DWTS Former Contestants – Where Are They Now? Nicole Scherzinger Edition
Yes, I know….everyone knows that Nicole is one of the judges on the X-Factor. It’s common knowledge and lots of you watch the show. I’m not one who watches the show because I’m over singing competitions, especially those that include Simon Cowell. I only have room for AI and the Voice.
ANYWAY, the reason why I decided to pick up the “Where are they now” method of killing time between seasons is because I found this video from this past weekend of Nicole singing at the Royal Variety Show in London. Singing Opera…as in Christine from Phantom of the Opera. When Nicole said she is a trained singer, she wasn’t kidding – she KILLED this. No lip syncing, per one of her Phantoms. 
Perhaps all future XF contestants should watch this and then not even try out if they can’t measure up. This lady is more than a singer from a girl band. Of course, it helps if you just love musical theater and Phantom of the Opera. I actually get misty. 
Incredible!! She’s so unbelievably talented! I just love her! She’s so gorgeous too! She reminds me of an Aztec Queen or Goddess! She’s going to be around for a long time to come!!
She is singing on the X factor tonight too. I saw that Joey Fatone is doing a show with Rachel Rey and Guy Fieri that is similair to worst cooks in America and Aaron Carter is on it as well.
Also, I read that Jenifer Grey is doing something for TV as well. Its actually a cool concept too.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2011/12/jennifer-grey-mortified-by-junior-high-photo/1
Wow, that was AMAZING!!! Nicole is so incredibly talented!!-I realized how great a songstress she was when she was partnered w/Derek and use to sing during rehearsals. I’m blown away by this performance!
Nicole has been working non-stop since she won DWTS! Amazing dancer and AMAZING songstress, she is the real deal. I would love to see her and Derek perform again on DWTS!!
Thanks for posting this Heidi!-I’m moved!!
That would be so cool, Dee!! And to think…both are just that more crafted at what they do now since they last danced. Can you imagine what a new dance might be like with these two?
Nicole was *by far* the strongest ‘amateur’ dancer to ever appear on DWTS. I am not at all a fan of Derek Hough but he and she were an absolute pleasure to watch.
Vogue, OMG, it Derek & Nicole performing again would be INCREDIBLE!!! They need to make it happen..
For now, I’m so moved by that Phantom of the Opera performance. They were all AMAZING!! Go Nicole!
Jennifer Grey’on sundance “Mortified Sessions” was fantastic as always. She’s so easy to fall in love with. Been lovin her even more after DWTS.Her natural grace & passion for what she loves to do makes her one amazingly phenomenal performer!She s inspirational, her love for family, friends is inspirational.
It was a nice performance by Nicole, but the classical musician in me just wants to make sure that everyone knows that Phantom of the Opera is not actually opera, right?
Does anyone remember Anna Trebunskaya’s blog during Nicole’s season on DWTS? Anna posted a rehearsal clip (maybe from the group dance?) where Nicole stopped and sang a little bit of opera. It was amazing!!
Here is the link to Anna’s blog– Nicole sings Ave Maria.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/05/annas-exclusive-video-blog-reveals-dwts-nicole-scherzinger-singing-opera
I love Nicole and this performance was great – but not amazing IMO.
I have seen and heard many Christines over the years and she isn’t the worst I’ve heard – but she isn’t at the top either.
The Royal Variety is never shown live on tv. The actual show is about 4 hours long and what we see on tv is just over 2. I’m sure she did it live at the show and most of it remained after the editing. But I believe the cadenza at the end has been edited. It’s obviously still Nicole singing – just in a recording studio instead.
My favorite performance of The Phantom song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAYeqyrFWWU
This is pretty good although I still prefer the version by Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler
OMG Lizz, thanks for the link. Nicole’s “Ava Maria” is so pretty. Did she record that song by chance? Wow! That’s one of my favorite Christmas songs this time of year.
I think everyone is smart enough to figure that out, Ewfan – although I have heard her sing actual opera and she’s pretty damn good.
I think she is very talented..I don’t know that she gets the credit she deserves even sometimes..I am not even a huge fan of hers, but definitely recognize that she is a true triple threat.
ps…Dear Gosh, I love Ramin Karimloo (the bearded phantom)..His singing is just effortless. He was Enjorlas in the 25th anniversary of Les Mis..and captivated me then!..he’s also Canadian, which is a bonus for me!
Kenna: I love Ramin too
He is of course best known for originating the role of the Phantom in the sequel to “Phantom of the Opera”: “Love Never Dies”. (Nothing to do with Ramin – but I hate that show)
I think John Owen-Jones(1st man to sing) and Earl Carpenter(4th) stole the show in the Royal Variety Performance though.
I was watching the movie version today and all I kept thinking was that Nicole would have been better as Christine in the movie.
Gitte: Awesome!..yah, I have not really looked too much into Love Never Dies, as I have not heard too many good things about it, haha ..unfortunately!..and yes, all the phantoms were amazing!
She is a good singer, but after growing up listening to Sarah Brightman and other Christine’s, I can’t say Nicole’s version was at the very top. I wouldn’t even say it was close to some of the other’s.
Mo: That’s the way I feel too. I’m used to hearing the likes of Sarah Brightman, Rebecca Caine and Claire Moore.
Well, considering that Nicole doesn’t do that sort of singing regularly or for a living, like your favorites do, then she’s pretty damn amazing. You have to sing that way all the time to hone that talent.
She is just so talented and beautiful!! Man and to think she can go from Pussycat Doll to this is just incredible. She obvoiusly is not only extremely talented but also a hard worker. She has my respect, alright on top of a big fat freakin crush.
Heidi: I wasn’t putting Nicole down – she IS an amazing singer and I think she did a great job.
I’m not saying that other people shouldn’t sing these songs. But to people like me (and I’m guessing Mo) who are used to hearing musical theatre performers and classical artists sing them – it just doesn’t sound completely right.
I’m not a snob when it comes to musical theatre(or classical music) – I’m all for spreading this wonderful music to all kinds of people.
Actually the clip I posted earlier is a great example: The woman in the clip is a trained opera singer and hadn’t done much musical theatre before(the clip is from 2000/2001) and the guy is a musical theatre performer who never had a singing lesson in his life.
yah, there are definitely better renditions…but not everyone has the range she does, I don’t think. Range in the sense that she can sing a song like that..and then sing like a pussy cat doll.On the flip side, It is not all that common for a strictly classical singer to be able to sing other styles like pop all that well, I don’t think. And on top of it, she can dance, and is a decent actress, from what I have seen! Again, not her biggest fan (a fan nonetheless)..but can definitely respect her talent!
I wonder if they can get one of those Phantoms for DWTS season 14. That would be great. Or maybe just the original phantom on broadway (forgot his name) he has a great voice and won a tony i beleiv for the role.
Vin: The original Phantom is Michael Crawford and I highly doubt he or any of these four would be asked.
Only one of the four singing with Nicole has been on Broadway to my knowledge, and neither of them are really known to the American public. Only the theatre going public would know any of them – even Michael Crawford.
I wouldn’t mind seeing them on the show, but I think I will more likely be SCD than DWTS.
Kenna: Absolutely. There are very few musical theatre performers that also have a highly succesful recording and concert career in pop. The most succesful in the UK are without a doubt Michael Ball, Elaine Paige and Sarah Brightman(All three of them have been on Broadway too)
I think that some part of the American public knows about them. I didn’t know who Giles was before he was on the show but it skyrocked him to bigger and better things (most notably the now defunct “Brothers and Sisters”, which is severely missed (i only started watching in the second to last season and was hooked).