Is there a pianist in the house? Audience member steps up to perform in La La Land in Sydney
An audience member stepped in to perform at a La La Land concert in Sydney after the keyboardist fell ill. Sterling Nasa, a 21-year-old university student, volunteered to play and successfully navigated a complex score. His improvisation during a challenging synthesizer solo earned him applause and gratitude from the concert's composer, Justin Hurwitz.
- ▪Sterling Nasa was in the audience when the concert's keyboardist suddenly fell ill.
- ▪He volunteered to perform and successfully played a complex score without prior rehearsal.
- ▪Nasa's improvisation during a challenging synthesizer solo impressed both the audience and the concert's composer.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
1:04Audience member takes over from ill keyboardist at Sydney La La Land concert – videoSydneyIs there a pianist in the house? Audience member steps up to perform in La La Land in SydneySterling Nasa had tickets to see Justin Hurwitz’s La La Land in Concert. When the keyboardist suddenly fell ill, he found himself on stage performing Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Kelly BurkeMon 1 Jun 2026 00.17 EDTLast modified on Mon 1 Jun 2026 00.18 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleLa La Land is a much adored homage to Hollywood, where dreamers take chances and seize unexpected moments.On Saturday night at the ICC’s Darling Harbour theatre, that idea became a reality for a 21-year-old university student who was thrust into the spotlight at a live performance of the…
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