University Student Saves “La La Land” Concert After Musician Falls Ill

It’s rare, but sometimes, real life imitates art. In what could only be described as something that you would expect to see in a movie, a student recently jumped on stage during a “La La Land” concert to save the performance after the piano player fell ill.

The Sydney, Australia, concert was on the brink of disaster when the conductor, Justin Hurwitz, did something unprecedented. He asked if anyone in the audience was “an amazing sight-reader” who could play the musical pieces from the film for the duration of the performance. When a student, Sterling Nasa, raised his hand, the performance went from a typical opening night to something that has music fans around the world talking.

Justin Hurwitz Asked the Crowd for a Miracle

When one of the keyboard players fell ill during the performance, the show went into an extended intermission. According to multiple reports, Oscar-winning conductor Justin Hurwitz eventually appeared on the stage and asked the audience for a miracle.

"Is there somebody in the audience who is an amazing sight-reader?" Hurwitz asked. "The keyboard. Anyone like an amazing sight-reader?" In musical circles, “sight-reading” refers to the ability to play a piece of music having never heard it, relying solely on the sheet music in front of the musician.

Behind the scenes, members of the cast and crew were frantically searching for someone to fill in, but time was running out. Faced with the possibility of a significantly delayed or interrupted performance, he decided to see whether anyone in the audience possessed the rare combination of skill and courage needed to step in.

The Debut of Sterling Nasa

The odds certainly weren’t in Hurwitz’s favor. The capacity crowd of about 2,500 people had packed into the theater, and the likelihood of any of them being a good enough sight-reader was slim. That’s when a student, Sterling Nasa, raised his hand.

Nasa, a 21-year-old, had purchased a ticket to the show simply to enjoy the evening, which included a live performance of scores from the film while scenes played on a large screen behind the orchestra.

According to interviews afterward, it was actually a friend who encouraged him to volunteer. "She just said, 'Just do it, it'll be good Dad lore,'" Nasa recalled. "I thought, 'she's right,' so I put my hand up." Within moments, Nasa found himself walking to the front of an auditorium to join an orchestra in front of more than 2,000 “La La Land” fans.

The situation would have been intimidating for even seasoned performers. Nasa had never rehearsed with the orchestra, had never played the specific instrument he was assigned for the evening, and was expected to sight-read complex music in real time.

The Most Difficult Part Was Yet to Come

For much of the performance, Nasa was able to navigate the score while accompanying the orchestra. However, a particularly challenging part of the score loomed ahead. The song "Start a Fire," performed in the film by John Legend, includes an intricate synthesizer solo designed to match the energetic on-screen performance.

Nasa realized that he would probably not be able to play the score perfectly, at least as it was originally written. "The only one that caught me a little bit off guard was the synth solo in the 'Start a Fire,'" he said. "I saw it on the page, and I thought, 'I'm not going to be able to sight-read this,' so I took the liberty and just completely improvised the solo."

Instead of panicking, Nasa trusted his skills and adapted. The gamble paid off.

Hurwitz Called the Performance "Remarkable"

Hurwitz, who has worked with countless accomplished musicians, wasn’t the most impressed by Nasa’s ability to sight-read a score that he had never played before. Instead, he was amazed by his ability to improvise while still being in unison with the rest of the orchestra, a team that had spent countless hours preparing to play together.

"He saw it coming up, and he just improvised; that is a whole other skill on top of sight-reading. To be able to play a really cool solo in the right key, in the right scale, on the fly with no rehearsal, it was remarkable," Hurwitz said.

A Story That Felt Like 'La La Land'

“La La Land” is a movie about aspiring artists who take risks, pursue opportunities, and chase unlikely dreams. That may be why Sterling Nasa, an audience member turned pianist, is such a huge story today. The Sydney concert is likely to be one that Nasa, his friend, the audience, and the orchestra never forget.

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