Alicia Keys on Bringing Hell’s Kitchen to Broadway (April 2024)

Summary

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Episode Summary: Alicia Keys on Bringing Hell’s Kitchen to Broadway

Date: August 31, 2025
Original Air Date: April 2024
Guest: Alicia Keys

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Overview

In this episode, Willie Geist sits down with multi-Grammy winner Alicia Keys at the Shubert Theater in New York to discuss her long-in-the-works Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen. Inspired by Alicia’s upbringing in Manhattan Plaza in New York's Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the show is a coming-of-age story centered on a 17-year-old girl named Ali and her relationship with her mother. While not directly autobiographical, the musical draws deeply from Alicia’s life experiences, weaving her iconic songs—reimagined for the stage—and newly written numbers into a celebration of family, self-discovery, and New York’s vibrant spirit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dream Realized: Hell’s Kitchen Comes to Broadway

Location: [03:24–04:19]

• Alicia reflects on sitting on the Shubert Theater stage:
  • “It's kind of incredible to be up here, to be talking about this show, Hell’s Kitchen, with you in the middle of New York City telling this New York story about Allie, a 17 year old girl who's trying to find her way…” (Alicia Keys, 03:38)
• The show is a dream come true, 13 years in the making. Alicia recalls going to Broadway as a kid with her mother, never imagining her own story would end up here.

2. Mother-Daughter Relationships at the Heart

Location: [04:33–06:41]

• Alicia discusses the rare focus on mother-daughter dynamics in theater:
  • “One of the things...there aren’t many mother-daughter stories. And so telling that story is really dynamic...because those relationships around us are so influential, sometimes they get very rocky, and sometimes it forces you to discover who you want to be.” (Alicia Keys, 04:45)
• The story is both universal and personal, speaking to anyone navigating family relationships and self-identity.

3. From Seed to Stage: The Evolution of Hell’s Kitchen

Location: [06:41–09:57]

• The origins: Inspired by Alicia’s own life growing up in subsidized Manhattan Plaza, surrounded by artists and New York’s energy—particularly in the gritty ’90s.
• “I knew that I wanted to talk about these stories. I wanted to talk about this girl, this time in life...Hell's Kitchen was quite a dark place in the '90s...these themes are what started to circle around and that's what I knew. There was something special there.” (Alicia Keys, 08:12)

4. Artistic Integrity and Creative Collaborators

Location: [09:57–11:31]

• Alicia insists on being deeply involved, curating collaborators like book writer Kristoffer Diaz and director Michael Greif:
  • “This is like, it's so important. I treasure the art. I treasure the art form, all of the art forms that I'm able to be a part of. It's sacred. It's a craft. It requires care and time.” (Alicia Keys, 10:08)
• The blend of “newbie energy” and Broadway veterans makes for a dynamic creative process.

5. Universal Themes Beyond Hell’s Kitchen

Location: [11:31–12:04]

• Willie acknowledges the musical’s broad resonance:
  • “You don't have to have grown up in Hell's Kitchen...there are pieces of this show about different relationships...that are going to hit anybody.” (Willie Geist, 11:38)
• Alicia agrees, affirming that the show is for anyone—no matter where you’re from.

6. Autobiography vs. Universal Story

Location: [13:50–15:14]

• Alicia explains the main character isn't her, but echoes her experiences:
  • “Ally is kind of a little bit more gullible, a little bit more naive even...It's intentionally not autobiographical...It really shows you what it takes to kind of find your way in the world. And that's why it becomes everybody’s story.” (Alicia Keys, 14:09)
• At its core, it’s a love story between a mother and daughter: “No matter what, there is this deep, profound connection that you share.” (Alicia Keys, 15:14)

7. Reimagining Alicia Keys’ Music for the Stage

Location: [16:07–20:16]

• Alicia deconstructs the expectation that this is just an Alicia Keys jukebox show:
  • “They don't want you to come in here and just kind of think you were going to get what you thought you were going to get. You're not musically actually...the songs are arranged and composed that tell the story...even I'm like, why didn’t I ever do this?” (Alicia Keys, 16:07)
• Collaboration with director Michael Greif led to new, sometimes surprising placements of familiar songs.
• “Fallen” is radically transformed and performed by a male character (Brandon Victor Dixon):
  • “When he sings it, no one can believe it...we purposefully created a sonic for it that is quite different from ‘Fallen’, although you recognize it and you can sing along with it...” (Alicia Keys, 18:39)

8. Original Songs and Creative Decisions

Location: [20:16–22:25]

• New songs fill specific story needs, like “Seventeen,” written when Alicia found her prior track “Superwoman” didn’t fit:
  • “...that was when I started to write this song in the show that I would consider my first musical theater song, I think, that I've written—called ‘Seventeen’. It’s one of my favorite songs in the show.” (Alicia Keys, 21:18)

9. Talent and Authentic New York Spirit

Location: [22:25–25:14]

