Nicole Scherzinger, the former Pussycat Doll, dazzled the sold out audience at Royal Albert Hall on Monday (10/6) for a one-night concert that blended pop spectacle and a classy West End production.

In a show called An Evening with Nicole Scherzinger, the veteran performer mixed musical theater standards and her biggest hits backed with a dynamite orchestra.

The reliably critical British press gave her ambitious performance mixed reviews, with The Guardian calling it "bizarre, brilliant, fierce and occasionally frustrating."

Over the past decade Scherzinger has mostly been seen on stage in the theatre, most recently starring as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in London and on Broadway, where she has earned an Olivier Award in 2024 and a Tony Award this year for Best Actress in a Musical.

After her first song she quoted Desmond by asking the crowd, "London, are you ready for your close up?"

"Do you know how many times I've driven by this place and said 'one day I'm going to perform at the Royal Albert Hall,'" she said wiping a tear from her eyes.

"That's what hard work and balls of steel will get you," she continued to laughter.

Born in Honolulu but raised in Kentucky, Scherzinger studied musical theater before breaking through via The WB's all-female group Eden’s Crush in 2001. Two years later she found herself as the undeniable star of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the most successful girl groups of the 2000s that sold a whopping 55 million records worldwide.

After their breakup her solo hits charted higher in the UK than in the US, which made this Royal Albert show so special for both she and her loyal fans.

"I also have some English in me," the chatty, and occasional sassy singer told the crowd. "His name is Tom. We'll talk about him later."

While she might have higher ambitions than making this performance simply a one-night thing, it was hard not to root for the show to one day evolve into a Las Vegas residency.

Scherzinger clearly feels comfortable telling stories, cracking jokes, being bawdy, and having the ability to belt out both covers of classics from James Bond films to Sondheim to Christina Aguilera to her own songbook. It would be a perfect fit at Caesars or the Wynn and for young or not-so-young.

The newly engaged siren also live debuted "Bullshit," an original unreleased and curious tune one might imagine Lizzo coming out with. Scherzinger, though, has the ability to take any song, serious or not, to the next level with her vocal ease.

Bizarre might be the word for the chorus though, so yes, Guardian, you do have that part right.

Speaking of ambitious, Scherzinger concluded the second act (of three) with a ten minute version of Prince's "Purple Rain," which was extra lush thanks to the strings, horns, and keyboards.

It's a tune she's performed several times, even once on The Masked Singer. As in the past, she nailed it Monday.

Throughout the night she played up the high maintenance arrogant diva role in a sarcastic way that was both very believable and humorous, sticking with the Desmond vibe.

"Some people think that I'm in this for the spotlight," she said before breaking into a medley of crowd-pleasing Pussycat Doll songs to conclude the program. "Those people are drunk. Kidding. Those people are jealous. I'm still kidding. Or am I?"

Nicole will be taking this show to LA for, yes, one night only, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Tickets available on her website. But hurry, very few are available.