Is there a piano player in the house? Audience members step up to perform at La La Land in Sydney | Sydney

La La Land is most loved in Hollywoodwhere dreamers take chances and catch unexpected moments.

On Saturday night at the ICC’s Darling Harbor theatre, the idea came true for a 21-year-old university student who was tasked with portraying what happened in the film – and saving the concert from destruction.

Sterling NASA was in the audience for La La Land in Concert, a production where the film – starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – is shown on screen while an orchestra plays music to the film’s theme.

The performance went on for a long time, which reached 40 minutes. Then the composer and conductor of the film, who won an Oscar, Justin Hurwitz, came out alone to address the audience.

The band’s keyboardist fell ill suddenly. Did you happen to have a piano player in the house? And who has a special ability to read by sight?

Speaking to Guardian Australia on Monday, Hurwitz revealed that behind the scenes, a quiet fear had been brewing for some time.

“Our first thought was, is there a string player who also knows keyboards? The answer was no.”

As the orchestra made frantic phone calls to the locals, the musicians began calling for players 15 to 20 minutes away. But Hurwitz knew time was running out.

“I thought no one is as close as they say … so I thought, we have 2,500 people in here …

“Yes, it was gambling.

“That’s why I asked several times.” I wanted to prove that someone is not overconfident.” I asked a few follow-up questions like, ‘Are you sure?

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Nasa, who plays the piano and organ and is a bag teacher at his old school, Scots College, hesitated to make another call.

“I was a little scared,” the University of Sydney politics and international studies student of ABC Radio Monday morning. “I owe a lot of knowledge to my girlfriend, Scarlett, who was like… she raised my hand.

A long-time admirer of Hurwitz’s work, Nasa suddenly found himself sitting at an electronic keyboard, poring over complex documents he had never attempted.

The final test came during John Legend’s piece Start a Fire, which features an amazing animation designed to match the hand movements of Gosling’s character on screen. It was the exact moment Hurwitz was most nervous about.

“The synth solo is very technical, and I thought, even the most skilled singer couldn’t do it,” he said. “When I first started, I thought, ‘No, how is he going to be able to sing alone?'”

Nasa told the ABC they were thinking the same thing.

“I saw it on the couch and thought, oh, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to read it in one sitting,” he said.

As Sebastian, Gosling’s jazz pianist, the student had to choose between staying in the shadows or taking a leap of faith. With no time to think too much, he decided to trust his instincts.

“I took a little bit of creative freedom and just thought about editing, which I think turned out to be a good decision.”

The gamble paid off, carrying the musicians through the number – and prompting NASA to shout loudly from the audience.

“He saw it coming … and he just made it right,” Hurwitz said.

“That’s another skill above reading fact. To be able to play a perfect solo in the right key, in the right scale, on the fly without rehearsing – it was amazing.”

The back story after the final bow was full of mistrust.

“I just told him how I was, and obviously I was grateful,” Hurwitz said. “All our heads were spinning a little because it was such a long time.”

By Monday morning, the 21-year-old was experiencing a whirlwind of sorts, being shuttled between morning television and radio studios to explain his sudden taste for showbiz fame.

Reflecting on the amazing turn of events, Nasa said it was an unforgettable opportunity to sing a song she has loved for years.

He said: “It was a great blessing to do a job that I love so much.”

As the decision-making body tries to train new keyboard players for the upcoming Melbourne and Brisbane legs of the tour, NASA will return to its regular university courses.

But has the student missed his calling in life?

Hurwitz said while the young Sydneysider has musical talent, the decision is his own.

“I don’t know what they like best,” Hurwitz said. “Maybe he likes international relations more than music. But that’s what La La Land is about. You have to do what you love the most.”