• Top-to-bottom, the cast and creative team bring unmatched energy and authenticity to the stage, many making their Broadway debut.
• Casting focused on capturing a genuine New York energy:
  • “That New York energy is very important, and we're talking about a very specific time...You can't teach it. I can't teach you how to embody it, I can't teach you how to present it. You don't have to be from New York, but you have to have a certain thing.” (Alicia Keys, 24:27)

10. Opening Night: Emotions and Reflections

Location: [27:50–29:54]

• Alicia expresses a sense of steady pride before opening, not nerves:
  • “I don’t feel nerve wracked. I feel quite steady...You can’t rush greatness...When it’s time, it’s time. And I do feel now is the time. And so I feel steady.” (Alicia Keys, 28:11)
• The personal resonance of seeing “Hell’s Kitchen” in lights at the Shubert:
  • “I can't put into words what that feels like. This is crazy. And so I'm thrilled about it because it is such a solid, heartfelt, coming-of-age story, and it works, and I'm so proud of it.” (Alicia Keys, 29:54)

11. Giving Back: Mentorship and Fellowship

Location: [30:27–31:21]

• The Hell’s Kitchen fellowship program aims to open the door for emerging artists, reflecting Alicia’s commitment to supporting new talent.

12. Alicia Keys’ Own Coming-of-Age

Location: [31:21–37:05+]

• Discussion of Alicia’s musical beginnings—starting piano at 7, singing before playing, performing in school plays.
• The discipline of classical training and how it shaped her work ethic and musical style:
  • “I’m grateful for what the piano taught me in regards to dedication and patience and work diligence, the craft of how to become better, how to continue to grow...” (Alicia Keys, 34:22)
• Her early record deal and meteoric debut with “Fallen” and Songs in A Minor—from struggles and fear to trusting her own vision.

13. Identity, Authenticity, and Advice

Location: [37:05–39:56]

• Alicia connects her journey to Ali’s: the pressure to conform and the resilience to stay true to yourself.

  • “People do try to make you who they want you to be...But I found my way through that...and that gave me what I like to think is something different. No one knew what to do with me...” (Alicia Keys, 37:05)

• Final wisdom on trusting your instincts:

  • “You do know who you are...At least it did so because you made that choice. And I think that’s what I've learned, that I can live with that. I can feel great about that, actually, and then I can keep going.” (Alicia Keys, 39:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the lack of mother-daughter stories:

  • “There are many father-son stories. There are not many mother-daughter stories. And so telling that story is really dynamic.” (Alicia Keys, 04:45)

• On reshaping familiar songs:

  • “I intentionally wanted to deconstruct the expectation of what you might get from the song.” (Alicia Keys, 16:07)

• Pride in community and family:

  • “The amount of people that say, I called my mom, or the amount of mothers that say, my child, they wrote me this thing after they saw this show...It’s going to bring you together and it’s going to fill you with spirit and love.” (Alicia Keys, 40:22)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:24: Onstage at the Shubert Theater, Alicia shares how she feels as the show finally arrives on Broadway.
• 04:45: Discussion about the significance and rarity of mother-daughter stories in theater.
• 08:12: Alicia recounts her upbringing and the real-life inspiration behind the show’s setting.
• 10:08: Insights on the importance of respect for the musical theater art form and picking the right collaborators.
• 16:07: How Alicia reworked her catalog for the show and the creative process behind musical arrangements.
• 18:39: The radical, surprising reinvention of “Fallen” for the stage.
• 21:18: Story behind writing the new song “Seventeen.”
• 24:27: Casting choices that embody the spirit of New York.
• 28:11: Alicia explains her calm excitement and pride in finally bringing Hell’s Kitchen to the stage.
• 31:21: Reflections on how playing piano as a child opened new worlds for Alicia.
• 34:22: The discipline and demands of classical piano and its formative influence.
• 37:05: Parallels between Ali’s journey and Alicia’s own struggle to assert her identity in music.
• 39:18: On trusting yourself and forging your own path, regardless of uncertainty.

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Final Thoughts

Willie Geist’s sitdown with Alicia Keys offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes journey through her musical, personal, and creative worlds. Hell’s Kitchen emerges as not only a tribute to Alicia’s beloved New York and her own artistic roots, but as a universal story about family, identity, and the courage to find—and be—yourself. The episode is filled with warmth, laughter, meaningful advice, and a celebration of artistry and community, both on and off stage.

Transcript

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[Alicia Keys]

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[Willie Geist]

Hey.

