Choreographer Fabian Aloise Found Nicole Scherzinger’s Cheekbones Inspiring in Sunset Blvd.

Fabian Aloise is currently making his Broadway debut as the choreographer for Jamie Lloyd's minimalist production of Sunset Blvd., which just picked up seven 2025 Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Aloise, who was Olivier-nominated for his work on the London revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, staged the show's much-in-the-news title song, which currently sees Olivier winner and 2025 Tony nominee Tom Francis singing the tune backstage at the St. James Theatre before heading onto W. 44th St. and subsequently returning to the stage just in time for the song's exciting conclusion.

Aloise will again join forces with director Lloyd this summer for the London Palladium staging of another Lloyd Webber musical, Evita, which will co-star Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez, the latter currently making his Broadway debut as Artie in Sunset Blvd. Aloise, it should be noted, had also choreographed Lloyd's Regent's Park staging of Evita, earning an Olivier nomination for his work.

Aloise's theatrical credits also include Much Ado About Nothing, starring Tom Hiddleston; The Tempest, starring Sigourney Weaver; In Dreams in Leeds and Toronto; The SpongeBob Musical in London as well as the U.K. and Ireland tour; Cabaret in Paris; and Bring It On The Musical in London and for the U.K. tour.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Aloise shares his journey from aspiring ballet dancer to musical theatre choreographer and how he helped create a whole new character for this production of Sunset Blvd.

Fabian Aloise during rehearsals for London's *Sunset Boulevard* Marc Brenner

Where did you train/study?
Fabian Aloise: I trained in classical ballet and contemporary dance at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia—both as a secondary (high school) student and at university level.

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I had a ballet teacher at the VCA who was also ballet mistress for the Australian Ballet company, my dream job upon graduating. She pulled me aside one day and told me that it wasn’t going to happen for me. I was not tall enough to start in the corps de ballet, and I wasn’t good enough to go in straight into the company as a soloist. I was devastated. She, however, told me of a company of West Side Story that was auditioning and encouraged me to enter the world of musical theatre. For me, a young ballet student, musical theatre was something I’d never considered. She told me, “You’ll excel in this field” and assured me that my technique was well above average, but my body wasn’t what the Australian Ballet company would hire as a company member. As harsh as it was at the time, she saved me from a life of disappointment and opened up a world of possibility.

Tom Francis and the company of *Sunset Boulevard* Marc Brenner

What were some of the challenges in creating the choreography for this production of Sunset, which has minimal sets and costumes?
Creating something that exists in a black box means that the possibilities are endless. The ensemble had to portray not only Hollywood wannabes clambering over each other for their next gig, but they’d also need to help navigate where we were in the story: creating alleyways, offices, film studios, car chases, and Norma’s mansion. The biggest challenge was incorporating the use of video within the choreography. Anything on screen had to live in perpetual close-up, meaning the choreography had to be minute and subtle. Off-screen, the choreography had to be bombastic and energetic in contrast.

Tom Francis' outside walk during the title song has received a lot of press coverage. Can you explain the genesis of that staging?
After Jamie Lloyd had told us all what he wanted from this moment, every department collaborated with each other to make it happen. Choreographically, the staging outside became integral in New York with regards to safely maneuvering around pedestrians, traffic and crossing streets, whilst still staring down the barrel of the lens and maintaining the overall look and physicality of the show for the people watching inside the St. James Theatre.

This production also utilizes a younger Norma, which was not part of the original production. Tell me about creating choreography for this additional character.
My goal was to create a haunting representation of a young star immortalized within the celluloid and out of reach from her older self. Anything choreographically for Young Norma derived from the cheekbones of Nicole Scherzinger. That is to say, many hours were spent with Nicole and myself in front of a mirror, tracing the lines of her face, cheekbones, and jawline. This was then pulled apart, augmented, and embodied through Young Norma [Hannah Yun Chamberlain]. A silken caress of a cheek evolved into a silken, contortive spine ripple, creating a hypnotic syllabus of movement to depict Norma’s memory of her.

What does it mean to you to be making your Broadway debut with this production? Had Broadway been a goal?
It means the world to me that my Broadway debut is with this production and this group of people. From the very start, the show has been a labor of love, and it’s a dream come true to have Broadway audiences experience my work and the show as a whole.

Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t.
Right after Covid, I wanted to give it all up and work in an animal sanctuary. Like many people, I felt like I had finally found my stride, and the pandemic had taken it away. However, I was asked to choreograph The SpongeBob Musical in the U.K., and collaborating with other artists reignited my love for creating theatre.

In such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
This is a two-pronged answer for me. I think there are certain days that theatre allows you to escape from the frustration and anxieties of daily life. But then again, theatre can also be a very important mirror that’s being held up to society and used as a tool to teach us about ourselves and the human experience. With so much happening currently in the world, we need theatre now more than ever.

What is your proudest achievement as a choreographer?
Being able to say I’ve choreographed a Broadway show! Having Sunset Blvd. as my Broadway debut, I couldn’t be more proud.

What do you consider your big break?
My big break was when I collaborated for the first time with Jamie Lloyd on Evita at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2019.

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
I wish I knew that it wasn’t a race. That I wasn’t competing with anyone but myself.