Broadway

Audience Member Joins Orchestra for La La Land in Concert After Performer Falls Ill

During the opening night of Justin Hurwitz's La La Land in Concert at Sydney's Darling Harbour Theatre, an audience member stepped in to perform with the orchestra after a musician fell ill.

BroadwayWorld·Jun 1, 2026·via BroadwayWorld

Audience Member Joins Orchestra for La La Land in Concert After Performer Falls Ill

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Sterling Nasa, a 21-year-old university student, took the stage for an impromptu performance.

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A special moment took place in Sydney this weekend when an audience member took the stage to join the orchestra during the opening night performance of Justin Hurwitz ’s La La Land in Concert at the Darling Harbour Theatre.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald , a musician became too ill to continue performing midway through the concert. Following an extended intermission, Oscar-winning composer and conductor Justin Hurwitz addressed the crowd and asked whether there was a keyboard player in the audience capable of sight-reading the score. Encouraged by his friend to volunteer, Sterling Nasa, a 21-year-old university student, raised his hand, and soon took the stage to perform in front of a 2,500-seat audience.

Nasa played the celeste, also known as a bell-piano, an instrument he had never played before. After being on stage for a mere 90 seconds, the show continued with Nasa playing along.

After being nervous for the first 10 minutes, Nasa said he felt right at home on stage. "Just stay focused, try your best, you’re not completely out of your depth," he told the Herald of his inner monologue during the performance.

Nasa shared that he even improvised a solo part in the song "Start a Fire" when he noticed that he wouldn't be able to sight read what was on the page.

"It’s a very technical solo that Ryan Gosling plays," 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."

A fan in attendance captured the moment Nasa was called on stage and posted it to social media. Check out the video:

Read the original story on The Sydney Morning Herald .

La La Land in Concert will continue performances in Brisbane and Melbourne in June.

Winner of six Oscars, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song, La La Land showcases the captivating story of a promising pianist and aspiring actress who cross paths and fall in love, while attempting to harmonize their career journeys in the city of stars.

La La Land In Concert features a full orchestra and jazz ensemble accompanying a screening of the film. Experience the vivid musical moments central to the film; traditional jazz, upbeat orchestral numbers, and intimate, melodic piano themes – a nostalgic love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals.

The film's composer, Justin Hurwitz , whose accolades include two Grammys, two Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song for "City of Stars," will conduct the orchestra at the Sydney show. George Ellis will conduct Melbourne and Brisbane shows.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Audience-Member-Joins-Orchestra-For-LA-LA-LAND-IN-CONCERT-in-Sydney-After-Performer-Falls-Ill-20260601)._

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