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. So very excited to bring you my conversation this week with, for my Money, one of the most talented people currently striding the earth. She is Alicia Keys, 16 Grammys to her name, more than 65 million records sold since her debut in 2001 when she was 20 years old. The song is Fallen. You know it, you love it. The album is Songs in A Minor. It went to number one. She won five Grammys and the rest has been history since then. She's got a musical out now on Broadway. It's called Hell's Kitchen, was a big hit off Broadway at the Public Theater in New York and now is graduated and moving up to the Shubert Theater in New York. Alicia is not in the show. You don't go to the show and see her on stage, but the show is loosely based on her life. She says it's not autobiographical, but certainly inspired by it. It she grew up herself in Hell's Kitchen. She grew up with a single mother. She learned how to love music while growing up in her building in Hell's Kitchen. And so the character Ally, the lead in the show, has a lot of that in her life too, but some different things too. So many parallels with music at the center of it. It's not a big sing along to Alicia Keys music show, but Alicia Keys music is in the show. She rearranged all of her hit songs so that they would fit into the show seamlessly with the dialogue. So they come in and the crowd screams, I can tell you I went to a show the minute they recognized some of those notes. So it is a beautiful show. It's incredibly well acted. The singers are unbelievable choreographers.

[Willie Geist]

Great. So I think people are going to.

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Love to see Hell's Kitchen. So Alicia and I got together the other day. We're sitting just to kind of get your head in the right place on stage at the Schubert Theater where this show is being performed, Hell's Kitchen. And it is a dream come true for her as she grew up just around the corner from the theater, four or five block, going to see Broadway shows with her mother. So very cool to catch her in this moment just before opening night of the show she's been dreaming about and working on for more than a decade. So I'll get out of the way and let you listen to the conversation right now with Alicia Keys on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Willie Geist]

Alicia, yay. We're here.

[Alicia Keys]

We're here.

[Willie Geist]

Congratulations.

[Alicia Keys]

Thank you.

[Willie Geist]

What does it feel like to be sitting on the stage at the Shubert Theater of the show you've been working on for almost a decade and a half?

[Alicia Keys]

Right.

[Willie Geist]

And now it's here.

[Alicia Keys]

Well, I definitely have not done an interview on this stage before, so this is for sure a first. I'm spending so much time out in the audience to make sure that everything's translating and feeling really good. So it's kind of incredible to be up here, to be talking about this show, Health's Kitchen, with you in the middle of New York City telling this New York story about Allie, a 17 year old girl who's trying to find her way, feeling quite rebellious, looking for her museum, her passion being raised by a single mother who's quite overprotective in New York City, which you can understand why. So it's unbelievable. I don't have the words I've been saying.

[Willie Geist]

I think I was too enthusiastic when you sat down about the show because I saw it a couple of nights ago and I think I gave away the whole interview before we started.

[Alicia Keys]

So that's okay.

[Willie Geist]

We can start over kind of.

[Alicia Keys]

Let's do it again.

[Willie Geist]

But my gosh, I sat right there with my mom.

[Alicia Keys]

Wow.

[Willie Geist]

And a lot of this show is about Allie and her mom. It is with some reflections about your relationship with your mother. Although this is not autobiographical. How important was that relationship to this story?

[Alicia Keys]

This, you know, telling a mother Daughter story is really, really important. And one of the things I think we've discovered along the lines of being off Broadway at the public and really developing the story is that there aren't. That there are many father son stories. There are not many mother daughter stories. And so I was very surprised to kind of think of that because Oscar brought that up from the public, and I said, wow, is that true? And if you think about it, it's such a special relationship, such a unique relationship. And so telling that story is really dynamic. And so whether you're actually a parent or whether you are a young person, you know, in that 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, and you're trying to find who you are, which all of us are in the process of finding, that those relationships around us are so influential, sometimes they get very rocky. And sometimes it forces you to have to discover who you want to be. And I think that's at the core of it. Who are you actually without everybody telling you who you're supposed to be? And how does your community help you find your way? And how do you find those sparks that help you realize that there is more for you out here than you might imagine? And the fear that we inherit from our loved ones, because our loved ones go through so many, so much, so many difficulties or hard times, and they just want to protect you. They just want you to not feel that or not have to live through that. And that's what Jersey, who's played by Shoshana Bean, who is absolutely mind blowing.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Alicia Keys]

Not to mention Malia Joy Moon, who is a new discovery in the theater. This is her first Broadway, this is her introduction to Broadway, and she's stunning. But that you inherit the fear of those that love you sometimes. So how do you overcome that is some of what you are finding yourself thinking about.

[Willie Geist]

So, Alicia, can we go back to the beginning of the idea of this? It's a long road, like I said, 13 years. I think it's been.

[Alicia Keys]

Yeah.

[Willie Geist]

So I'm doing the math. You're a young woman, right, thinking about a Broadway show. What were those early ideas? What did you see? And how does it compare to what's being performed on this stage?

[Alicia Keys]

It, you know, it began as a girl with. With my mother, who was, you know, the kind of quintessential New York story is. She's living. Is the quintessential New York story. Thank God, because I love her so much. And she moved from Toledo, Ohio, begged her mom to come to NYU to study, just to study stage theater, and ended up coming here at 19. And so as our life progressed, she would always take me to the theater, which I think maybe you relate to.

[Willie Geist]

Yes, I do.

