Andrew Lloyd Webber 'Furious' Nicole Scherzinger Quit Broadway's Cats Revival for Simon Cowell

Andrew Lloyd Webber is not happy with Nicole Scherzinger, who received an Olivier nomination for her role of Grizabella in London's Cats revival and was expected to reprise her performance in the upcoming Broadway production. Turns out, she pulled out at the eleventh hour. "I'm furious because I really believe she's the most fantastically talented girl and I went out on a limb to get her for the London Palladium here," the legendary composer told The Economist Radio. "Never mind. There will be another girl on Broadway and Nicole will not get her Tony Award."

It transpires that Scherzinger has chosen to be a judge on Simon Cowell's X Factor instead, which although only had a brief run in the U.S. is still on air in the U.K. "A week before we were going into rehearsals with Cats on Broadway, which luckily I'm not producing, I have to say, she calls me and says she's decided she wants to do X Factor having agreed everything," Lloyd Webber revealed to the British radio show. "I mean, she's crazy. But the American producers take the view, that's fine, we'll get somebody else. Because she's actually not really well known in America, she's much better known here."

The revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning Cats is scheduled to begin performances at the Neil Simon Theatre on July 14 and officially open on July 31.

Scherzinger has sold 50 million records with the Pussy Cat Dolls and 16 million records as a solo artist. Stage credits include Maureen in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl, directed by Neil Patrick Harris. Screen acting credits include How I Met Your Mother, Men in Black 3, Half & Half, My Wife and Kids, Love Don’t Cost a Thing and the upcoming Dirty Dancing remake. She has previously served as a judge on the U.K. X Factor and won the U.S. Dancing With the Stars in 2010. Cats would have been Scherzinger's Broadway debut.

As previously reported, the Cats cast will include Tyler Hanes as Rum Tum Tugger, Ricky Ubeda as Mistoffelees, Quentin Earl Darrington as Old Deuteronomy, Eloise Kropp as Jennyannydots / Gumbie, Giuseppe Bausilio as Carbucketty, Jeremy Davis as Skimbleshanks, Kim Faure as Demeter, Sara Jean Ford as Jellylorum, Lili Froehlich as Electra, Daniel Gaymon as Macavity, Shonica Gooden as Rumpleteazer, Christopher Gurr as Gus/Bustopher Jones, Andy Jones as Munkustrap, Kolton Krouse as Tumblebrutus, Jess LeProtto as Mungojerrie, Georgina Pazcoguin as Victoria, Emily Pynenburg as Cassandra, Arianna Rosario as Sillabub, Ahmad Simmons as Alonzo, Christine Cornish Smith as Bombalurina, Corey Snide as Coricopat, Emily Tate as Tantomile and Sharrod Williams as Pouncival.

We will bring you news of who will be playing Grizabella in New York as soon as it's in!