeah, so, yeah, like I said, I don't think I had any business singing that song, but it spoke to my heart.

Stick around for more of my conversation with Nicole Scherzinger right after a quick break. Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Nicole Scherzinger. So now you're in a band, Eden's crush. You had a rock band before that, right? Yes. You were in a rock band. I was in a rock band, Days of the New, signed to Geffen Records.

Yeah. And they had some big songs and spun off a lot of talent, including yourself. Well, that was Travis Meeks. He was the genius behind all of that. And I was just so grateful to be a part of it and to be a part of a band with brilliant jazz musicians. I mean, the musicians in that band were just amazing. And I got to tour with them. I toured with Lake Bush and Fu Fighters.

Yeah. It was amazing. It's a really cool experience. So Eden's Crush lasts. It's sort of a brief run, but leads you to pussycat dolls, which I was looking up the numbers again. In some ways, I think you guys are underrated. Like, you sold 55 million albums. Did we?

And your Grammy nominated and your massive hits and like, you guys were. Are you sure? That's the number that's out there. We checked it and you're like, wait, I got to talk to my accountant about that. I didn't even know that. That's amazing. You've shown it. They sold a.

ton. You sold a ton of albums. What do you remember about that time as that group sort of took off and you were the face of the group and the main singer? Was that a fun time? Was it a stressful time? What was that like? I was so green. Yeah. I was so young and I was afraid to speak up and I just, you know, it was a big opportunity to get me out of Louisville, Kentucky. I had no idea how I would ever, ever gotten to, wow, Los Angeles, California, you know. And so that was my ticket, that opportunity. And I just wanted to do the best that I could. But I was so green, so young. Now I'm a beast. And I'll tell you what I think and how it is. I'm Calistone for Willie. No, it's, it's, it, it was, it was, I learned a lot from that experience.

And I thought the girls were just beautiful. I'm, I was super stoked at that time. Pop Stars was, what, 2005 or something? And I love that we all like had brunette hair and they were all from different backgrounds. And I just loved how diverse the group was before anything else. I was really proud of the part to be a part of it. And we got to tour with Jessica Simpson and InSync, which was huge for us. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And actually, I think it was going over the Brooklyn Bridge when we found out that our song Get Over Yourself was number one in the country. Wow. So that was big time for us. Yeah, that's huge. It was short-lived, but, you know, it's like the steps that you need to take and learn and evolve and grow from because God's preparing you for something bigger. Right. which was pussycat dolls, right? Yes.

Which was huge. That pussycat dolls, to be clear, was the 50 million albums. Yes. I was like, I don't think Ed's Chris. I'm 50, 5 million albums. No, pussycat dolls sold those. But that was, you guys were huge. I mean, obviously, pussycat dolls were massive.

Was there an element, though, of like, because of your success, it was like, go, go, go. And we're going to put you out there in this show and this tour and this. Like, not that you would have minded that. I'm sure it was exciting. But was there an element of like this is working, like go 100 miles an hour until it bends, basically? Yes, it was crazy. It was a whirlwind. It was like we were like, I think Eminem was at his height at that time.

And they were even like, your schedule is even crazier than Eminem's schedule. You know? It was like a roller coaster beyond. And it was a lot. A lot of things have happened. The times have changed, Willie, since the pussycat dolls. Now we have, like, mental health and, you know, awareness. We never had any of that.

Right. Then, so they kind of just worked us to death. But I'm a workaholic. It's in my blood being Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Filipino. I just love to work. And I just remember we were on. tour and I heard umbrella by Rihanna. And I was like, and what is our next single? Like, it was always like, what's the next? What can we do? How can it be better? And I was, I'm just,

I was super driven. I'm still super driven. But I was just like, you want to be on top and you want to to be the best. But our, you know, our group had its time. And it was a lot. It just wasn't natural, like not involving sleep and not having any balance whatsoever in our schedule. So it was just natural that we fizzled out and everybody went there separate ways. So it's like nobody asked how you guys were doing. It was going so well and people were making money.

They were like. get back out there. Yeah. No, no, no. It's, we didn't have. It was, it was crazy. It's, things are so different now. And now you can have a voice and now it's not right. And now, you know, we would forget eight hours. We'd just work 24 hours nonstop. It was, it was insane. But we were, we were, we were, me and the girls were committed. I mean, you got to, you got to do that to have the success, that global success if you, if you want it, you know. It's a lot. Talking of your start on pop stars sort of has come full circle now with your new series, building the band, which is very cool. You've had all this experience with the X Factor and the Mask Singer and these kind of shows, but this is something different. I got to watch the first few episodes. It's really good, first of all, but the concept is cool. How do you describe it to people? I love the concept. Like you said, it is different and it's original. It's basically kind of like, it's basically like love is blind.

but the musical version. Right. It's finding love connections, but through music compatibility and chemistry. I like it. Right? It's cool. Everybody's like,

we have these unbelievable singers, these amazing singers that are in these pods, and they just listen to each other sing and speak and vibe, and it has nothing to do with appearance, and they've never seen each other before. And they put themselves, They choose who they want to be in a band with, just going off of like, what's your sound, what kind of album you want to make, you know, what's your, you know, just jelling, like, natural chemistry. And they put themselves in bands. And I think that's really cool. It's like, it's not how, like, Liam says in our show, it's not how we were put together. You know, it's not the industry standard.