[Alicia Keys]

And this was a special thing for us. We would stand on the TKTS line and get the inexpensive tickets so we could go to see different shows. And I remember seeing shows that really opened me up to so much of what Broadway is. I remember seeing Rent. I remember seeing Noise Funk. I remember seeing, you know, Chicago or. I just remember seeing so many films, so many pieces. So as I was starting to express my creativity and find my way as an artist, it was always something that I knew that there were these diverse stories that I'd experienced in my life, but I wasn't always seeing them translated out in the world. And so this building that I grew up in, Manhattan Plaza, which really is the set of where we're sitting right now, and it's the foundation of Hell's Kitchen. It really takes place in this building. These buildings are very famous. They're one of a kind. There's two towers that stand opposite each other on 42nd, between 42nd and 43rd, between 9th and 10th Avenues. And these buildings are the one place where it was subsidized living for artists. So my mother ended up moving into this building. I ended up growing up in this building. And those stories, those New York experiences, are really what has shaped Hell's Kitchen. And I just knew that I wanted to talk about these stories. I wanted to talk about these people. I wanted to talk about this girl, this time in life. That's. So I wanted to talk about this culture in the 90s with music and fashion and what the world was like. Hell's Kitchen was quite a dark place in the 90s. You know, it was actually very dangerous, very dark. It was a hard place to grow up as a kid and definitely as a girl, a young woman. And so these themes are what started to circle around. And that's what I knew. There was something special there. And I had to figure out, how can I bring that to life? And people would always ask me, will you do musicals? Will you write music for films? Will you do a musical film? A musical TV show, A musical? And I was like, maybe. And I was just trying to figure out, what would I do? And so all of those inspirations and kind of pushed me to developing hell's kitchen ultimately, 13 years ago.

[Willie Geist]

And knowing what I know about you is you weren't just going to hand this to somebody else and say, right, you guys make the show, throw my name on It. No, that's not your style.

[Alicia Keys]

No. This is like, it's so important. I treasure the art. I treasure the art form, all of the art forms that I'm able to be a part of. It's sacred. You know, it's a craft. It's something that requires the care and the time. And all of the pieces have to come together perfectly, which is why the book writer, Chris Diaz, was such an intentional choice. He and I have been together the longest on this road because finding the person to, you know, here was this idea. How do you bring it to life? So finding that partnership was really important, and he's been the most amazing partner in the process. And then identifying Michael Greif, who is a veteran in the space, you know, one of my first shows was Rent, you know, and so, you know, this. His expertise has been so important to be able to make sure that there's kind of this newbie energy mixed with this very, very veteran clear vision as well, and that's important. So all of these pieces that I've been personally, like, doctoring together and then with the help of an incredible team, make it feel. I mean, it's, It's. It's undeniable. You're going to love this. There's no way you come here and don't feel yourself and your community and your world inside of it.

[Willie Geist]

And I have to say, you don't have to have grown up in Hell's Kitchen or come from this community to be touched and moved. I grew up in Jersey, across the river.

[Alicia Keys]

Right.

[Willie Geist]

Because there are pieces of this show about different relationships in your life that are going to hit anybody sitting out there.

[Alicia Keys]

That's right. It's family, it's community, it's real life. It's those nuances that you relate to because everyone goes through them in their own way. So I agree. And that's what I love about it. You can come from France, you can come from Jersey, you can come from Alabama. It doesn't matter. You're going to find yourself here.

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Hey, guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Alicia Keys right after the break.

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[Alicia Keys]

They are?

[Numerica Credit Union Announcer]

Yeah. We help you manage your money with confidence, using tools and guidance tailored to your goals. So whether you're building breathing room into your budget or saving for your dream home like Me Numerica is there every step of the way because your goals and your life matter. Money where it matters. Federally insured by ncua.

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[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Welcome back. Now more my conversation with Alicia Keys.

[Willie Geist]

So to be clear, this is not autobiographical. People might come in and say, oh, I'm watching the story of Alicia Keys life. It's not. There are elements of your experience and your story, of course, that are in this. So how, when I come to watch this, do I delineate between Alicia Keys and Ali? Like, where are the differences as you see them?

[Alicia Keys]

You know, there are differences. Actually, Ally is kind of a little bit more gullible, a little bit more naive even. You know, she's really been quite protected, and so she's just starting to find her wings in her space. But it's intentionally not autobiographical because this is a story that really takes the essence that, that kind of New York experience, essence and brings it into a way, into a storyline that really, that really, that really shows you what it takes to kind of find your way in the world. And that's why it becomes everybody's story. Because no matter what part of our life we're in, we're all looking for who we are now, who we're becoming, and how do we get there, which is not always an easy road, you know. And I think ultimately what it really is, and this I can relate to very much, is a love story between a mother and a daughter.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah.

[Alicia Keys]

And you really recognize a love story between a parent and a child, and you really Recognize that no matter what, there is this deep, profound connection that you share. And even through the rocky parts of trying to figure out, and the disconnection and the. The tension and the. All of those, the angst which we've all experienced, you know, there's no one you can trust more than your mother, you know, and it's incredible. So the songs, so many of the songs which I've written, new songs, and there's also some favorite songs in there, they're done in a way that even I never expected them to be portrayed. Course, putting it together, I intentionally wanted to deconstruct the expectation of what you might get from the song.

