Cole Escola, Broadway’s reigning camp goblin and newly crowned Best Actor in a Play winner (congrats you glittery menace!), had a moment when Nicole Scherzinger was announced as the Best Actress in a Musical at the 2025 Tony Awards. And no, this wasn’t a polite golf clap. It was pure chaos energy. Think: Lucille Bluth hearing someone ordered a vodka rocks.
In the press room, as Nicole’s name was called, Cole dramatically gasped, flailed like a drag queen spotting a Sephora sale, and said, “Who is it? Nicole? Wow. The speculating is over. Wow. Four years. Four more years.” Like they were inaugurating her into the Church of Dramatic Belt Notes and Satin Gloves.
Naturally, the internet spiraled faster than Idina Menzel on a fog-covered stage. So two days later, Cole hopped on Insta Stories to clarify: “I meant it like, she won, and she’s the president of musicals now, duh. But also, everyone calm your sequins. Broadway girls can coexist. We don’t all have to fight like it’s Act II of Dreamgirls.”
And guess what? Cole and Nicole aren’t just not feuding—they’re actual friends. Bestie vibes, award-winning selfies, post-show champagne chugs. They even rang in New Year’s Eve together at Patti LuPone’s house, which we can only assume was just one long, cursed key change away from collapsing into a showtune wormhole.
So no drama, no diva smackdowns, just two stars slaying the same galaxy.
✨#TonyTension #ColeVsNicoleButMakeItCute #BroadwayIsBonkers
After winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, Cole Escola was speaking to the press when Nicole Scherzinger won Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and they had a hilarious reaction: "four more years." pic.twitter.com/fDcUyIARCu
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 9, 2025