label execs putting you together. It's all happening naturally. It's an amazing social experiment, and it's chemistry. Chemistry prevails. It's sort of a recheck. Music chemistry prevails. Yeah. It's kind of a rejection of all the things you were talking about, which is like focusing on the artificial side and the image and all. It's like, if you can sing, we want you in the group, period. And the moments are so cool when they've sort of gotten a know each other just through singing. And then when they finally get to come on a stage together and that door goes up and the way the smiles they have when they put a face to the voice. Yep. I can imagine they have hebi-jeevies because you're like, that's what you look like. I had it

in my mind that you looked like something else. You're like, that's what you, like you're in the flesh. It's super cool and it's super fun. And I love that. Like you said, it just takes out the whole artificial side of everything. And it's on a deeper. It's a deeper. It's a, about a deeper connection. And you'll see as the show unravels and when you continue to watch the show, who will actually start to grow and evolve and build. And it's nothing to do with what you would have once perceived

would have worked. You mentioned Liam, Liam Payne, of course, of One Direction, who tragically died last year, went forward, I know, with the blessing of his family, and have a beautiful tribute to him at the top of the show. What did he bring to that set and to that show as you got to know him better personally? Well, you know, I put one direction together,

so it's come full circle for us, and then it's full circle for Liam because he had the success with One Direction, and what did he bring? He brought the personal experience. He's lived it, you know. He... He...

I'm so... happy for people to see, sorry, I saw it last night with him and so. Yeah. He's very joyful in the show. He is. Watching the show. Liam is, okay, I'm so excited for people to see this show because Liam just shines in the show. He's just a natural, beautiful, bright light. He's, anyone who knows him, he is a very kind, giving heart. And he gets to, you know, give back. He's been there with one direction. He's done it all. And he's able to give really good advice from a very personal place, you know. And he's great at it. He just, he just shines on the show and he brings a joy to the show and a sweetness. And I'm just, I'm blown away with him on the show. Even when I was working with him, I was like, wow, he really, he'd really

knows what he's talking about and he's super articulate and he's just really sweet and he was a dear friend of mine and and so i'm i'm happy that people get to remember him in this beautiful light where he's shining i'm so sorry the loss of your friend and it is there's something about that when we heard the news of his death it felt so dark and didn't line up with what we'd seen on tv and it's like people are complicated and then to get this impression of him now, I think we'll be beautiful for his fans. Exactly. Beautifully said. People, everyone's complicated. It's called humans. Yeah. It's the human spirit and soul. And I just wish I could only just pray for people to be more compassionate and understanding because everybody at some point in their life, if not right now,

is going through something. And you just never know. and Liam was in a great place when we did the show. And we had a great time with him. Kelly's so amazing. She's such a boss and so brilliant and so strong. And we all, all four of us just gelled so well. And, yeah. It's an amazing lineup.

I mean, you've got Destiny's Child, One Direction, Backstreet Boys, and Miss Tony winner, Nicole, Scherzinger. And pussy cat dolls, right? Yeah, of course. I'm throwing the Tony in now. Yeah, we've got a new one to put on the resume. Oh, believe me. Like I said, my Tony is right when you walk in the door. You're not subtle. Not subtle, tat tall. But yeah, so it's, yeah, I'm excited. It's great. It's really good and it's beautiful to see Liam in that light. Before we get up and have a slice of pizza, I want to talk a little bit about what's next for you. I don't mean to rush you along. I'm going to, like, you have a vacation for a couple weeks. God knows you've earned it. But there's some really exciting performances coming up in London, New York, and L.A. Yes. I have the honor of performing at these iconic venues coming up, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Disney Hall. And so I'm going to put on my own show. So I get you for one night only. You're all mine. And I cannot wait. It's, I'm basically want to just sing songs, all the roles that I've never gotten to play, Willie.

Right. And all of the songs I've wanted to sing and share with people that are very personal and very specific and meaningful to meet and who I am and what makes Nicole up all of the many facets of Nicole. I'm going to sing those songs and try to give hopefully one of the best shows of these people's lives. No pressure. I think it's already sold out, so you're fine. It's sold out, and it's sold out within a couple of days. I couldn't believe it. I feel super blessed and have a lot of projects that I'm working on right now,

looking into maybe some films and music. I'm so happy for you. Honestly, you really deserve it. And I think what Sunset Boulevard has done has opened people's eyes to, it's the book by a cover thing where they're like, oh, yeah, I've seen her in reality. shows and the pussycat dolls. And then you see you like this. And then you start to read your story and you're like, you've had this since you were like a little girl in Hawaii. And then you fought

for it at that performing arts high school in Kentucky. And now you come to this point where you're being celebrated. So congratulations. A lot of people are very happy for you. Thank you. It's crazy. Chris Rock came to see the show. So me backstage and he just looked at me. And he said, finally. And then he said, how many years have I known you now? Known you all these years? You think you know a person and you have no idea.

So it's awesome to be able to surprise people and to surprise ourselves. So may we continue to do that. Amen. Congratulations. So great to talk to you. Thank you, Willie. You're the best.

Thanks. My big thanks again to Nicole for a great conversation. Building the Band is streaming now on Netflix. And my thanks to all of you for listing again this week. If you want to hear all of these conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday today every weekend on NBC to see these interviews with your own two eyes.

I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit Down podcast.