[Willie Geist]

Right.

[Alicia Keys]

So they don't want you to come in here and just kind of think you were going to get what you thought you were going to get. You're not musically actually. And so there's so many ways that the songs are arranged and composed that tell the story of what you're experiencing, that even I'm like, why didn't I ever do this? Why didn't I think to do that song in that way before? I performed it like hundreds of times. But I never thought it never meant that to me before. And that's what I think has been thrilling as the songwriter, too. The songs mean something brand new to me. Not to mention the new songs, which I'm so excited for everyone to hear.

[Willie Geist]

I'm glad you said that. Because I loved the way you rearranged the songs that we all know and love. Cause this easily could have just been an Alicia Keys sing along. And everybody's singing the songs they know, but you sort of subtly sneak them into a conversation. She's, you know, this girl's on. Oh, that's this song I know by heart. It took me a second to get to it. So how did you think about incorporating that into the story and into the dialogue? Cause it's so seamless.

[Alicia Keys]

You know, I love that. And I do love that. I love that you said that. Because it's very intentional. And everyone had their eyes on the music. Chris did, Michael did. In fact, Michael brought some of the most. We would fight. I said, that song. No, that doesn't work. And we would do it in the scene. I said, look, I'll try it for you, Michael, but I don't think it works. And we would do it and it would be perfect. And I would never have even thought that that belonged in that space because the music is so intentionally about pushing forward the storyline. And so it really, as opposed to it just kind of Recapping whatever just happened, it really furthers the story and deepens it. And so, and so that required. How does that fit to Nuck, you know, who's played by Chris Lee, who's amazing. Unbelievable.

[Willie Geist]

So good.

[Alicia Keys]

He's so. His character has so much depth and he really anchors Allie. He's kind of her first love interest and so she's kind of baffled by the whole feeling. And he really anchors her in a lot of ways. And so how would they communicate knowing that she's quite naive and youthful and he's a little bit more experienced? How would they communicate through this song? And so things like that were the expression. Fallen is one of my favorites. You will never expect Fallen when you hear it.

[Willie Geist]

Exactly.

[Alicia Keys]

It's actually sung by Brandon Victor Dixon, who is another mind blowing actor voice artist. And when he sings it, no one can believe it. Yes, they're out there. They cannot believe not only how beautiful his voice sounds, but we purposefully created a sonic for it that is quite different from Fallen, although you recognize it and you can sing along with it. Brandon Victor Dixon character Davis. Each character is modeled after a musical vision. And so his has a bit of like a Sammy Davis Jr. Kind of. That's, that's his anchor when, when, when I'm thinking musically. And so we wanted to make sure that, you know, he's a. He's. He's a complex character. He hasn't, he hasn't been steady in Ali's life. You can tell that Jersey and Davis have a very passionate relationship, but it just doesn't work. And so they have to admit that. And when he, when he's around, everything is kind of magical and wonderful. And so it's quite. It has that sense to it. And that's what gave me the Sammy Davis Jr reference. And so when he sings Fallen, it has very jazzy elements to it and it's quite shocking. So that was one of my favorite things to do, to take songs that you think you know how they're gonna sound and to totally reinvent them. And my second favorite thing to do was to create these new songs.

[Willie Geist]

I was gonna ask you about Kaleidoscope, which is the first single. It is right off the soundtrack, a great song. So you got to sort of come up with some new stuff to plug in.

[Alicia Keys]

Absolutely.

[Willie Geist]

To your existing songs.

[Alicia Keys]

It needed it. It wanted to. You know, I remember we tried very hard to make a song, one of my songs, Superwoman, fit into this moment where kind of Jersey is expressing how frustrated she is with what a 17 year old is like putting her through and she's talking to her friends and she's like, it's driving me crazy. Tried to use Superwoman. And I had this whole way where I was imagining Allie and Jersey kind of, who's the superwoman? You know, they were in this tensioned place. And so this is me expressing myself as a woman. This is me expressing myself as a woman. And we tried it and tried it. And every time Micah would kind of. I'd be like, okay, I think we need a new song. And I was like, I think we need a new song.

[Willie Geist]

And you agreed?

[Alicia Keys]

I agreed. I agreed. And Chris wrote this line and he said at the time in the workshops, he said, because she's 17 and her brain doesn't work. Because if you think about a 17 year old. My brain didn't work at 17. I mean, it worked how I thought it was working, but it wasn't really rational or functioning to the best degree because I had to learn so much. And I knew that was the song 17. And so. And so that was when I started to write this song in the show that I would consider. My first musical theater song, I think that I've written is called Seventeen. It's one of my favorite songs in the show. It's Jersey's song. She has all of this bravado and brass. Crass way she's saying it to me. It's very Carol Burnett. It's very like some of my favorites. Bernadette Peters. It's very like. It has this energy to it that's so powerful. And I love this song and the way it falls in the show. It has kind of a. A fun, comical, but true expression.

[Willie Geist]

Yeah. And such big voices and the performances. I mean, I was saying before we start, I mean, top to bottom, I mean, everybody on that stage shocks you at one moment or another. Where they go with the notes or wow. I mean, just blowing the back out of this place.

[Alicia Keys]

No, really, this place is electrified.

[Willie Geist]

It is.

[Alicia Keys]

With the talent. Yeah, the talent is extremely undeniable. It's just. I mean, they are the best of the best. And there's so many newcomers, which I think infuses a certain thrill to every night. You know, many of the choreography was done by Camille A. Brown, and she is stunning. I mean, the way the storytelling that the bodies add to it as well. Not only does the music further the story, but the choreography takes you to places that we wouldn't have been able to just say. It's those nuances that, you know, touch your spirit. And so many of the dancers, this is also their first time on Broadway. And so there's a. That comes out here with these newcomers, one of two of Allie's friends. They're both new. They're both newcomers. Vanessa Ferguson. I actually. She was my artist on the Voice.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, I didn't realize that.

[Alicia Keys]

And when I heard her voice on the Voice, I was like, whoa, this artist is unbelievable. She rhymed, she sang. She had this beautiful husky. And as time progressed and I started putting together the workshops, we were looking for the tiny character. Her name is Tiny. She's kind of tough. She's from New York. She's like. And I said, vanessa. And I know for a fact that I did the voice to meet Vanessa, to make for her to be a part of this show.

[Willie Geist]

Wow.

[Alicia Keys]

Like, that's how it's all divinely tied together.

[Willie Geist]

And I love what you say that you can't fake New York. And this is New York.

[Alicia Keys]

It really is.

[Willie Geist]

And you thought about that in casting, right?

[Alicia Keys]

Absolutely.

[Willie Geist]

Did they have to be from New York or just be able to capture New York?

[Alicia Keys]

You know, it's tricky. It is a New York story in New York, but it's. You know, again, it's a. Because it's such a family story, you can relate to it no matter where you're from. But that New York energy is very important, and we're talking about a very specific time in New York which was different from now. You know, although it's timeless, when you come, you kind of don't know, is it today, is it? Then you don't really get caught up in that. But that undercurrent of the theme has to stay pure and true. So, yes, you do have to have that New York energy. You can't teach it. I can't teach you how to embody it. I can't teach you how to feel it. I can't teach you how to present it. And so you don't have to be from New York, but you do have to have a certain thing.

[Willie Geist]

You know, I actually even noticed the accents growing up around here. I was like, those are the right. Even if they're not from here, they.

[Alicia Keys]

Know they got it.

[Willie Geist]

They got it. Maybe we're like, no, no, no. Keep working on it.

[Alicia Keys]

There was one guy. There was one person that auditioned, and he was a phenomenal actor. I mean, so, so good. But I knew he wasn't. He just couldn't embody that spirit. I just knew it, and I was like, I don't want to be fighting him the whole time. Not that I would be fighting him. Don't worry, I'm not a fighter. I'm a lover. But, you know, I don't want to have to pull what's unnatural from someone. It should feel like easy. And that's what you get here. And that's why I think you feel the spirit of the city and the characters because of. Because it is so based on the experiences of growing up in New York. You really feel that truth. It's in here. It's alive. It's real.

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Stick around for more of my conversation with Alicia Keys. Right after a quick break. If you could hear love, what would it sound like?

[Alicia Keys]

Son, can we talk about your drinking?

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Yeah, Dad, I think we should. Helping those closest to you think about their excessive drinking. Maybe that's what love sounds like. [e-mail] an OHA initiative.

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[Alicia Keys]

Hey, what's up?

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I want to go back to school.

[Alicia Keys]

And get a pet and buy a house and save for retirement and travel the world.

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That's quite the list.

[Alicia Keys]

Thank you.

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[Alicia Keys]

Really?

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[Alicia Keys]

I'm in. Let's get started.

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[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Alicia Keys.

[Willie Geist]

So given everything you've put into this for 13 years, right, and every detail that you've just explained, you are into and tweaking and fixing and getting right. What does it feel like to be sitting here now just a few days from opening night of your Broadway show Hell's Kitchen. Is it exciting? Is it nerve wracking, all of those?

[Alicia Keys]

I don't feel nerve wracked. I feel quite steady, you know, which is such a nice thing. You know, I feel steady because I know the time that we've taken to build this, this is not a rush job. This is not a. You know, it's been years and years of development, and I feel proud of that. You know, I feel like you can't rush greatness. And. And I'm good with that. When it's time, it's time. And I do feel now is the time. And so I feel steady. But what. I'll tell you what. Growing up in New York City, I walked up all of these streets, all of these blocks. They were unattainable to me. How could I ever imagine as a 7 year old or a 9 year old or a 10 year old, that this could be possible? I couldn't. You know, and so when I pull up to this Schubert theater and there's a marquee that says Hell's Kitchen, the place I grew up, the place that raised me, that gave me the fire to become the woman that I am, I can't put into words what that feels like. And I say, I mean, it gets me a little. I'm not a crier, but it gets me. It gets me. And I say, I don't care how many times I pull up to this thing, this is. This is crazy. This is crazy. And so I'm thrilled about it because it is such a solid, heartfelt, coming of age story, and it works, and I'm so proud of it.

[Willie Geist]

So you should be. And I feel exactly what you're saying. For people who don't realize the building you grew up in is, what, four or five blocks from here, Right? But it's a different universe, right? When you grow up here, you come in here and they got theaters and tourists and all that. So I imagine for you, as someone who lined up at the TKTS booth with your mom to try to get into a show here and there, it's almost like you've stepped on the other side of the mirror. And now you're ins. You're. You're on this stage. You're not out there, you know, on this stage. That's heavy stuff. You know, it's true.

[Alicia Keys]

It's. It's incredible. It's incredible. And I'm so proud of the artists that are part of it. I'm proud of the culture of Hell's Kitchen. We have this beautiful fellowship program that we created to really open the doors for up and coming creative people to find. To be able to study under some of the greatest in the business, which is tremendous because I think, you know, for me, I would have never had Opportunities had, you know, there had not been new ways in, you know, And I think that this is a beautiful part of the culture and the. And the promise of this show. And the tagline is remember where dreams begin. And I really love that because everybody can remember where their dreams began, even if it was just yesterday. Your dreams begin somewhere, and that is. That is something we have to hold on to forever.

[Willie Geist]

Did your dream begin when you first sat in front of a piano at 7 years old?

[Alicia Keys]

Yeah, because I was able to unlock a world that I had no idea what it was going to be able to, what doors it would be able to take me through. And, I mean, that's the reason why I chose keys for my last name, because I played the keys and the piano keys, but because they open doors, and I want to forever open doors. And so this is a new door being opened, and it is. I would have never thought that when I sat down at the piano as a kid and had to play those skills a hundred thousand times, or I was learning a bunch of classical songs. And then I started to learn stride music and blues and jazz and soul, and I started to be able to create a gumbo of music, which is what you actually hear in Hell's Kitchen. You. You hear jazz, you hear classical, you hear soul, you hear. You know, you hear so many sonics that take you on a journey. And it all began at seven when I touched those keys, you know, so, man, you don't know where life's going to take you.

[Willie Geist]

And it wasn't a casual hobby, was it? I mean, you were practicing hours a day to get good at it, right?

[Alicia Keys]

Classical music. I started studying classical and classical music you cannot casually study. There's no such thing. You really have to know it, you have to learn it, you have to embody it. It's quite difficult. It takes not only hours, but days and months when we would prepare for recitals in the Ellington room in Manhattan Plaza, which is a. You know, when Allie meets her mentor, the woman that will become her mentor is Ms. Liza Jane.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, Liza Jane.

[Alicia Keys]

Unforgettable. I mean, right. Played by Keisha Lewis, who is phenomenal. She's in that Ellington room. And so it's things like that that tie the story to the. To the personal New York experience. But when you're in the. When you're. When you're preparing for a recital, particularly a classical recital, you're playing 10 to 15 pages of music, you know, and so you obviously have to dedicate a lot of time. And I'm grateful For what the piano taught me in regards to dedication and patience and work diligence, the craft of how to become better, how to continue to. To grow, you know, how to get past your frustrations, your own personal doubts. You know, you feel like at one time I'm never going to be able to play that piece. I can't even play the first six measures. How am I going to play 18 pages? But you do.

[Willie Geist]

So at what point, Alicia, did it go from, I enjoy playing the piano. I work hard at it. I'm getting pretty good at it. People seem to like it when I play to this can be a career. Like, this can be my light. Or was it always that for you because you watched your mom be a performer as well? In other words, did you ever think you'd be anything other than a musician?

[Alicia Keys]

Anything other than a music?

[Willie Geist]

Or was that it for you?

[Alicia Keys]

You know, I did. I started singing first, so I sang younger than I played.

[Willie Geist]

You were in Cats.

[Alicia Keys]

I was in.

[Willie Geist]

And wizard of Oz.

[Alicia Keys]

The wizard of Oz.

[Willie Geist]

Dorothy, by the way. Okay, you do Cats first.

[Alicia Keys]

Oh, thank you.

[Willie Geist]

I'll help you smaller roll in Cats. And then they're like, she's good. Make her Dorothy.

[Alicia Keys]

Dorothy. So. And which, by the way, I do. I'm so excited for Hell's Kitchen to be everybody's school play.

[Willie Geist]

Oh, yes.

[Alicia Keys]

Like, I'm really, really excited about that.

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You've already gotten to that school. I'm already there.

[Alicia Keys]

I'm there. So. But. So I sang first, and. But in regards to piano, when I started playing piano, it really started to make sense. Then it became this fusion of worlds that I could kind of control almost, which I thought was one of my favorite things about being able to play the piano is it makes me quite independent. You know, I don't have to wait for other people to create something for me. And I'm really grateful. Although I fought my mother about staying and I didn't want to play anymore, and no one else is doing it. I'm the only one stuck in the house. And all the things that you feel as a kid, and, you know, she had that gentle balance of kind of like, yeah, you're not gonna stop this. And okay, if you need a little break. She did a good job with that because I was able to hang on.

[Willie Geist]

And I think we can say now that she was right, by the way. I think it turned out pretty well.

[Alicia Keys]

Thank God she didn't let me do something silly like quit. Could you imagine?

[Willie Geist]

Could you imagine the world would not have Alicia Keys? Mm. Mm.

[Alicia Keys]

Wow.

[Willie Geist]

Don't wanna think about that world.

[Alicia Keys]

Well, you're the sweetest. That's super sweet.

[Willie Geist]

But you. Your first time out, you know where you got your record deal, then you moved to Arista with Clive and all that.

[Alicia Keys]

Right.

[Willie Geist]

Your first time out with Fallen.

[Alicia Keys]

Right.

[Willie Geist]

And A Minor.

[Alicia Keys]

Right.

[Willie Geist]

Number one album, number one song, sells millions of copies. You win five Grammys.

[Alicia Keys]

Wow.

[Willie Geist]

So you go from the Ellington room to the top of the music world. What was that time in your life like?

[Alicia Keys]

And definitely wasn't as linear as that, you know what I mean? It was so many years in between. And I started at 16, really, in this world of the entertainment world and being signed and et cetera. And so I was so young that it was just. I didn't even know if I was coming or going or how to get there or what to do. And I'd written some of these songs, but I'm like, well, how do I write any more? Like, how do I do anything else? So it was quite challenging to figure out how to maintain my self and also to maintain my own version for myself, my own vision for myself. Because people do try to make you who they want you to be. And again, back to Hell's Kitchen. That is a lot of what you're seeing Ali go through. People are telling her what she shouldn't do, where she shouldn't go, where she has to do better, you know? And you. You do. People do have a tendency to tell us who we're supposed to be. And I don't know how right that is. You know, we don't. They don't allow us to become who we're meant to be. They kind of scare us into becoming a version of who they think is best for us to be. And so went through a lot of that and kind of had the strength and the New York grit enough to say, like, no, I don't like this, and I'm not with that. And I want to express like this. And here's how I'm going to say it, and I'm going to do it through a bunch of fear, because I didn't know if I could. But I found my way through that with. And that gave me what I like to think is something different, you know, Something different. No one knew what to do with me. They didn't know how to. They were like, what is this? How do we break this? How do we get this on the radio? What do we do? So it was a journey of divine timing and people who cared to make it all come together, but you never Know how it's going to happen.

[Willie Geist]

But what an affirmation that you said, I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to trust that this is going to work. A lot of people say it isn't going to work. And for your way to be the.

[Alicia Keys]

One that worked, I think that as individuals, you do know who you are. You get cloudy, things get noisy, sometimes you're uncertain, but ultimately, no one knows you better than you. And as soon as we can know that and then know, yeah, is it gonna not go exactly how you thought? Is it gonna maybe, you know, fall over? Sure. But at least it did so. Because you made that choice. And I think that's what I've learned, that I can live with that. I can feel great about that, actually, and then I can keep going.

[Willie Geist]

That's well said. And you bring all of that to this, which is just. I don't know if you're supposed to say this. Does it jinx it? I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't say it cut out. But anyway, there's no jinx. All I'll say is people are going to love this show, and I hope it's here for a very, very long time. And in middle and high schools after that.

[Alicia Keys]

35 plus years. Phantom of the Opera.

[Willie Geist]

Yes.

[Alicia Keys]

Chicago, let's go. Hamilton, let's go. I just want to. I just want to be in the company of some of the greatest because I'm humbly and truly thankful for the. For this experience, for the ability to create something that will touch people, move people, make people feel good, make you cry, make you call your mom after. The amount of people that say, I called my mom, or the amount of mothers that say, my child, they wrote me this thing after they saw this show. It's going to bring you together and it's going to fill you with spirit and love. And I'm just grateful to be able to be a small part of that.

[Willie Geist]

Well, it does that. It was a gift to watch that with my mom, so thank you for that. Congratulations. Thank you. It was great.

[Alicia Keys]

I appreciate it.

[Willie Geist]

Thanks, Alicia.

[Sunday Sit Down Podcast Host (Willie Geist)]

My big thanks to Alicia for a great conversation. Always wonderful to sit down with her. You can see the new musical Hell's Kitchen at the Shubert Theater on Broadway. It's slated for now to perform through September, but may go on longer than that. My thanks to all of you, of course, for listening again this week to hear more of my conversations with our guests every week. Be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode and don't forget to tune in to Sunday Today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

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